Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) are seeking assurances from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the agency’s pending guidelines for rural emergency hospital (REH) designations. Specifically, the lawmakers are seeking assurance from CMS that the Keokuk hospital, which closed its doors last week, is eligible for an REH designation in the future.

“We believe it is critical that CMS implement REH with an understanding of the needs and challenges of rural hospitals to maintain health care access for rural America. Specifically, we request CMS to clarify whether a rural hospital is eligible to become a REH if it met the eligibility requirements on December 27, 2020, but has since closed or has begun the process to close prior to REH’s effective date (January 1, 2023),” the lawmakers wrote.

“There is a strong desire from Keokuk’s community leaders for their hospital to be eligible in the future to become a REH. While the community has not made a final decision on establishing a REH, we would like to know about any federal regulatory barriers for the hospital and community,” the lawmakers continued.

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