The department may develop and implement a rural health care plan and may approve hospital and rural health care facility requests to be designated as essential access community hospitals or rural primary care hospitals so that such facilities may form rural health networks to preserve health care services in rural areas and thereby be eligible for federal program funding and enhanced medicare reimbursement. The department may monitor any rural health care plan and designated facilities to assure continued compliance with the rural health care plan.
[ 1992 c 27 § 4; 1990 c 271 § 18.]