Hospitals that qualify for the Low-Volume Hospital program must notify their Medicare administrative contractors in writing by March 31 in order to receive a six-month extension of the reimbursement policy, according to a CMS bulletin.
Earlier this month, the agency issued a final rule extending the Medicare Dependent Hospital and Low-Volume Hospital programs through the first six months of fiscal year 2014 (through March 31), in accordance with the Pathway for SGR Reform Act of 2013. Both programs expired last October.
The LVH Program affects hospitals in rural communities that may not serve a high-volume of patients. These hospitals get enhanced reimbursements if they are more than 15 road miles from another comparable hospital and have less than 1,600 Medicare discharges per year. Hospitals must verify in writing to their MACs that they still meet these requirements in order to receive the six-month extension.
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