Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program

The Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program is a cooperative agreement opportunity funded by the Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration. The program aims to enable state Flex programs to support critical access hospitals (CAHs) in quality improvement, quality reporting, performance improvement, and benchmarking. It also assists facilities seeking CAH designation and helps establish or expand rural emergency medical services. Eligible applicants are state governments, which must apply through a governor-designated entity. Applications are due by April 16, 2024.

The program has an estimated $30 million in funding available to support approximately 45 state-level cooperative agreements over five-year project periods starting in September 2024. The place of performance will be at the state level, as the state-designated entities will work directly with CAHs and rural EMS agencies within their respective states.