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March for Rural Hospitals Action Kit
Join NRHA's fight to protect the Medicare Dependent Hospital designation and the Low-Volume Hospital Adjuster. These vital programs will expire on Oct. 1 if congressional action is not taken.
A recent study shows that these payment formulas do not, in fact, cost the Medicare program more. Furthermore, rural hospitals have better or equal quality metrics. For a full copy of this report, click here. To see NRHA's press release about the report, click here.
NRHA encourages you to write to and visit your members of Congress in their district offices or at town hall meetings. To find information on district and state offices as well as town hall times and locations, click here.
NRHA has developed these tools to help you fight for the rural health care delivery system.
→ Medicare Dependent Hospitals
MDH fact sheet - find out why MDHs are important to your community and rural America
Sample letter to Editor - send a letter to your local newspaper
Sample letter to Members of Congress - send a letter to your members of Congress
Letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius from NRHA
Study by North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center on the economic benefits of rural MDH facilities.
List of All Medicare Dependent Hospitals in the United States.
Map of all Medicare Dependent Hospitals State by State.
→ Low-Volume Hospital Adjustment Program
LVH fact sheet - find out why Low-Volume hospitals are important
Sample letter to Editor - send a letter to your local newspaper
Sample letter to Members of Congress - send a letter to your members of Congress about your Low-Volume Hospital.
Letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius from NRHA
→ Handouts from the March for Rural Hospitals
Cosponsors of Bills S. 2620 and H.R. 5943, Rural Hospital Access Act of 2012
Stop assault on rural hospitals
Rural hospitals hurt in sequestration
Protect Medicare Dependent Hospitals
Protect Sole Community Hospitals
Performance of rural healthcare under the Affordable Care Act
→ PowerPoints from the March for Rural Hospitals
News
Senators Schumer and Grassley Introduce MDH and LVH Legislation
On Monday, May 7 Senators Charles Schumer and Chuck Grassley introduced a bill that would extend the Medicare Dependent Hospital (MDH) and Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) programs. Senate Bill 2620 would help avoid the pending expiration of both programs. NRHA applauds Senator Schumer and Senator Grassley for their leadership in this important area and call on legislators in both chambers of Congress to act to protect rural hospitals.
Important new data indicates that the Federal investment in rural health has significant benefits both for the rural patient and the tax payer. In fact, small rural hospitals nationally have equal or better quality outcomes, and cost 3.7% less per Medicare beneficiary than their urban counterparts. These vital rural hospital programs are examples of the benefits of targeted, effective government action but will expire on October 1 if action is not taken. Their continuation is critical to patients and providers.
To see the full text of the bill click here. For a press release from Sen. Schumer click here.
House Introduces Companion Bill for Rural Hospital Access Act
On Friday June 8th Reps. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) introduced a House companion bill to the Rural Hospital Access Act. The legislation aims to reauthorize the Medicare-Dependent Hospital program and extend the low-volume hospital Medicare payment adjustment for prospective payment system hospitals through September 2013. More information to come.
NRHA Announces Washington Fly-In for Rural Hospitals
On July 30-31, join NRHA in Washington, D.C. to protect funding for rural hospitals across the country.
If Congress does not act by Oct. 1, funding for Medicare Dependent Hospitals (MDHs) will expire. MDHs are small rural facilities that serve a high percentage of Medicare patients. Expiration will mean over 200 MDHs will lose millions of dollars, causing many facilities to reduce services, or worse, close doors, resulting in a devastating impact on rural seniors across the nation.
Additionally, hundreds more rural facilities will also be severely harmed due to the Oct. 1 expiration of the rural "low-volume" adjustment, a Medicare payment for rural facilities who incur higher incremental costs due to a low-volume of Medicare patients. The loss of such funding will also hurt rural patients, forcing rural hospitals to limit critical services or close facilities.
Keep rural hospitals doors open. Join NRHA in its march on Capitol Hill to tell Members of Congress to protect these rural hospitals and the rural seniors that they serve. Register here for this free event.
Click here for a letter of opposition from State Hospital Groups.
