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Rural Health
News by Topic: Rural Health Clinics

Dec 7, 2023 - Announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of receipt of an application for initial recognition of the Joint Commission as a national accrediting organization for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. Comments are due by January 8, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
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