The CMS finalized a new Medicare provider designation for rural hospitals in its final Outpatient Prospective Payment System rule, despite uncertainty over how many facilities will apply, Healthcare Dive reports.
The rural emergency hospital designation will be implemented in January, allowing rural and critical access hospitals to receive a 5% payment increase for their services, provided they meet conditions of participation. They will also get a monthly facility payment.
The conditions include maintaining an average length of stay of no more than 24 hours and having emergency care available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The CMS also finalized a requirement some stakeholders pushed back on: Skilled nursing beds must be in a separate unit. Read more.
