Rural Hospitals – News

CMS: Medicare Program: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems; Quality Reporting Programs; Payment for Intensive Outpatient Services in Hospital Outpatient Departments, Community Mental Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and Opioid Treatment Programs; Hospital Price Transparency; Changes to Community Mental Health Centers Conditions of Participation, Changes to the Inpatient Prospective Payment System Medicare Code Editor; Rural Emergency Hospital Conditions of Participation Technical Correction 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.

view details

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 2024 Rates; Quality Programs and Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Requirements for Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals; Rural Emergency Hospital and Physician-Owned Hospital Requirements; and Provider and Supplier Disclosure of Ownership; and Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Payments: Counting Certain Days Associated With Section 1115 Demonstrations in the Medicaid Fraction; Correction Federal Register

Nov 9, 2023 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services making technical corrections to the August 28, 2023 final rule with the same title. The corrections are applicable for discharges beginning October 1, 2023. This notice is effective November 9, 2023.

view details

ASPR, HHS: Request for Information (RFI): Initiative To Enhance National All Hazards Hospital Situational Awareness Federal Register

Oct 18, 2023 - The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), are seeking comments on a national, all-hazards standardized set of essential elements of information (EEIs) and vendor-neutral data collection mechanisms for hospital data that drive action for emergency preparedness and response. The information collected will inform efforts to provide recommendations for a standardized lens into the readiness of, stress on, and resources available in hospitals before, during, and after emergencies. Comments are due by December 18, 2023.

view details

Could Tending to Rockingham County's Health Needs Provide a Prescription for Other Rural NC Counties?

Oct 13, 2023 - Highlights presentations and discussions at an event at Rockingham Community College in Wentworth, North Carolina, devoted to challenges faced by healthcare providers in rural North Carolina communities. Topics included lack of transportation, provider shortages, lack of high-speed internet, and hospital closures.

view details