Rural Hospital Sustainability Act
This bill specifically allows the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a model for global payments to hospitals in rural areas.
Under the model, rural hospitals receive fixed, monthly payments from all participating payers (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, and private payers) for inpatient and outpatient services (rather than on a fee-for-service basis). In order to participate, hospitals must conduct a community health needs assessment survey and submit a transformation plan that incorporates the survey results and includes other specified information relating to the global payment model, including targeted populations, types of services, and anticipated Medicare savings.