States are grappling with how to maintain access to care in rural areas — including supporting rural hospitals who are facing potential closures.
Medicare’s Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation, originally established through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, became effective on January 1, 2023. The new designation is intended to help rural hospitals at risk of financial failure by offering an additional monthly facility payment and requiring certain changes in service delivery, including the elimination of inpatient care. To implement this new model, states need to take certain steps to provide hospitals with this option. Several states have already taken action to implement the REH designation.
Watch this webinar to hear about the requirements of the new Medicare designation from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as well as experiences in implementing the new designation in Kansas and Michigan, with ample time for questions.
Speakers
- Kianna Banks, Technical Advisor, CMS
- Jennifer Findley, Vice President, Education and Special Projects, Kansas Hospital Association
- John Barnas, Executive Director, Michigan Center for Rural Health
- Matthew Jordan, Manager, Non-Long-Term Care State Licensing Section, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Monday, April 10, 1–2 p.m. ET
This webinar is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance under a supplementary project with the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), within the National Organizations of State and Local Officials (NOSLO) cooperative agreement.
