by Ronak Patel (rspatel.personal@gmail.com)
Rep. Lee Johnson, R- Greenwood, filed a bill aimed at helping rural hospitals in financial distress. HB 1127, the Rural Emergency Hospital Act, would grant the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) the authority to license hospitals as “rural emergency hospitals.”
In an interview with Talk Business & Politics, Johnson explained this type of licensure can help hospitals in rural areas with their finances.
“It [Rural Emergency Act] provides a pathway for rural hospitals in Arkansas to take advantage of a new designation that was created by CMS [Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services] at a federal level. This new designation would allow qualifying rural hospitals to get reimbursed at a higher rate for outpatient services and procedures,” he said.
