Rural Health
News by Topic: Hospitals
Apr 17, 2024 - Reports on a Minnesota hospital converting to a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) in an effort to stabilize their budget. It would be the first in the state to convert to an REH.
Source: Star Tribune
Apr 12, 2024 - Highlights a 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture Emergency Rural Health Care Grant recipient. Grant funds allowed for updating equipment and facilities for the rural Texas hospital.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Newsroom
Apr 11, 2024 - Pre-publication notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding changes to the hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals for fiscal year 2025. Contains details of proposed changes impacting Medicare graduate medical education (GME) for teaching hospitals and payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals, among other things. Comments are due by June 10, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 10, 2024 - Announces proposed bipartisan legislation modifying regulations for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in mountainous areas. Legislation would allow ambulatory services with enhanced Medicare payments as well as protecting CAH designation when a new facility is constructed within 15 miles.
Source: Office of Senator Joe Manchin
Apr 9, 2024 - Highlights a mental telehealth service in Nebraska that increases access to care in rural areas. Patients are able to receive a behavioral health assessment in their local hospital, which can be quicker and more convenient when services are multiple hours away.
Source: KOLN
Treasury, DOL, HHS: Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance and Independent, Noncoordinated Excepted Benefits Coverage
Federal Register
Apr 3, 2024 - Notice of final rules from the Department of the Treasury, Department of Labor (DOL), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) amending the definition of short-term, limited-duration insurance, which is excluded from the definition of individual health insurance coverage under the Public Health Service Act. This notice also amends the regulations for hospital indemnity or other fixed indemnity insurance to be considered an excepted benefit in the group and individual health insurance markets. These regulations are effective June 17, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 1, 2024 - Describes challenges rural health systems face when fighting infectious diseases, including shortages of infectious diseases physicians, geographic isolation, and difficulties in accessing mentoring in infection prevention and control.
Source: JAMA Network
Mar 29, 2024 - Notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2025. Among other things, this rule proposes updates to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) market area delineations for the IRF prospective payment system (PPS) wage index, proposes a 3-year phase-out of the rural adjustments, and includes proposals for the IRF Quality Reporting Program. Comments are due by May 28, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 29, 2024 - The Missouri Department of Social Services announced the approval of a waiver amendment allowing for full deployment of the Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) pilot project. This primary care case management model addresses social care challenges that affect people's ability to remain healthy and manage chronic conditions.
Source: Fox23
Mar 20, 2024 - Profiles a rural Oregon hospital expanding services to include specialty care. Notes the importance placed on healthcare access for people looking to move to a community.
Source: KPTV