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RURAL HEALTH CLINICS
Photo courtesy of Caring Photography
Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) provide primary care services to individuals in medically underserved rural areas.
Services at Rural Health Clinics are provided by physicians, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants and include primary care as well as other medically needed services. The clinics offer services on-site and also refer patients to hospitals for referrals and/or admissions.
RHCs are certified for participation in the Medicare program. The Federal Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) determines if the location of the clinic meets Medicare eligibility criteria of being in a designated medically underserved area.
Medicare may pay for services provided by RHCs that voluntarily seek and are approved for certification by CMS. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services contracts with the Department of Health to evaluate compliance with federal regulations by periodically conducting unannounced surveys of these clinics.
To determine the clinic's federal regulation compliance history, you may review the facility's survey history by clicking here and then choosing the county the facility is located in.
Please click here to be taken to our Frequently Asked Questions page regarding RHCs.
Application for Federal Medicare Certification
Note: Rural Health Clinics are not licensed by the state, but are Medicare certified.
For persons interested in the application process for Medicare certification of Rural Health Clinics, here are the steps to follow:
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Request a copy of the federal Medicare regulations for RHCs and an application from the Division of Home Health, or by clicking on the link above for the regulations. Related forms are available further down the linked page under Medicare Forms.
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More information concerning Medicare Certification is available by clicking here.
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Submit the completed application materials to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Home Health, 132 Kline Plaza, Suite A, Harrisburg, PA 17104-1579.
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Submit the completed CMS-855A Enrollment Application to the selected Fiscal Intermediary.
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After review and acceptance of the application materials and notification from CMS of the approval of the CMS-855A, the Department will conduct an unannounced on-site survey before recommending the agency for Medicare certification.
Medicare Forms
The following forms are in pdf format.
Click here for the application needed to participate with your Fiscal Intermediary.
If you have any questions, please contact the Division of Home Health by telephone at (717) 783-1379.
Helpful Rural Health Clinic Links
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