A coalition of 13 health care organizations, including the AHA, today voiced support for the Accountable Care in Rural America Act, bipartisan legislation that would revise the benchmarking formula for the Medicare Shared Savings Program to ensure participating accountable care organizations have an equal opportunity to share in savings regardless of their geographic location.
 
“This legislation fixes an important flaw in the current MSSP benchmarking methodology – a flaw that systematically disadvantages many ACOs, including a high proportion in rural areas, and makes it harder for them to achieve savings even when they improve quality and reduce costs,” the groups said in a letter of support for the bill, introduced last week by Reps. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas; Suzan DelBene, D-Wash.; Mike Kelly, R-Pa.; Ami Bera, D-Calif.; Tom O’Halleran, D-Ariz.; Terri Sewell, D-Ala.; Neil Dunn, R-Fla.; and Lance Gooden, R-Texas.
 

Related News Articles

Headline
Applications for the 2026 AHA Rural Hospital Excellence in Innovation Award close Aug. 29 at 1 p.m. ET. The award honors rural hospitals leading the way in…
Headline
The Health Resources and Services Administration has awarded more than $15 million in grants to 58 rural health organizations for four-year projects as part of…
Headline
The AHA Aug. 11 urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to prioritize payments to hospitals from the Rural Health Transformation Program. The…
Headline
The Senate Appropriations Committee July 31 advanced the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,…
Headline
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., July 15 introduced legislation that would repeal some of the Medicaid funding reductions included in the recently enacted One Big…
Headline
The Rural Hospital Excellence in Innovation Award honors rural hospitals that are leading the way in innovative, sustainable and community-centered care. If…