The Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (FLEX) Program is a federal initiative that provides funding to State Governments to strengthen rural health. The program allows small hospitals the flexibility to be relicensed as Critical Access Hospital (CAHs), and to receive cost-based reimbursement for Medicare acute inpatient and outpatient services.  FLEX grants to the states also provide funding for the development of rural health networks, to enhance quality and performance improvement initiatives in rural hospitals, and to encourage the integration of Emergency Medical Services into the rural health care delivery system.

The Office of Local and Rural Health (OLRH) in the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) administers the FLEX program in Kansas.  The program is overseen by the Kansas Rural Health Options Project (KRHOP), a partnership of KDHE, the Kansas Hospital Association, the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services, and the Kansas Medical Society.

Click here to visit the KRHOP website for additional information about the FLEX program in Kansas .

The FLEX program in Kansas is supported by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (CFDA 93.241) from the Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration.