If Congress does not act by Oct. 1, funding for Medicare Dependent Hospitals (MDHs) will expire.  MDHs are small rural facilities that serve a high percentage of Medicare patients.  Expiration will mean over 200 MDHs will lose millions of dollars, causing many facilities to reduce services, or worse, close doors, resulting in a devastating impact on rural seniors across the nation.

Additionally, hundreds more rural facilities will also be severely harmed due to the Oct. 1 expiration of the rural “low-volume” adjustment, a Medicare payment  for rural facilities who incur higher incremental costs due to a low-volume of Medicare patients.  The loss of such funding will also hurt rural patients, forcing rural hospitals to limit critical services or close facilities.

Keep rural hospitals doors open.  Join NRHA in its march on Capitol Hill to tell Members of Congress to protect these rural hospitals and the rural seniors that they serve.  Visit our Protect Rural Hospital Action Kit and register here for this free event.

RUPRI found that FESC sights reduced costs by providing local care and decreasing costly transfers to other facilities. Quality and timeliness of patient care was also improved in the communities where FESC facilities were located.  To view the entire report, click here. A summary is available here. The FESC program was authorized in the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 and is administered through grant support by the Office of Rural Health Policy.

NRHA submitted comments to CMS during the proposed comment period advocating for these changes.  The comment letter is available here. A copy of the CMS press announcement is available here. NRHA applauds CMS for its efforts to reduce the regulatory and administrative burdens placed on rural hospitals and for their responsiveness to NRHA’s comments and concerns.

“Rural hospitals are the lifeblood of rural economies throughout upstate New York, and they deserve our support. Efficiently supporting our rural hospitals and their patients allows medical facilities in the North Country to continue providing high quality health services, and is pivotal for our community and our economy,” said Senator Schumer in a press release. “The continued existence of these Medicare programs is critical to the financial stability of hospitals in the North Country, and will help enhance quality of life in our rural communities. We cannot let these programs end, and I will fight tooth and nail to provide New York’s rural hospitals with the support they deserve.”

NRHA applauds Senators Schumer and Grassley for their leadership on this legislation.

Click here to see the entire press release from Sen. Schumer on Senate Bill 2620.

Important new data indicates that the Federal investment in rural health has significant benefits both for the rural patient and the tax payer.   In fact, small rural hospitals nationally have equal or better quality outcomes, and cost 3.7% less per Medicare beneficiary than their urban counterparts. These vital rural hospital programs are examples of the benefits of targeted, effective government action but will expire on October 1 if action is not taken.  Their continuation is critical to patients and providers.

Join NRHA’s fight to protect Medicare Dependent Hospitals and Low-Volume Hospitals.  Learn more about NRHA’s campaign and a new study on the cost-effectiveness of rural health providers by clicking here.

To read more about the challenge, click here. To learn more about CMMI, click here.

As it continues to wage its bitter budget battle, Congress is looking to slash or eliminate many critical rural health programs, and reauthorization of these two critical programs is in doubt.  Important new data, however, indicates that the Federal investment in rural health has significant benefits both for the rural patient and the tax payer.   In fact, small rural hospitals nationally have equal or better quality outcomes, and cost 3.7% less per Medicare beneficiary than their urban counterparts.

Join NRHA’s fight to protect Medicare Dependent Hospitals and Low-Volume Hospitals.  Learn more about NRHA’s campaign and a new study on the cost-effectiveness of rural health providers by clicking here.

Join NRHA on Wednesday, noon ET for a special Grassroots Call to unveil our new campaign to protect rural hospitals and patients. To register for the call, visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/712923346. Sign up for timely, important Grassroots message by emailing join-grassroots@lists.wisc.edu.

Please contact David Lee in NRHA’s government affairs office at (202) 639-0550 or dlee@nrharural.org with any questions.

This groundbreaking information, using CMS Shared Savings Program data, reveals that Medicare spending is 3.7% less per rural Medicare beneficiary than care delivered in urban systems. This new data on quality and cost, combined with known higher patient satisfaction scores, makes small rural hospitals high value providers for rural communities. The data shows that these Congressionally-established rural payment programs are not “bonus” payments, but rather cost-effective, targeted payments that maintain access to care for millions of rural patients across the country.

“This data clearly shows that small rural hospitals and clinics are a good value to both patients and to Government payers,” said Alan Morgan, NRHA Chief Executive Officer. “There is a lot to learn from this data.  Specifically, how we can redesign our existing healthcare system to be less expensive, have better quality, and receive better satisfaction scores from the patients themselves.”

The groundbreaking report entitled “Rural Relevance Under Healthcare Reform: A Performance-Based Assessment of Rural Health care in America” presents summary findings from research conducted by iVantage Health Analytics. The report sheds new, multi-dimensional light on the rural healthcare delivery systems using the latest Medicare shared Savings data files, the first nationwide hospital rating system to evaluate rural hospitals, and the industry’s largest proprietary rural Emergency Department database.

About The National Rural Health Association

NRHA is a nonprofit organization working to improve the health and well-being of rural Americans and providing leadership on rural health issues through advocacy, communications, education and research. NRHA membership is made up of 21,000 diverse individuals and organizations, all of whom share the common bond of an interest in rural health. For more information visit www.RuralHealthWeb.org.

About iVantage Health Analytics

iVantage Health Analytics, Inc.™ is a privately held healthcare business intelligence and technology company. The company is a leading provider of information products serving an expansive healthcare industry. iVantage Health Analytics™ integrates diverse information with innovative delivery platforms to ensure customers’ timely, concise, and relevant strategic action. For more information, visit www.iVantageHealth.com

To see the entire report, click here.