Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Critical Access Hospitals
March 2025 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2025 meeting. Covers research and proposals related to reforming physician fee schedule updates and improving the accuracy of relative payment rates, reducing beneficiary cost-sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals, Medicare insurance agents, Medigap, payment for ground ambulance services, home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees, and institutional special needs plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Mandated Report: Payment for Ground Ambulance Services, Reducing Beneficiary Cost-Sharing for Outpatient Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2025 meeting. Covers research and proposals related to reforming physician fee schedule updates and improving the accuracy of relative payment rates, reducing beneficiary cost-sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals, Medicare insurance agents, Medigap, payment for ground ambulance services, home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees, and institutional special needs plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Mandated Report: Payment for Ground Ambulance Services, Reducing Beneficiary Cost-Sharing for Outpatient Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Quality Improvement Workbook
Outlines seven steps of the quality improvement process. Offers interactive worksheets to help Critical Access Hospitals develop and support quality improvement goals and projects.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Outlines seven steps of the quality improvement process. Offers interactive worksheets to help Critical Access Hospitals develop and support quality improvement goals and projects.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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MBQIP 2025 Measure Core Set Information Guide
Provides an overview of the 2025 Core Measure Set adopted by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) for use in the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP). Offers descriptions, rationales, data elements, data availability, resources, and more for each new and continuing measure.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Provides an overview of the 2025 Core Measure Set adopted by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) for use in the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP). Offers descriptions, rationales, data elements, data availability, resources, and more for each new and continuing measure.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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February 2025 MACPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) February 2025 meeting. Covers transitions of care for children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN), hospital non-disproportionate share hospital supplemental payments and directed payment targeting, improving access to medications for opioid use disorder, healthcare access for children in foster care, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Hospital Non-DSH Supplemental Payment and Directed Payment Targeting Analyses
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) February 2025 meeting. Covers transitions of care for children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN), hospital non-disproportionate share hospital supplemental payments and directed payment targeting, improving access to medications for opioid use disorder, healthcare access for children in foster care, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Hospital Non-DSH Supplemental Payment and Directed Payment Targeting Analyses
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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North Carolina Rural Hospital Program: 2024 Profile
Fact sheet with North Carolina rural hospital-related statistics on grants, return on investment and economic impact, technical assistance, and total program funding. Includes a county-level map showing locations of Critical Access Hospitals and small rural hospitals.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
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Fact sheet with North Carolina rural hospital-related statistics on grants, return on investment and economic impact, technical assistance, and total program funding. Includes a county-level map showing locations of Critical Access Hospitals and small rural hospitals.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
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Current Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Measures
Chart outlining the required and optional MBQIP measures. Measures are broken down into two categories, core and additional, and then into five domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. MBQIP is a Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) quality improvement grant program for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Chart outlining the required and optional MBQIP measures. Measures are broken down into two categories, core and additional, and then into five domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. MBQIP is a Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) quality improvement grant program for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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RHCs, FQHCs, Tribal Clinics and CAHs in Rural Oregon
Shows a county-level map of Oregon identifying the Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), tribal clinics, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Highlights rural, urban, and frontier areas.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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Shows a county-level map of Oregon identifying the Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), tribal clinics, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Highlights rural, urban, and frontier areas.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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South Dakota Critical Access Hospitals
County-level map of South Dakota showing locations of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: South Dakota Office of Rural Health
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County-level map of South Dakota showing locations of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: South Dakota Office of Rural Health
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Financial Performance Gaps Between Critical Access Hospitals and Other Acute Care Hospitals
Research letter examining how system affiliation impacted hospital financial measures for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and non-CAHs between 2020 and 2022.
Author(s): Christopher Whaley, Marilyn Bartlett, Ge Bai
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(12)
Date: 12/2024
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Research letter examining how system affiliation impacted hospital financial measures for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and non-CAHs between 2020 and 2022.
Author(s): Christopher Whaley, Marilyn Bartlett, Ge Bai
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(12)
Date: 12/2024
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Medicare Could save Billions with Comparable Access for Enrollees If Critical Access Hospital Payments for Swing-Bed Services Were Similar to Those of the Fee-for-Service Prospective Payment System
Describes the use of swing beds for skilled nursing services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and average daily Medicare reimbursement for these services from 2015 through 2020. Examines data from a sample of 100 CAHs to determine whether Medicare enrollees would have had access to the same skilled nursing services provided by CAHs at alternative facilities within a 35-mile driving distance. Compares the average daily reimbursement for skilled nursing services at CAHs and alternative facilities, as well as the potential savings to Medicare if CAHs were reimbursed for skilled nursing services under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS).
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Describes the use of swing beds for skilled nursing services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and average daily Medicare reimbursement for these services from 2015 through 2020. Examines data from a sample of 100 CAHs to determine whether Medicare enrollees would have had access to the same skilled nursing services provided by CAHs at alternative facilities within a 35-mile driving distance. Compares the average daily reimbursement for skilled nursing services at CAHs and alternative facilities, as well as the potential savings to Medicare if CAHs were reimbursed for skilled nursing services under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS).
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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