Holland & Hart Urges Rural Hospitals to Document RHTP Fund Use
In a client alert, Holland & Hart LLP notes CMS has announced second-year Rural Health Transformation Program awards, with Montana receiving $239.7 million, the third-largest award nationally, and Idaho receiving $182.7 million. The firm explains that critical access hospitals accepting subawards face federal reporting and documentation obligations that flow down through the state, with Year 1 quarterly reports due November 30, and that HHS-OIG retains authority to review how funds are used even though states administer the subawards. The firm advises hospitals to maintain evidence at each CMS checkpoint, from planning through sustainability, because CMS uses annual reporting to inform future funding, and warns that inaccurate certified reports can create False Claims Act exposure in addition to disallowed costs.