Arkansas lawmakers signed off on an emergency rule that will allow rural hospitals to access a new pot of federal funding.
The measure will allow financially strapped facilities to apply for a Rural Emergency Hospital designation that will open the facilities up to millions of dollars in federal assistance and higher Medicare reimbursement rates, reports the Texarkana Gazette.
The General Assembly approved legislation in February enabling the state Department of Health to begin work on the regulation that will allow hospitals to apply for the new status. The designation is open to small, rural health care facilities that provide mostly outpatient and emergency care. In exchange, facilities that receive licensure as a Rural Emergency Hospital will have to drop most kinds of inpatient care.
Thirty-eight hospitals in Arkansas will be eligible to apply for the Rural Emergency Hospital designation, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. While the Arkansas Legislative Council Executive Subcommittee approved the emergency rule Thursday, the state Board of Health approved a permanent rule in April that will have to go through a public comment process before it can take effect. The emergency rule lawmakers approved will last 120 days. Read more.
