Rural Spotlight

November 8, 2024

Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Hardship Exception Application Deadline for CAHs is November 30, 2024

For the calendar year 2023 reporting period, eligible hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) were required to use 2015 Edition Cures Update certified electronic health record technology (CERHT) to meet the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program requirements.

CAHs may apply for a Hardship Exception if complying with this requirement results in significant hardship. CAHs may submit their application electronically or contact the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality Service Center (CCSQ) Service Center at (866) 288-8912 to complete a verbal application.

Click Here to Learn More

Click Here to see Requirements for Previous Years

Click Here to Apply

November 8, 2024

Medicare Finalizes New Standards for Hospital Obstetric Care

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Medicare Outpatient Hospital Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Final Rule for Calendar Year 2025.

In addition to annual updates in outpatient hospital Medicare payment rates, this rule finalizes new standards for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) with obstetric (OB) units regarding maternal quality assessment and performance improvement, the organization, staffing, and delivery of OB care, and staff training on evidence-based maternal health practices.

For hospitals and CAHs with emergency services, it adds standards on facility readiness in caring for emergency services’ patients, including pregnant, birthing, and postpartum women.

The rule also finalizes new transfer policies for hospitals that mirror the current CAH and Rural Emergency Hospital standards. These Conditions of Participation (CoPs) will be phased in over two years.

Click Here to Read Final Rule

November 8, 2024

Policy Update: Medicare Finalizes Changes to Medicare Home Health Program, Effective January 1, 2025

On November 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Rate Update final rule, which updates the Medicare payment policies and rates for home health agencies (HHAs).

CMS projects an increase in aggregate payments by 0.5 percent, and finalizes a permanent prospective adjustment of 1.975% to the CY 2025 home health payment rate.

CMS finalized a new standard for acceptance to service policy in the Home Health Conditions of Participation (HH CoPs) and their proposal with modification to require ongoing respiratory illness reporting for Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities. The rule is effective January 1, 2025.

Click Here to see 2025 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update final rule

November 8, 2024

Rural Health Research: Medical Debt in Collections Among Counties by Rural-Urban Location and Racial-ethnic Composition

Medical debt, or medical costs owed for health care services, is a pressing issue across the U.S., with implications for health and well-being for those facing debt burden. While recognition of medical debt as a social problem is growing, details about who is most at risk of holding this debt remain less clear.

This policy brief addresses this gap by examining the differences in the proportion of people with medical debt in collections and median amount of medical debt by rural-urban communities of color.

Key Findings:

Rural counties have a higher proportion of people with medical debt in collections than urban counties (15.7% vs 14.8%), and this difference is associated with lower average household incomes in rural counties in general.
The county-level median amount of medical debt in collections held by rural residents is $62 higher compared to their urban counterparts, even after accounting for income differences.
The proportion of people with and amount of medical debt in collections are both higher in rural and urban communities of color than in rural and urban communities overall.

Click Here to Read Brief

November 8, 2024

NARHC Webinar: Regulatory Changes for Rural Health Clinics in 2025, November 18

The nonprofit National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) is hosting a free, FORHP-supported webinar with information about changes for RHCs in the federal regulation that determines how much physicians and other providers are paid for treating Medicare beneficiaries.

Experts will discuss changes that include:

Removal of RHC productivity standards
New billing processes for care coordination
Streamlining required lab services
Extending telehealth flexibilities

Advance registration is required.

Cost: Free

When: Monday, November 18, 1:00 p.m. CT

Click Here to Register

November 8, 2024

HHS: Current Trends and Key Challenges to Health Care in Rural America

A new report evaluates programs at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and finds that uninsured rates among adults under age 65 in rural areas have fallen substantially since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), from 23.8 percent in 2010 to 12.6 percent in 2023.

Uninsured rates among rural residents are much higher is states that have not yet expanded Medicaid and analysts acknowledge ongoing disparities in health outcomes between rural and urban areas.

Research has shown, for instance, disparities in maternal outcomes, behavioral and mental health outcomes, risk factors for chronic disease such as obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease as well as in potentially harmful health behaviors such as smoking and physical inactivity to name a few.

Click Here to read full report

November 4, 2024

Webinar: The Power of Rural in Action: RCORP Success Stories & Strategies, November 21

Join the National Organization for State Offices of Rural Health in celebration of National Rural Health Day! This year’s event shines a spotlight on the transformative impact of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), featuring powerful success stories and innovative strategies from grantees and key partners.

Discover how these community-driven approaches can be adapted to drive lasting change in your own community.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, November 21, 1:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

November 4, 2024

Webinar: How Federal Funds are Being Used to Support Rural Communities, November 19

This webinar features a panel discussion to include the Utah State Office of Rural Health, Uintah Basin Medical center, a rural hospital and Blue Mountain Hospital, a critical access hospital.

The panelists will share their experiences with leveraging combined federal funding to improve financial performance and enhance quality data outcomes in rural healthcare settings.

By the end of the webinar, participants will:

Understand the value of partnerships with SORHs, vendors, and hospitals
Learn how multiple funding streams can be combined to support hospitals

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, November 19, 2:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Rural Spotlight

Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Hardship Exception Application Deadline for CAHs is November 30, 2024

Medicare Finalizes New Standards for Hospital Obstetric Care

Policy Update: Medicare Finalizes Changes to Medicare Home Health Program, Effective January 1, 2025

Rural Health Research: Medical Debt in Collections Among Counties by Rural-Urban Location and Racial-ethnic Composition

NARHC Webinar: Regulatory Changes for Rural Health Clinics in 2025, November 18

HHS: Current Trends and Key Challenges to Health Care in Rural America

Webinar: The Power of Rural in Action: RCORP Success Stories & Strategies, November 21

Webinar: How Federal Funds are Being Used to Support Rural Communities, November 19

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