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Rural Healthcare Quality – News

News stories from the past 60 days.

Jun 24, 2019 - Bipartisan legislation introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives would improve mental health telehealth benefits for Medicare beneficiaries under the Beneficiary Education Tools Telehealth Extender Reauthorization (BETTER) Act of 2019. The legislation also includes provisions extending rural provider payment protections, provides funding for the National Quality Forum and a consensus program for Medicare quality measures, reduces barriers for rural and community hospitals who want to start a graduate medical education program, and more.
Source: U.S. House Ways & Means Committee
Jun 18, 2019 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) correcting technical errors in a May 3, 2019 proposed rule. Includes corrections to the language explaining base operating DRG payment amounts for the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 17, 2019 - The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is extending the comment period on potential revisions to the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Health Plan Survey 5.0. The survey is used to evaluate topics important to consumers, such as access to healthcare services and communication with providers. Comments are now due June 28, 2019.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 12, 2019 - The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is requesting nominations for the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality. At least one member of the committee must be familiar with rural health issues. The committee advises the AHRQ director and the Secretary of Health and Human Services in regards to AHRQ's mission. Nominations are due in 60 days from publication of this notice.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 11, 2019 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) extending the timeline for the final rule, Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Hospital and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Changes to Promote Innovation, Flexibility, and Improvement in Patient Care, until June 16, 2020. The final rule will update requirements for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals to participate in Medicare and Medicaid in regards to quality assessment and performance improvement (QAPI), infection control and antibiotic stewardship, licensed independent practitioners, and ordering privileges in CAHs for dietitians and nutrition professionals.
Source: Federal Register
May 29, 2019 - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services corrects the total minutes for the clinical staff time and admission time for the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) quality reporting program initially published in the April 24, 2019 proposed rule.
Source: Federal Register
May 22, 2019 - A new study shows that a team-based approach is effective in rural settings for working with patients to manage diabetes. While previous research has shown this model works well in a primary care setting, this was the first study that focused specifically on a rural community. Includes a Q&A with the study author.
Source: American Academy of Family Physicians
May 17, 2019 - National Quality Forum established a new task force, Driving Value through the Next Generation of Quality. The task force will include 5 subcommittees and will provide recommendations for driving high-value care and quality outcomes later this year.
Source: National Quality Forum
May 13, 2019 - A new study shows great variation among readmissions for pediatric patients based on hospital type and diagnosis. The data is intended to create quality performance benchmarks for hospitals, including nonmetropolitan hospitals. Nonmetropolitan hospitals had higher readmission rates for diabetes, but lower readmission rates for many other conditions, such as asthma.
Source: Becker's Clinical Leadership and Infection Control
May 3, 2019 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of a proposed rule regarding changes to critical access hospital (CAH) payments, Medicare graduate medical education for teaching hospitals, and Medicare hospital inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) for capital and operating costs of acute care hospitals. The rule also proposes new quality requirements and revisions related to current requirements. Comments are due June 24, 2019.
Source: Federal Register
May 1, 2019 - The Food and Drug Administration requests public comment on proposed information collection related to the Mammography Quality Standards Act requirements. Comments are due July 1, 2019.
Source: Federal Register

Last Updated: 6/25/2019