CMS releases list of counties, hospitals that have lost critical access designation
Fierce Health Finance November 20, 2014: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a list of counties and parishes that will lose their rural designation that allows acute care facilities within their boundaries to receive extra payments as critical access hospitals.
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CMS releases list of CAHs in counties that have lost their rural designation
American Hospital Association News November 19, 2014: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a list of critical access hospitals in counties that lost their rural status and became classified as urban as of Oct. 1, 2014. To maintain their CAH status, these hospitals must apply for reclassification as rural through one of two channels by Sept. 30, 2016. The first is by determination of a Rural-Urban Commuting Area Code of 4 or larger. The second is by mandate from either state law or regulation that defines the hospital as rural. Documentation should be sent in a letter from the CEO to the CMS regional office. The regional office will review it and send a notice within 60 days that the reclassification is effective as of their application date. This process is not to be confused with wage index requests, which should be submitted to the Medicare geographic reclassification review board for processing. CMS will discuss the redesignation process during its Rural Open Door Forum tomorrow, Nov. 20 at 2 p.m. ET.
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Critical Access Hospitals Located in Counties That Will Lose Rural Status and Become Urban Effective October 1, 2014*
From CMC.gov
121303 27980 Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 280 Home Olu Pl. Kaunakakai, HI (Molokai General Hospital)
121305 27980 Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 628 7th St. Lanai City, HI (Lanai Community Hospital)
121308 27980 Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 100 Keokea Pl. Kula, HI (Kula Hospital)
*Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in this table may have already reclassified as rural or may be in the process of reclassifying as rural. Approval of reclassification as rural is not included in this table. This table may not be exhaustive. Refer to the table “Counties That Will Lose Rural Status and Become Urban” on pages 49953 through 49955 of the August 22, 2014 Federal Register (79 FR 49953 through 49955) for a list of counties that will lose rural status and become urban effective October 1, 2014. This table is also included below. If a CAH is located in one of these counties, it must reclassify as rural using the regulations at 42 CFR §412.103 by September 30, 2016 in order to be considered rural after September 30, 2016. For more information see the August 22, 2014 Federal Register pages 50162 through 50163 (79 FR 50162 through 50163).
Link to the August 22, 2014 Federal Register: August 22, 2014 Federal Register
**CBSA refers to Core Based Statistical Area
NOTE: This is the kind of thing that happens when Hawaii elects a bunch of weenies to Congress. Just saying.