Rural Hospitals – News

CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems; Quality Reporting Programs, Including the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program; Health and Safety Standards for Obstetrical Services in Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals; Prior Authorization; Requests for Information; Medicaid and CHIP Continuous Eligibility; Medicaid Clinic Services Four Walls Exceptions; Individuals Currently or Formerly in Custody of Penal Authorities; Revision to Medicare Special Enrollment Period for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals; and All-Inclusive Rate Add-On Payment for High-Cost Drugs Provided by Indian Health Service and Tribal Facilities; Correcting Amendment Federal Register

Jan 13, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making technical and typographic corrections to the November 27, 2024, final rule. This correcting amendment is effective January 8, 2025, and is applicable beginning January 1, 2025.

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Study: Obstetrics Units in Rural Communities Declining

Dec 30, 2024 - Describes the findings of new research on hospital obstetric units published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Notes that, between 2010 and 2022, a greater proportion of rural hospitals lacked obstetric services compared to urban hospitals. Discusses the wide-ranging health implications for rural mothers and babies, and provides an overview of proposed federal legislation to address the issue.

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CMS: Medicare Program; Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program: Solicitation of Additional Participants Federal Register

Dec 26, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking applications for 10 additional eligible hospitals to participate in the Rural Community Hospital demonstration program through June 30, 2028. The Rural Community Hospital demonstration program pays rural community hospitals for covered inpatient services under a cost-based methodology for Medicare payment for Medicare beneficiaries. Applications are due by March 1, 2025.

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Creating a Clearer Path to Rural Heart Health

Dec 6, 2024 - Highlights a partnership between the American Heart Association (AHA) and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) to address cardiovascular health to reduce rural health disparities. The Get With The Guidelines program focuses on quality improvement for rural hospitals, offering free clinical consultants, evidence-based education, access to AHA resources, and peer collaboration for up to 700 hospitals.

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CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems; Quality Reporting Programs, including the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program, etc. Federal Register

Nov 27, 2024 - Notice of final rule with comment period from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2025. This rule also updates the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Program, Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program, and Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program and finalizes updates to the Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) for obstetrical services. Among other things, this rule summarizes comments received in response to an information request on potential modifications to the Safety of Care measure group in the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating methodology. This rule also finalizes exceptions to the Medicaid clinic services benefit four walls requirement for Indian Health Service and Tribal clinics, and, at state option, for behavioral health clinics and clinics located in rural areas. The provisions of this rule are effective January 1, 2025. Comments are due by December 31, 2024.

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