Can Amputation Save the Hospital? The Impact of the Medicare Rural Flexibility Program on Demand and Welfare

This paper seeks to understand the impact of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program on hospital choice and consumer welfare for rural residents. The Flex Program created a new class of hospital, the Critical Access Hospital (CAH), which receives more generous Medicare reimbursements本研究旨在探究联邦医疗保险乡村医院灵活性（Flex）计划对乡村居民就医选择与消费者福利的影响。该计划设立了一类新型医院——临界访问医院（CAH），此类医院可获得更为优厚的联邦医疗保险报销额度。