Three rural hospitals in New York will continue to receive federal funding after CMS changed guidelines allowing them to keep their critical access designations, CBS affiliate WWNY reported Nov. 8.
Gouverneur Hospital, Carthage Area Hospital and Lowville-based Lewis County Health System stood to lose millions if they had lost their designations, according to the report. WWNY previously reported that Carthage would have lost $9.7 million, Lewis County would have lost $5.3 million and Gouverneur would have lost $3.3 million.
"For the Medicare patients that we serve, we receive cost plus 1 percent reimbursement," Lewis County Health System CEO Jerry Cayer told the news outlet. "That really makes a difference in maintaining the financial viability of the hospital."