Implementation of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Nonpayment Policy for Preventable Hospital-Acquired Conditions in Rural and Nonrural US Hospitals.

Preventable adverse patient outcomes and hospital characteristics in rural versus nonrural US hospitals under the new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reimbursement policy were examined using the American Hospital Association Annual Survey and Hospital Compare data. Under the new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services policy, rural hospitals tended to have fewer hospital-acquired conditions than nonrural hospitals except for patient falls. Case mix was consistently related to falls after controlling for hospital characteristics.