| Lawmakers say rural hospitals are at a financial disadvantage, with a number in WV closing, bankrupting or facing financial crisis.
âThe hospitals in rural America should have the same benefit if theyâre providing a procedure as the hospitals in the urban settings,â Pennsylvania Rep. Fred Keller said.
Keller introduced the Rural Help Act to require the federal government to equalize the Medicare reimbursement rates of rural and urban hospitals.
It is not a done deal.
âThis isnât just to address the pandemic. This is to make sure that our rural hospitals get the due compensation they deserve so that they can be sustainable and provide healthcare in rural America in the future,â Keller said.
The national rural health association says more than 400 rural hospitals are at risk of closing, and Keller says adjusting the reimbursement rate will fix that.
âWe shouldnât be treated any differently and be getting a lower reimbursement rate simply because we are in a rural setting,â Keller said.
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