(Des Moines) The Iowa House this week passed a bill that establishes licensure in Iowa for Rural Emergency Hospitals.
Iowa House Representative Tom Moore, of Griswold, said Federal law created this designation in 2020 and has allowed this new hospital designation to begin January 1, 2023. It also requires ambulatory surgical centers to be licensed in Iowa.
In order for the state to allow a hospital to convert to a Rural Emergency Hospital, the state must license these facilities as a health care facility that maintains a 24-hour emergency room, but does not include acute inpatient care.
Rural Emergency Hospitals receive different reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid than other hospitals, based on the federal law. This includes quarterly payments from CMS and an additional 5% increase to reimbursement for health care services.
Tom Moore noted that the Keokuk Hospital recently closed. This bill would allow for that hospital to reopen as a Rural Emergency Hospital. This bill waives the requirement for a certificate of need for that hospital.
