Rural Health Open Door Forum

Overview:

The Rural Health Open Door Forum (ODF) addresses Rural Health Clinic (RHC), Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) issues, as well as some inclusion of other questions and concerns that occur in clinical practice pertaining to other CMS payment systems that also extend into these settings. Topics that frequently arise on this forum often deal with payment & billing for services subject to Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) and/or Physician Shortage Area (PSA) status, cost report clarifications, classifications for & qualifications of rural provider types, and the many special provisions being implemented for improving rural health in the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. Timely announcements and clarifications regarding important rulemaking, quality program initiatives, and other related areas are also included in the Forums.

***********************************************

**Updated Tuesday, April 25, 2023- The proposed agenda for the next Rural Health Open Door Forum scheduled for Thursday, April 27, 2023 from 2pm-3pmET is as follows: Announcements and Updates: CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the Transition Forward from the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency https://www.cms.gov/files/document/what-do-i-need-know-cms-waivers-flexibilities-and-transition-forward-covid-19-public-health.pdf; FY 2024 SNF PPS Proposed Rule (SNF Value Based Purchasing rule updates, SNF Quality Reporting Program Rule Updates); FY 2024 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Rule; FY 2024 Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities PPS Proposed Rule (FY 2024 IPF Payment Rates Updates, Revise and Rebase the IPF PPS Market Basket, Excluded Psychiatric Units Status During the Cost Reporting Period, IPF PPS Data Collection and Revisions Required by CAA, 2023); ​​​​​​​FY 2024 IPPS PPS Proposed Rule; FY 2024 Hospice Proposed Rule Payment update (https://www.cms.gov/medicare/medicare-fee-service-payment/hospice/hospice-regulations-and-notices/cms-1787-p); Open Q&A. We look forward to your participation. This call will be conference call only. If you wish to participate, dial: 1-(888)-455-1397, Participant Passcode: 4325849. Please see the full participation announcement in the Downloads section below. Thank you for your continued interest in the CMS Open Door Forums.