<p>The Flex Monitoring Team has re-issued <a href="http://fmtumn.wpengine.com/publications/state-approaches-certification-… 2002 report which aggregates and summarizes the Necessary Provider criteria for each state participating in the Flex Program.</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://fmtumn.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/KHN.jpg"><img class="wp-image-25349 alignleft" alt="KHN" src="http://fmtumn.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/KHN-150x150.jpg&q…; width="254" height="254" /></a>"In a scenario playing out in rural areas across the country, the July 1 closing of Vidant

<p><a href="http://www.raconline.org/news/21282/full-story">The Rural Assistance Center</a> reports that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has released its <a href="http://oig.hhs.gov/reports-and-publications/archives/workplan/2014/Work… Year 2014 Workplan</a> which outlines the activities and reviews that it

<p>The Flex Monitoring Team has launched a new website at <a href="http://fmtumn.wpengine.com"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">flexmonitoring.org</span></a>, offering quick and easy access to their entire collection of resources aimed at improving the accessibility, viability, and quality of health care for rural residents and communities.   </p>

<p><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jrh.2014.30.issue-1/issuetoc… class="wp-image-24728 alignright" alt="JRH cover" src="http://fmtumn.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/JRH-cover.jpg&quot; width="127" height="167" /></a>The <a href="onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jrh.2014.30.issue-1/issuetoc&

<p>Dec 13, 2013 -- <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/12/13/2013-29725/agency-i… Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services is seeking public comments</a> on the following:</p>
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<li>Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) Application Form and Supporting Regulations</li>

<p>Dec 13, 2013 -- NRHA Today article tells of a series of three briefs, authored by 2013 NRHA Outstanding Researcher award winner <a href="http://fmtumn.wpengine.com/about/staff/#staff-145&quot; target="_blank">George Pink, Ph.D</a>., that provide information for policymakers and stakeholders as policy changes for critical access hospitals (CAHs) are considered relating to potential increases in beneficiary travel distance if financially-vulnerable CAHs close; the projected financi

<p>Dec 10, 2013 -- <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/12/10/2013-28737/medicare… in the Federal Register</a>:  This final rule with comment period from CMS revises the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) and the Medicare ambulatory surgical center (ASC) payment system for CY 2014.

<p>Dec 6, 2013 -- <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/12/06/2013-29144/agency-i… Register</a>:  The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services is seeking public comments on the following:</p>
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<li>Application for Hospital Insurance and Supporting Regulations</li>

<p>Dec 6, 2013 -- <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/05/telehealth-network… Today article</a> reports that according to a newly released study, using a remote expert to oversee intensive-care units decreases mortality and decreases the amount of time people spend in hospitals, thus saving money.