Rural issues
Ten critical access hospitals in Montana, Nevada and North Dakota began participating Aug. 1 in a three-year demonstration that will test new models of integrated, coordinated health care in sparsely populated rural counties, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced 鈥
The AHA convened a group of rural hospital leaders in Washington, D.C. to meet with Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee; Pat Roberts, R-Kan., co-chair of the Senate Rural Health Caucus; and John Tester, D-Mont. on the path forward for rural health legislative鈥
Reducing Medicare reimbursement to critical access hospitals would have 鈥渁 significant and detrimental impact鈥 not only on these hospitals, but on their patients and communities, AHA told the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today.
AHA letter to CMS regarding critical access hospital reimbursement.
The AHA today held a Rural Hospital Policy Forum on Capitol Hill. AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack welcomed senators, congressional and AHA staff, who updated rural hospital leaders on their legislative priorities and outlook for passing critical rural legislation this year. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR鈥
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services late today issued a proposed rule that would update and revise conditions of participation that hospitals and critical access hospitals must meet to participate in Medicare and Medicaid.
The House Ways and Means Committee on May 24 approved by voice vote the AHA-supported Helping Hospitals Improve Patient Care Act (H.R. 5273), which contains numerous provisions affecting hospitals.
Medicare patients admitted to critical access hospitals for common surgical procedures are no more likely to die within 30 days than similar patients at other hospitals and have lower complication rates and expenditures, according to a study published today in the Journal of the American鈥