'Nothing Short of a Miracle:' How Rural Hospitals are Working Together to Keep from Closing

Nov 18, 2021 - Describes efforts to prevent rural Mississippi hospital closures and re-open rural hospitals through partnerships with other hospitals. Addresses financial challenges related to reimbursement issues and staffing costs and highlights the importance of emergency care access for rural communities.

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CMS: Medicare Program: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; Price Transparency of Hospital Standard Charges; Radiation Oncology Model Federal Register

Nov 16, 2021 - Notice of final rule with comment period from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2022, updates and refines the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program and the ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program, updates Hospital Price Transparency requirements, and updates and refines the design of the Radiation Oncology Model. Comments on the final rule are due by December 2, 2021. The final rule is effective January 1, 2022.

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Traveling Nurses Help Rural Hospital Staffing Issues, But at a Cost

Oct 21, 2021 - Discusses the traveling nurse workforce and the benefits and challenges for rural hospitals that hire temporary staff. Describes the financial impacts of nursing staff and recruitment efforts in rural areas.

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As Insurance Companies Stop Full Coverage for COVID-19, Rural Hospitals Brace for More Financial Burdens

Oct 20, 2021 - Examines the potential impacts of health insurers phasing out cost-sharing for COVID-19 patient hospital stays, discussing the trend early in the pandemic for insurers to waive out-of-pocket costs. Notes that with this change, patients could be expected to pay their out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 stays and discusses the potential impact of this on rural hospitals.

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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 2022 Rates; Quality Programs and Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Requirements for Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals; Changes to Medicaid Provider Enrollment; and Changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program; Corrections Federal Register

Oct 20, 2021 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services making technical and typographical corrections to the August 13, 2021, final rule. Corrections are effective October 19, 2021.

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Study Finds Family Physicians Deliver Babies in Majority of Rural Hospitals

Oct 19, 2021 - Describes a study of family physicians in rural maternity care that found that in 185 rural hospitals in 10 states, 67% had family physicians deliver babies and in 27% of the hospitals they were the only physicians who delivered babies. Discusses issues of access to maternal care if family physicians leave or are not employed at rural hospitals, highlighting the need for specialized training programs to support the rural workforce.

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

Oct 14, 2021 - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comment on the following information collections: 1) Independent Rural Health Clinic Cost Report; 2) Bid Pricing Tool (BPT) for Medicare Advantage (MA) Plans and Prescription Drug Plans (PDP); and 3) Implementation of Medicare and Medicaid Programs;—Promoting Interoperability Programs (Stage 3) (CMS-10552). Comments are due by December 13, 2021.

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FDA: Hospital and Health System Compounding Under Section 503A of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; Revised Draft Guidance for Industry; Availability Federal Register

Oct 7, 2021 - Notice from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking comment on revised draft guidance that, when finalized, will describe how FDA intends to apply certain provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) to human drug products compounded by State-licensed pharmacies that are not outsourcing facilities and distributed for use within a hospital or health system. The draft guidance addresses the requirement that compounding be based on the receipt of a valid prescription order for an identified individual patient and the provision concerning compounded drug products that are essentially copies of a commercially available drug product. Comments are due by December 6, 2021.

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HRSA: Meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Federal Register

Oct 5, 2021 - The Health Resources and Services Administration will hold a virtual public meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS) on October 25-27, 2021. The agenda will include discussions on Behavioral Health and Primary Care Integration in Rural America and recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the Rural Emergency Hospital designation. Pre-registration is required by October 24, 2021. Written statements and request to make oral comments should be submitted to Steven Hirsch at least 3 business days prior to the meeting.

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Rural Hospitals that Joined Chains Were More Likely to Stop Maternal and Neonatal Services, Limit Mental-Health Access

Oct 5, 2021 - Describes a study of 172 rural hospitals that merged with larger health systems from 2009-2016, comparing them to 549 independent hospitals and finding that the number of acquired hospitals that offered any maternal or neonatal services decreased. Also notes that merged hospitals were less likely to offer surgical services and mental health services.

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