CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITAL

Medicare Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) were authorized by Congress in 1997 to support limited-access acute-care hospitals located in rural areas. CAHs are reimbursed by Medicare for both inpatient and outpatient services on the basis of reasonable cost.  

Unless certified prior to January 2006 as an essential area health care provider, to qualify as a CAH, a hospital must be located in a rural area no closer than 35 miles from another hospital, have no more than 25 beds and have an annual average length of stay of 96 hours or less.  CAHs can also have an additional 10 psychiatric or rehabilitation beds, however these additional beds or units are not paid at cost.

CAHs operate 24/7 emergency departments and provide a full range of health care services, although they usually have agreements with other regional acute care hospitals for the transfer of patients that require specialized treatment or lengths-of-stay beyond the general 4-day CAH limits.

NEWS

11/30/2007 :: National Government Services has released an updated version of its CAH Billing and Coverage Manual.