A pair of Iowa lawmakers want CMS to clarify if the recently shuttered Blessing Health Keokuk (Iowa) hospital will be eligible for a future rural emergency hospital designation despite its closure.
Quincy, Ill.-based Blessing Health System closed the hospital in Keokuk on Sept. 30. The system cited several factors for the closing, including financial challenges and low demand for inpatient care.
Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks said in an Oct. 5 letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure that there is a strong desire from Keokuk community leaders for the hospital to become a rural emergency hospital in the future.
CMS unveiled its proposed rural emergency hospital program in June and is expected to issue the final rule this fall. The program, set to begin in January, aims to curb rural hospital closures by offering them a chance to close infrequently used inpatient beds and focus on providing outpatient and emergency department services.
Under the proposed rule, rural hospitals with fewer than 50 beds operating on Dec. 27, 2020, would be eligible for the designation.
"We believe it is imperative that CMS understands the impact federal regulations and guidance will have on rural healthcare access," the lawmakers wrote.