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Resources by Topic: Rural Emergency Hospitals

CY 2024 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Final Rule (CMS 1786-FC)
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2024. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to the community mental health centers (CMHC) Conditions of Participation (CoPs); payment for intensive outpatient program (IOP) services; payment methodology for Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal facilities that convert to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status; the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; and more.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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MedPAC Response to a Congressional Request for Information on Improving Access to Health Care in Rural and Underserved Areas
Letter to the House Committee on Ways and Means request for information on improving access to healthcare in rural and underserved areas. Covers MedPAC recommendations for policies to target payments to better support rural and vulnerable beneficiaries' access to care, including the Rural Emergency Hospital program and a proposed Medicare Safety-Net Index; changes to the hospital wage index to address geographic inequities; and the alignment of payment rates across ambulatory settings for certain services.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Outpatient Prospective Payment System for FY 2024
Comment on the July 31, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule revising the physician fee schedule to improve Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payments for calendar year 2024. Includes discussions on extending the use of the hospital market basket to update ASC payment rates, a proposed quality measure for emergency department visits in Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), and more.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural Emergency Hospitals: Legislative and Regulatory Considerations for States
Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital designation, including licensure and federal requirements for the designation that states must consider before pursuing legislation for REH licensure. Presents a table comparing how 14 states addressed these considerations. Offers legislation to assist states that want to pursue the model.
Additional links: Guide to Legislative and Regulatory Considerations for States
Author(s): Vicki Veltri, Rebekah Falkner
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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FY 2024 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (LTCH PPS) Final Rule — CMS-1785-F and CMS-1788-F Fact Sheet
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) fiscal year 2024 hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) and long-term care hospital prospective payment system (LTCH PPS) final rule. Includes information about the low-wage index hospital policy, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) being allowed to receive Medicare Graduate Medical Education (GME) payments, changes to the rural wage index calculation methodology, and more.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Rural Emergency Hospital Designation
Webinar recording discussing the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation for Texas hospitals including eligibility, payment, and becoming and REH. Includes information on the definition of rural and the history of the various rural-related hospital designations. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 07/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: University of Texas at Arlington Center for Rural Health and Nursing
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Arkansas Rural Hospital Assessment: Final Report
An assessment of 18 rural Arkansas hospitals with regard to their financial stability, workforce challenges, facilities, distance from other facilities, sustainability, and more. Compares Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and non-CAHs in the state. Discusses decision-making around the Rural Emergency Hospital designation.
Author(s): Alvarez & Marsal Public Sector Services LLC
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration
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Rural Health on Life Support - The State of America's Rural Health Systems
Podcast episode discussing the rural health landscape and how policies affect rural healthcare systems and service delivery. Covers rural hospital closures, payment policy, workforce concerns, emergency medical services (EMS), the Rural Emergency Hospital designation, and more.
Date: 06/2023
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Impact! Communications, Inc.
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The Benefits and Challenges of Converting to a Rural Emergency Hospital
Podcast episode with Anson General Hospital's Chief Executive Office and Chief Nursing Officer regarding the hospital's transition to a Rural Emergency Hospital. Discusses changes to services offered, financial and operational impacts of the conversion, and what the local patient population thinks about the transition.
Date: 06/2023
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Rural Hospitals and the New Rural Emergency Hospital Designation
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Janice Walters, Chief Operating Officer for the Rural Health Redesign Center, home of the Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center. Offers an overview of Medicare's Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation, which became available on January 1, 2023.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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