The AHA today called the Rural Emergency Acute Care Hospital Act (S. 1130) “an important first step toward ensuring access to health care services in some rural communities.” Introduced this week by Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cory Gardner (R-CO), the REACH Act would allow critical access hospitals and prospective payment system hospitals with 50 or fewer beds to convert to rural emergency hospitals and continue providing necessary emergency and observation services. REHs would receive enhanced reimbursement rates of 110% of reasonable costs, and enhanced reimbursement for the transportation of patients to acute care hospitals in neighboring communities. In a letter of support to the bill’s sponsors, AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels said the association looks forward to working with Congress to ensure access to essential health care services in all vulnerable communities, and urged Congress to consider the recommendations made by AHA’s Task Force on Ensuring Access in Vulnerable Communities.

Related News Articles

Headline
An analysis published Sept. 30 by KFF found that Health Insurance Marketplace enrollees who currently benefit from the enhanced premium tax credits would pay…
Headline
President Trump today announced the first agreement with a major pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, to bring American drug prices in line with the lowest paid by…
Headline
The AHA Sept. 29 sent recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to help ensure…
Headline
An AHA blog published Sept. 16 highlights programs and practices by Boston Medical Center leaders and staff that support residents’ mental health, emotional…
Headline
Susan Doherty, AHA’s vice president of field engagement, and Rebecca Chickey, AHA’s senior director of behavioral health services, write on the unique ways…
Blog
This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that over 49,000 people died by suicide in 2023, the latest year for which data was…