Beginning in 2023, hospitals were allowed to convert to REHs and as of mid-October, 17 hospitals had converted. Eight rural hospitals closed in FY 2023; two are considering reopening as REHs. MedPAC’s March 2024 report to Congress will contain a section on the REH designation,...
The shortage of primary care physicians is getting more attention from the mainstream media. Highlighted in an NBC Nightly News report, the problem is impacting both rural and urban communities which shows issues in Alabama and New York City. The AMA President is interviewed extolling...
In an open call to health care stakeholders, the House Ways and Means Committee is requesting solutions to, "help turn the tide against the very real disparities in access to care that exist for millions of Americans – particularly those in rural and underserved communities."...
Quoting low birthrates, particularly in rural areas of the country, hospitals are shuttering maternity services. Another issue that hospitals are raising is the inability to hire enough staff to run the units leading to closures, although sometimes that may be temporary. Experts worry that this...
More than a third of rural Americans have reported skipping needed care because of costs, this is more than twice the rate of rural residents in six other countries reviewed. According to analysis by the Commonwealth Fund, of the 11 high-income countries studied, the U.S....
According to a new study by the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, more than 600 rural hospitals - 30 percent of all rural hospitals in the U.S. - are at risk of closing in the next 6-7 years due to the financial problems...
A report by the Government Accountability Office presents the challenges that critical access hospitals are facing in providing behavioral health care in rural communities. CAHs are often the principal or sole source of health care services in their communities, and often their ability to provide...
CMS announced MACs will resume standard practice for evaluating the annual average 96-hour patient length of stay requirement for Critical Access Hospitals, which was waived during the PHE. The guidance document alerts state agencies of a one-time change to the CAH 96-hour patient length of...
On April 14, President Biden signed H.R. 1868 into law fixing two important issues for CAHs. The new law extends the suspension of the 2% across-the-board Medicare sequestration through the end of the year. It also corrects some of the provisions included in the year-end...