Friday, December 7, 2018
What is a Critical Access Hospital?
A board-certified emergency medicine physician in Texas, Dr. Anthony Amoroso practices with U.S. Acute Care Solutions. In this capacity, he primarily works in a level-two trauma center that sees approximately 60,000 patients each year. Dr. Anthony Amoroso is also credentialed to work at various critical access hospitals in Texas.
A critical access hospital (CAH) is specifically designated as such by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This designation dates back to the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and was created to improve access to health care in rural communities and to lower rural hospitals’ financial vulnerability. Hospitals that earn this designation receive various benefits, including reimbursement for Medicare services.
Hospitals that are eligible for the CAH designation must maintain up to 25 swing and/or acute inpatient care beds and provide emergency care to patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In addition, these hospitals must be in rural locations and have an average stay of 96 hours or less each year.