Last month the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released a regulation - the Staab rule - to expand coverage of emergency department visits for veterans when visiting a local emergency department as opposed to a VA-run emergency department. Some veterans still are discouraged from...
A report published by HRSA’s National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services found four key social determinants unique to rural areas; geography, income, education, and transportation. As health care continues to shift from volume to value, developing and implementing partnerships to address the...
Standalone surgery centers have increased in popularity in the past two years as payors find significant cost savings. CMS has continually approved additional procedures for these facilities, and physicians have also shown support for the push toward ambulatory centers. [button link="http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/follow-money-inpatient-surgery-moving-out-hospitals-ambulatory-centers" text="Read More"]...
Anthem's controversial ED policy has seen some changes after facing pushback from Senators, healthcare providers, and patients. "Some of those exceptions include when a patient is directed by a healthcare provider to go to the ER; the patient is under 15 years old; the patient is...
A Critical Access Hospital in New Mexico spoke with Modern Healthcare about their experience with Medicare Advantage. Medicare Advantage has become more popular with Medicare patients but rural hospitals are struggling to receive the appropriate reimbursement rates. "Given our cash situation and our desire to get...
Efforts by the CAH Coalition to stop the proposed cuts to swing-bed reimbursement rates were successful as Congress passed their new budget, which included Medicare extenders, early this morning. The Medicare Extenders proposal from House Ways and Means originally included cuts to Critical Access Hospitals swing...
Senate leaders agreed on a deal to fund the government for two more years, raise the debt limit, and delay fears of more government shutdowns. The deal was reached amongst Senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer and adds four more years of funding to...
On February 2nd, the CAH Coalition submitted comments on the Federal Communications Commission's proposal aiming to update their Rural Health Care program. The CAH Coalition asks the FCC to include Critical Access Hospitals as a covered Health Care Provider eligible for the program and to...
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is seeking nominations to fill vacancies on the Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment which advises the HHS Secretary and CMS Administrator. "The Panel shall consist of a chair and up to 15 members who are full-time employees of...