The definitions below reference eligible hospitals and geographic rural areas.

• A DPM or CRNA must be on active staff or contract with one of the eligible hospitals for this program. Those eligible hospitals are either state Type A, B, exceptional C, or federal Critical Access Hospital (CAH), so long as those hospitals do not also reside in a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Oregon’s MSAs include Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Polk, Yamhill, Marion, Lane, Deschutes and Jackson counties.
  
  There is an inclusion allowance for Type B hospitals in an MSA, which are also 30 or more highway miles from the major population center in the MSA. Currently PeaceHealth Peace Harbor in Florence is the only Type B that meets this criteria.
• Practitioners on staff at a rural hospital that was designated a rural referral center by the federal government before January 1, 1989, and that serves a community with a population of at least 14,000 but not more than 19,000. This applies only to Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay and became effective on January 1, 2014. It does not apply to previous amendable tax years.
• Must provide a minimum of 20 hours per week of patient care, averaged over the month in a eligible rural area.
• Practitioners who have spent a partial year practicing in a rural area may be eligible for a pro-rated tax credit.
• Once a practitioner is certified, the eligibility may be renewed each year if the practice site remains in an eligible area. Renewal forms are mailed automatically every January to the recipient's home address.
• Each application must be accompanied by a $45.00 processing fee.

The definitions below reference eligible hospitals and maximum credit tiers (represented as a spreadsheet Excel| PDF, and as a map).

• A DPM or CRNA must be on active staff or contract with one of the eligible hospitals for this program. Those eligible hospitals are either state Type A, B, exceptional C, or federal Critical Access Hospital (CAH), so long as those hospitals do not also reside in a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Oregon’s MSAs include Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Polk, Yamhill, Marion, Lane, Deschutes and Jackson counties.
  
  There is an inclusion allowance for Type B hospitals in an MSA, which are also 30 or more highway miles from the major population center in the MSA. Currently PeaceHealth Peace Harbor in Florence is the only Type B that meets this criteria.
• Practitioners on staff at a rural hospital that was designated a rural referral center by the federal government before January 1, 1989, and that serves a community with a population of at least 14,000 but not more than 19,000. This applies only to Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay and became effective on January 1, 2014. It does not apply to previous amendable tax years.
• Must provide a minimum of 20 hours per week of patient care, averaged over the month in a eligible rural area.
• Practitioners must attest to being willing throughout the tax year to serve patients with Medicare and Medicaid coverage. The practitioner must accept patients insured by Medicare and Medicaid until his/her patient panel reaches a threshold of 20 percent Medicare and 15 percent Medicaid, or the same percentage as in the county population if that percentage is less.
• There are now tiers that dictate the maximum possible tax credit amount.  Those tiers are as follows based upon the location of your practice site:
  • Tier 1: 10-20 miles from the centroid of a community with a population of 40,000 or more = $3,000
  • Tier 2: 20-50 miles from the centroid of a community with a population of 40,000 or more = $4,000
  • Tier 3: 50+ miles from the centroid of a community with a population of 40,000 or more = $5,000

  If an eligible practitioner meets the criteria of more than one tier, the maximum possible credit would be that of the higher tier.

• Practitioners who have spent a partial year practicing in a rural area may be eligible for a pro-rated tax credit.
• Once a practitioner is certified, the eligibility may be renewed each year if the practice site remains in an eligible area. Renewal forms are mailed automatically every January to the recipient's home address.
• Each application or renewal form must be accompanied by an annual $45.00 processing fee.

The definitions below reference eligible hospitals and maximum credit tiers (represented as a spreadsheet Excel| PDF, and as a map).  Bolded lines are new rules beginning tax year 2018.

• A DPM or CRNA must be on active staff or contract with one of the eligible hospitals for this program. Those eligible hospitals are either state Type A, B, exceptional C, or federal Critical Access Hospital (CAH), so long as those hospitals do not also reside in a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Oregon’s MSAs include Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Polk, Yamhill, Marion, Lane, Deschutes and Jackson counties.
  
  There is an inclusion allowance for Type B hospitals in an MSA, which are also 30 or more highway miles from the major population center in the MSA. Currently PeaceHealth Peace Harbor in Florence is the only Type B that meets this criteria.
• DPMs and CRNAs on staff at a rural hospital that was designated a rural referral center by the federal government before January 1, 1989, and that serves a community with a population of at least 14,000 but not more than 19,000. This applies only to Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay and became effective on January 1, 2014. It does not apply to previous amendable tax years.
• Must provide a minimum of 20 hours per week of patient care, averaged over the month in a eligible rural area.
• Has adjusted gross income (filing individually or jointly) not in excess of $300,000 for the tax year.
  
• Eligible DPMs and CRNAs must attest to being willing throughout the tax year to serve patients with Medicare and Medicaid coverage. The practitioner must accept patients insured by Medicare and Medicaid until his/her patient panel reaches a threshold of 20 percent Medicare and 15 percent Medicaid, or the same percentage as in the county population if that percentage is less.
• There are now tiers that dictate the maximum possible tax credit amount.  Those tiers are as follows based upon the location of your practice site (measured in a straight line, not road miles):
  • Tier 1: 10-20 miles from the centroid of a community with a population of 40,000 or more = $3,000
  • Tier 2: 20-50 miles from the centroid of a community with a population of 40,000 or more = $4,000
  • Tier 3: 50+ miles from the centroid of a community with a population of 40,000 or more = $5,000

  If an eligible practitioner meets the criteria of more than one tier, the maximum possible credit would be that of the higher tier.

• The program's sunset date is December 31, 2021. Should the program be discontinued at that time, a taxpayer who meets the eligibility requirements for tax year 2021, could be allowed the credit through tax year 2030, as long as they maintain all eligibility requirements.
• An eligible taxpayer may not claim the credit for more than a total of 10 tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2018.
• Practitioners who have spent a partial year practicing in a rural area may be eligible for a pro-rated tax credit.
• Once a practitioner is certified, the eligibility may be renewed each year if the practice site remains in an eligible area. Renewal forms are mailed automatically every January to the recipient's home address.
• Each application or renewal form must be accompanied by an annual $45.00 processing fee.