Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs).
Calendar Year 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center Final Rule (CMS-1834-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 2026. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to hospital price transparency; Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and partial hospital program rate setting; updates to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; hospital quality start ratings; and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
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 2026. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to hospital price transparency; Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and partial hospital program rate setting; updates to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; hospital quality start ratings; and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
The New Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Program: Will It Improve Access to Care for Rural Americans?
Discusses rural hospital closures and the potential impact of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Provides U.S. maps showing Medicaid Expansion states and rural hospital closures as well as data specific to REHs in Texas.
Author(s): Suzanne B. Daly, Wei You, Elizabeth I. Merwin
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4)
Date: 10/2025
view details
Discusses rural hospital closures and the potential impact of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Provides U.S. maps showing Medicaid Expansion states and rural hospital closures as well as data specific to REHs in Texas.
Author(s): Suzanne B. Daly, Wei You, Elizabeth I. Merwin
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4)
Date: 10/2025
view details
Data Driven Decisions: Using Data to Identify Health Services and Needs for Rural Emergency Hospitals
Describes the Health Services and Needs Assessment (HSNA) tool provided to Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) and facility exploring the REH designation. Summarizes aggregated data on health indicators and availability of preventive care across REH communities based on 36 HSNAs completed through September 2024, as well as lessons learned regarding common issues faced by rural hospitals.
Author(s): Susie Aft, Autum Martin, Anna Anna, Candice Talkington, Tracey Dorff
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
view details
Describes the Health Services and Needs Assessment (HSNA) tool provided to Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) and facility exploring the REH designation. Summarizes aggregated data on health indicators and availability of preventive care across REH communities based on 36 HSNAs completed through September 2024, as well as lessons learned regarding common issues faced by rural hospitals.
Author(s): Susie Aft, Autum Martin, Anna Anna, Candice Talkington, Tracey Dorff
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
view details
Medicare Claims Processing Manual Chapter 4 - Part B Hospital (Including Inpatient Hospital Part B and OPPS)
Outlines rules and regulations for processing Medicare Part B hospital claims. Covers special rules for Critical Access Hospital outpatient billing, hospital-based Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) billing for non-RHC/FQHC services, and payment adjustments for Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs).
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Outlines rules and regulations for processing Medicare Part B hospital claims. Covers special rules for Critical Access Hospital outpatient billing, hospital-based Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) billing for non-RHC/FQHC services, and payment adjustments for Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs).
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Medicare Learning Network: Rural Emergency Hospitals
Details the regulatory requirements for providers to become a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). Provides information on REH billing for Medicare services, Medicare payments for REH services, the additional monthly facility payment, and REH quality reporting requirements.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Details the regulatory requirements for providers to become a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). Provides information on REH billing for Medicare services, Medicare payments for REH services, the additional monthly facility payment, and REH quality reporting requirements.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Observed Factors Influencing REH Conversion Decisions: Insights from the Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center's Financial Modeling Process
Summarizes key findings from the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Technical Assistance Center's financial modeling activities for rural hospitals considering conversion. Discusses barriers identified by hospitals considering REH status and common themes for why hospitals chose not to pursue the REH designation.
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
view details
Summarizes key findings from the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Technical Assistance Center's financial modeling activities for rural hospitals considering conversion. Discusses barriers identified by hospitals considering REH status and common themes for why hospitals chose not to pursue the REH designation.
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
view details
The Rural Emergency Hospital Model: Year Two Progress Report
Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) payment designation, including the growth in REHs through September 1, 2024, factors that contribute to a hospital seeking REH conversion, and the impacts of REH conversion. Outlines concerns identified by REH leaders, facilities considering converting to REH status, and other rural stakeholders related to the REH designation, as well as policy recommendations to address these concerns.
Author(s): Emma Sheffert, Julia Harris, Marilyn Werber Serafini
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
view details
Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) payment designation, including the growth in REHs through September 1, 2024, factors that contribute to a hospital seeking REH conversion, and the impacts of REH conversion. Outlines concerns identified by REH leaders, facilities considering converting to REH status, and other rural stakeholders related to the REH designation, as well as policy recommendations to address these concerns.
Author(s): Emma Sheffert, Julia Harris, Marilyn Werber Serafini
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
view details
Rural Emergency Hospitals Fact Sheet
Provides a brief overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) provider designation. Outlines REH payment, services, eligibility requirements, and how to apply for REH designation.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Provides a brief overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) provider designation. Outlines REH payment, services, eligibility requirements, and how to apply for REH designation.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Revised: Guidance for Rural Emergency Hospital Provisions, Conversion Process and Conditions of Participation
Provides guidance regarding the enrollment and conversion processes for facilities interested in participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs as a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). Covers eligibility, enrollment, conversion action plans, action plans, and attestation. Includes answers to frequently asked questions about the REH program.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Provides guidance regarding the enrollment and conversion processes for facilities interested in participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs as a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). Covers eligibility, enrollment, conversion action plans, action plans, and attestation. Includes answers to frequently asked questions about the REH program.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Voice of the REH CEO: Perspectives from Those Who Have Led Their Organizations Through REH Conversion
Summarizes interviews with executives from three hospitals that converted to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status regarding their perspectives on conversion. Describes the assessment of the financial feasibility of REH status, preparation of the communities for conversion, staffing and service line adjustments, and the impact of conversion. Includes legislative considerations that could make REH status more attractive to rural hospitals.
Author(s): Hope Burch, Tracey Dorff, Anna Anna, Janice Walters
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
view details
Summarizes interviews with executives from three hospitals that converted to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status regarding their perspectives on conversion. Describes the assessment of the financial feasibility of REH status, preparation of the communities for conversion, staffing and service line adjustments, and the impact of conversion. Includes legislative considerations that could make REH status more attractive to rural hospitals.
Author(s): Hope Burch, Tracey Dorff, Anna Anna, Janice Walters
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
view details
Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for: