Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Clinics

Nov 23, 2023 - Highlights a mobile dental clinic offering free services to uninsured and poor rural Missourians. Discusses the clinic's business model and the impact of dental health on larger health outcomes.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Nov 22, 2023 - 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 2024. This rule also updates and refines the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program, and the Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Program and would establish payment for certain intensive outpatient services under Medicare. Among other things, this notice also makes changes to the community mental health center (CMHC) Conditions of Participation (CoPs) to provide requirements for furnishing intensive outpatient (IOP) services and finalizes a technical correction to the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Conditions of Participation and outlines a payment methodology for Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals that convert to REH status. These regulations are effective on January 1, 2024. Comments are due by January 1, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 16, 2023 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making changes to the following: 1) Physician Fee Schedule and Medicare Part B payment policies; 2) payment for dental services inextricably linked to specific covered medical services; 3) Medicare Shared Savings Program requirements; 4) updates to the Quality Payment Program; 5) Medicare coverage of opioid use disorder services furnished by opioid treatment programs; 6) updates to certain Medicare and Medicaid provider enrollment policies; 7) electronic prescribing for controlled substances for a covered Part D drug under a prescription drug plan or an MA-PD plan; 8) updates to the Ambulance Fee Schedule regulations and the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System; 9) expansion of the diabetes screening and diabetes definitions; 10) pulmonary rehabilitation, cardiac rehabilitation and intensive cardiac rehabilitation expansion of supervising practitioners; 11) appropriate use criteria for advanced diagnostic imaging; 12) early release of Medicare Advantage risk adjustment data; and 13) a social determinants of health risk assessment in the annual wellness visit and Basic Health Program. This rule also codifies provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Includes rural references throughout. These regulations are effective on January 1, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 8, 2023 - Announcement of the opening of a new health station for the Havasupai Tribe inside the Grand Canyon. The new facility includes specialty care, public health programming, staff living quarters, and more.
Oct 16, 2023 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announcing more than $81 million in one-time funding to all current Health Center Program operational award recipients and to health center look-alikes that previously received American Rescue Plan funding to maintain essential COVID–19 related services for their patients, including but not limited to health center patients who lack health insurance support uninsured and underinsured patients and residents of their communities. Health centers will use this funding to support community needs such as COVID–19 vaccination and therapeutics; enabling/patient support services to support COVID–19 related services; community COVID–19 vaccination events; and supplies and personnel who support COVID–19 related services and care delivery. The total amount of funding, number of awards, and award recipients can be found on the COVID-19 Bridge Access Program website.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 16, 2023 - A rural Nebraska family medical clinic has added a psychiatrist to the staff in an effort to improve uptake of mental healthcare. Notes the local farming culture means stigma and independence act as barriers to mental healthcare.
Source: NTV News