Critical Access Hospitals and rural acute care hospitals with 50 or fewer beds that were open on December 27, 2020, are eligible to apply for Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status. Facilities that closed after December 27, 2020, are eligible to reopen as an REH if they meet the REH Conditions of Participation.
Requirements: REHs must abide by the following:
- Not providing acute care inpatient services (with some exceptions, such as post-hospital extended care services).
- Not exceeding annual average patient length of stay of 24 hours.
- Having a transfer agreement with a level I or II trauma center.
- Meeting certain licensure and staffing requirements.
- Meeting other requirements, including those the secretary of Health and Human Services finds necessary.