Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) were established by the Rural Health Clinic Service Act of 1977 that addressed an inadequate supply of physicians serving Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas and increased the use of nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and certified nurse midwives (CNMs) in these areas. Medicare pays RHCs an all-inclusive rate (AIR) for medically necessary, face-to-face primary health services and qualified preventive health services furnished by an RHC practitioner. RHC practitioners are physicians, NPs, PAs, CNMs, clinical psychologists (CPs), and clinical social workers (CSWs).
