Sens. Roberts, Cortez Masto Introduce Legislation to Help Support Rural Hospitals

Statement

U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today introduced the Rural ACO Improvement Act to support rural health care providers that are delivering high quality care as part of accountable care organizations (ACO). Currently, rural providers are discouraged from participating in these payment models because their efficiency may be counted against them. This bill would fix that glitch in the payment system, putting rural providers on a level playing field with their urban counterparts and ensuring that all providers are rewarded equally for their work to deliver value in health care.

"Ensuring Americans living in rural areas have access to quality health care is crucial, and a key part of such access is utilizing accountable care organizations to provide high-quality services while reducing costs," said Sen Roberts. "This legislation incentivizes providers to deliver the same care to rural communities as they do to their urban counterparts with a change in payment structure that would result in equal opportunities for rewards regardless of the region."

"Accountable care organizations, which encourage physicians, hospitals and clinics to work together to improve health care quality and lower costs, are at the cutting edge of the shift from volume to value in health care," said Sen. Cortez Masto. "The success of ACOs and other payment models is key to improving patient outcomes and saving Medicare millions of dollars each year. Yet, too many of our rural ACOs, which are often the only providers for hundreds of miles, are being short-changed because of a glitch in the current method of calculating reimbursements. I'm proud to introduce legislation that will ensure coordinated care organizations in rural areas are fairly rewarded for their quality and efficiency."

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