By focusing on such services and not offering inpatient admissions, federal reimbursement rates would increase. The proposal, which this week passed a committee vote to advance to the Iowa House floor, would set up a state licensing process for approximately 30 rural hospitals, the report said.
One such hospital could be Blessing Health’s Keokuk location, which ended inpatient services in the fall. Flint, Mich.-based Insight has signed a letter of intent to take over the shuttered hospital, which had 49 inpatient beds.
“Blessing Hospital has said they’d be interested in [operating a standalone emergency room] and they’re the logical ones,” state Rep. Martin Graber, told Radio Iowa.
