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.

Join 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.