CMS: Medicare Program: Changes to Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; Revisions of Organ Procurement Organizations Conditions of Coverage; Prior Authorization Process and Requirements for Certain Covered Outpatient Department Services; Potential Changes to the Laboratory Date of Service Policy; Changes to Grandfathered Children's Hospitals-Within-Hospitals; Notice of Closure of Two Teaching Hospitals and Opportunity to Apply for Available Slots Federal Register

Nov 12, 2019 - Notice of final rule with comment period from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to revise the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for the 2020 calendar year and update associated quality reporting requirements. Establishes a process and requirements for prior authorization for certain covered outpatient department services and revises conditions for coverage of organ procurement organizations, among other things. Also announces the closure of two teaching hospitals and the opportunity to apply for indirect medical education (IME) and direct graduate medical education (DGME) payment slots. Includes rural references throughout. Comments are due by December 2, 2019 and the final rule will be effective on January 1, 2020.

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How and Why This Rural Hospital CEO Taps into Public's 'Buy Local' Sensibility

Oct 31, 2019 - Describes how a CEO of a Critical Access Hospital in rural Oregon has been working to foster a sense of loyalty by hosting a monthly "key leaders breakfast" for community members. As financial and competitive pressures rise, the breakfast is used as a type of promotional event, so if the hospital is ever threatened with closure, the community will fight to keep its doors open.

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CMS: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2020 Rates; Quality Reporting Requirements for Specific Providers; Medicare and Medicaid Promoting Interoperability Programs Requirements for Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals; Correction Federal Register

Oct 8, 2019 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services correcting technical and typographical errors found in the August 16, 2019 final rule with the same title. Corrections apply to discharges that occur on or after October 1, 2019.

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CMS: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request Federal Register

Sep 30, 2019 - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is seeking public comment on a proposed information collection titled "Hospital Survey for Specified Covered Outpatient Drugs (SCODs)." Data submitted by hospitals during this information collection will be used to determine payment amounts for drugs acquired under the 340B program. Comments are due by November 29, 2019.

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CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Revisions to Requirements for Discharge Planning for Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and Home Health Agencies, and Hospital and Critical Access Hospital Changes to Promote Innovation, Flexibility, and Improvement in Patient Care Federal Register

Sep 30, 2019 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to revise discharge planning requirements that hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and home health agencies participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs must meet. Also implements discharge planning requirements to provide patients and their families with access to information that will help them make informed decisions about post-acute care, and updates a provision regarding patient rights which is intended to promote innovation and flexibility to improve patient care. The final rule will be effective on November 29, 2019.

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CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Regulatory Provisions to Promote Program Efficiency, Transparency, and Burden Reduction; Fire Safety Requirements for Certain Dialysis Facilities; Hospital and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Changes to Promote Innovation, Flexibility, and Improvement in Patient Care Federal Register

Sep 30, 2019 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid that removes unnecessary and burdensome regulations, reduces requirements that impede or divert resources away from providing high quality care, and updates fire safety standards for End-State Renal Disease (ESRD) facilities participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Also updates the requirements that hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) must meet to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Includes implementation dates for CAHs related to Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement Programs (QAPI) and for hospitals and CAHs related to antibiotic stewardship programs. The final rule will be effective on November 29, 2019.

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Rural Hospitals Face Challenges

Sep 22, 2019 - Discusses how Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) in rural areas are faced with financial barriers leading many to close. Identifies increasing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, utilizing traveling physicians, and implementing telehealth as methods to possibly counteract CAH closures.

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Stratis Health Announces National Virtual Quality Improvement Mentors for Critical Access Hospitals

Sep 19, 2019 - Stratis Health announces eight Critical Access Hospital (CAH) staff members selected to serve as national Virtual Quality Improvement Mentors. Organized by the Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA), the program aims to disseminate quality improvement knowledge to other CAH staff around the country.

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