Modernizing payment to critical access hospitals: A proposal for the next iteration of the Flex Program.

The article discusses the need to modernize the payment system for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) under the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex). Topics highlights the challenges with the current cost-based reimbursement (CBR) system, which is becoming problematic for CAHs, and proposes a tripartite CAH payment system that incentivizes accountability, equity, and value-based care while ensuring access to rural health services.