2013 Flex Coordinator Manual

The Flex Coordinator Manual is a manual for those intimately involved with the Flex Program. We hope this document is useful both as a resource for current Flex Program staff and as an orientation manual for new staff.

Executive Summary [PDF - 180 KB]

Table of Contents [PDF - 207 KB]

Section 1: Introduction to the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program

Section 1 Table of Contents [PDF - 117 KB]

History of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program [PDF - 49 KB]

Components of the State Flex Program [PDF - 236 KB]

Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Overview [PDF - 470 KB]

Frequently Asked Questions [PDF - 190 KB]

Section 2: Introduction to the Technical Assistance and Services Center (TASC)

Section 2 Table of Contents [PDF - 34 KB]

Who Should I Contact if I Have a Question? [PDF - 142 KB]

TASC Tools and Resources

• TASC Communication Tools and Technical Assistance [PDF - 48 KB]
• TASC Website [PDF - 43 KB]
• Flex Program Workshop [PDF - 31 KB]

Section 3: Coordinator Reference

Section 3 Table of Contents [PDF - 116 KB]

Acronyms 101 [PDF - 64 KB]

Best Practices and Hints for Flex Coordinators [PDF - 831 KB]

Evaluation Models [PDF - 375 KB]

Example Critical Access Hospital Surveys [PDF - 142 KB]

Section 4: Legislation

Section 4 Table of Contents [PDF - 116 KB]

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA) [PDF - 1.91 MB]

The Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999 (BBRA) [PDF - 2.13 MB]

The Benefits Improvement & Protection Act of 2000 (BIPA) [PDF - 191 KB]

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement & Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) [PDF - 2.67 MB]

The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) [PDF - 96 KB]

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Title IV Medicare and Medicaid Health Information Technology [PDF - 7.87 MB]

Complete version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), including Title XIII Health Information Technology

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 [PDF - 28 KB]

Section 5: Conditions of Participation (CoPs) and Interpretive Guidelines

Section 5 Table of Contents [PDF - 124 KB]

State Operations Manual, Appendix W – Survey Protocol, Regulations and Interpretive Guidelines for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and Swing-Beds in CAHs [PDF - 842 KB]

State Operations Manual, Appendix G – Guidance to Surveyors: Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) [PDF - 382 KB]

Section 6: Critical Access Hospital Site Visit Example

Section 6 Table of Contents [PDF - 116 KB]

CAH Preparation "On Site" Visit [PDF - 117 KB]

• Written Policies and Procedures
• Checklist of Written Policies, Procedures & Agreements
• Certification Process Preparation
• Annual Evaluation
• Documents to be Available for the Survey
• Case Management/Utilization Review

Section 7: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP)

Section 7 Table of Contents [PDF - 111 KB]

Overview, Funding, and State Programs [PDF - 95 KB]

FORHP Regional Liaisons [PDF - 113 KB]

Section 8: Flex Grant Management 

Section 8 Table of Contents [PDF - 111 KB]

Flex Grant Guidance Summary [PDF - 62 KB]

Networking with Peers [PDF - 93 KB]

Section 9: Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs)

Section 9 Table of Contents [PDF - 41 KB]

QIO Program: Improving Individual Patient Care [PDF - 794 KB]

QIO Program: Moving Forward [PDF - 922 KB]

QIO Program: Improving Health for Populations and Communities [PDF - 945 KB]

QIO Program: Integrating Care for Populations and Communities [PDF - 940 KB]

Section 10: Flex Monitoring Team

Section 10 Table of Contents [PDF - 113 KB]

Description of the Flex Monitoring Team [PDF - 146 KB] 

• Continuing Flex Monitoring Team Projects
• New Flex Monitoring Team Projects for FY 2012-2013
• Selected Flex Monitoring Team Publications
• Contact Information for the Flex Monitoring Team and its Resources

Section 11: Useful Organizations & Projects List of Useful Organizations

Section 11 Table of Contents [PDF - 114 KB]

List of Useful Organizations [PDF - 91 KB]

Useful Health Information Technology (HIT)Organizations [PDF - 93 KB]

Relationship Diagram of Flex Programs, Offices of Rural Health, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and Other Organizations [PDF - 61 KB]

Section 12: State Offices of Rural Health/Flex Program Contacts

Section 12 Table of Contents [PDF - 115 KB]

A list of Rural Health State Office Directors/Flex Program contacts is available on the Flex State Profile pages pages on the TASC website.

U.S. Time Zone Map [PDF - 13.14 MB]