Are You a Rural Inpatient Care Hospital Considering Becoming an REH?

Are you a rural inpatient care hospital considering becoming an REH? If so, you may also be eligible for a Volume Decrease Adjustment

Amidst an ongoing period of hospital closures in rural communities, Congress created a new provider category for rural hospitals called the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). This new provider category takes effect in 2023. REH’s do not offer inpatient care, but instead focus on outpatient and emergency services. Some rural hospitals – particularly Medicare Dependent Hospitals (MDH) and Sole Community Hospitals (SCH) – experiencing declining acute care inpatient discharges may be considering becoming an REH.

Hospitals on a glide path towards becoming an REH often qualify for additional Medicare reimbursement in the form of a “Volume Decrease Adjustment” (VDA). Our Medicare experts can help you determine if you meet the requirements for VDA and prepare the documentation necessary to collect the reimbursement. Keep in mind that filing for reimbursement while you still have the records, staff, and institutional knowledge of your acute care operations helps ensure you have all the information required for a complete VDA package and help if any supporting documents are requested during audit.

Let our experts help your rural hospital get the Medicare VDA reimbursement it’s due.