Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health insurance
Barriers to Health Care Access for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries: Recommendations from Rural Health Clinics
Presents findings from an online survey of Rural Health Clinics, describing barriers for Medicare patients in accessing healthcare services. Includes recommendations for improving access to care for rural Medicare beneficiaries.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Carrie Henning-Smith, Adrita Rahman, Ashley M. Hernandez
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Presents findings from an online survey of Rural Health Clinics, describing barriers for Medicare patients in accessing healthcare services. Includes recommendations for improving access to care for rural Medicare beneficiaries.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Carrie Henning-Smith, Adrita Rahman, Ashley M. Hernandez
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Independent Evaluation of Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+): Third Annual Report
Reports on the first three program years of the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model, a CMS primary care payment and delivery reform effort. Discusses CPC+ participating practices, payer partners, and health information technology (HIT) vendors supporting the program. Describes practice changes and outcomes for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Reports on the first three program years of the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model, a CMS primary care payment and delivery reform effort. Discusses CPC+ participating practices, payer partners, and health information technology (HIT) vendors supporting the program. Describes practice changes and outcomes for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Care Transformation Toolkit
Provides an overview of common approaches and best practices Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) utilize to improve healthcare quality, lower healthcare costs, and enhance patient experiences. Describes ACO programs designed to use telehealth to expand access to care and improve efficiency, support high-risk beneficiaries through home visits, and provide timely access to skilled nursing care through Medicare waivers. Discusses lessons learned, options available to ACOs, and possible implementation challenges.
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Provides an overview of common approaches and best practices Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) utilize to improve healthcare quality, lower healthcare costs, and enhance patient experiences. Describes ACO programs designed to use telehealth to expand access to care and improve efficiency, support high-risk beneficiaries through home visits, and provide timely access to skilled nursing care through Medicare waivers. Discusses lessons learned, options available to ACOs, and possible implementation challenges.
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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CMS Pandemic Plan
Guide to help CMS prepare for, respond to, and recover from current and future pandemic threats. Addresses policy responses related to waivers and flexibilities. Includes some information specific to rural healthcare providers, healthcare facilities, and residents.
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Guide to help CMS prepare for, respond to, and recover from current and future pandemic threats. Addresses policy responses related to waivers and flexibilities. Includes some information specific to rural healthcare providers, healthcare facilities, and residents.
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Opportunities in Medicaid and CHIP to Address Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
Describes services and supports that can be covered by Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) to address social determinants of health (SDOH). Discusses federal authorities and other opportunities that states can utilize to address SDOH through Medicaid and CHIP, including through Rural Health Clinics (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). Appendix B highlights examples of services and supports and the corresponding federal authorities that could be used to cover each.
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Describes services and supports that can be covered by Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) to address social determinants of health (SDOH). Discusses federal authorities and other opportunities that states can utilize to address SDOH through Medicaid and CHIP, including through Rural Health Clinics (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). Appendix B highlights examples of services and supports and the corresponding federal authorities that could be used to cover each.
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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One in Three Adults Used Telehealth during the First Six Months of the Pandemic, but Unmet Needs for Care Persisted
Examines the use of telehealth among nonelderly adults during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Explores overall telehealth utilization, patient satisfaction, wanting telehealth services but not receiving them, the share of patients who went without care, and reasons for not using telehealth. Includes data on sociodemographic factors, health status, and number of chronic conditions.
Author(s): Laura Barrie Smith, Fredric Blavin
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Examines the use of telehealth among nonelderly adults during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Explores overall telehealth utilization, patient satisfaction, wanting telehealth services but not receiving them, the share of patients who went without care, and reasons for not using telehealth. Includes data on sociodemographic factors, health status, and number of chronic conditions.
Author(s): Laura Barrie Smith, Fredric Blavin
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Medicare Severe Wound Care: Spending Declines May Reflect Site of Care Changes; Limited Information Is Available on Quality
Reports on an analysis of where Medicare beneficiaries received care for severe wounds in 2018 and Medicare payment for these services. Provides an overview of the implementation of a dual payment system for long-term care hospitals in 2016, and examines how the dual payment system affected the availability and quality of severe wound care for Medicare beneficiaries. Includes data on severe wound care by facility type in addition to Medicare spending by urban and rural location.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Reports on an analysis of where Medicare beneficiaries received care for severe wounds in 2018 and Medicare payment for these services. Provides an overview of the implementation of a dual payment system for long-term care hospitals in 2016, and examines how the dual payment system affected the availability and quality of severe wound care for Medicare beneficiaries. Includes data on severe wound care by facility type in addition to Medicare spending by urban and rural location.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Telemedicine Services During COVID‐19: Considerations for Medically Underserved Populations
Discusses the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and details some of the barriers to its use in underserved areas. Highlights the lack of broadband internet in rural areas and on tribal lands, as well the lack of technological capability among older people.
Author(s): Tasha Woodall, Melinda Ramage, John T. LaBruyere, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 231-234
Date: 01/2021
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Discusses the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and details some of the barriers to its use in underserved areas. Highlights the lack of broadband internet in rural areas and on tribal lands, as well the lack of technological capability among older people.
Author(s): Tasha Woodall, Melinda Ramage, John T. LaBruyere, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 231-234
Date: 01/2021
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Economics of Using Telemedicine to Supplement Hospice Care in Rural Areas
Describes a tele-hospice program implemented in 2015 by Hospice Services, Inc., a community-based hospice provider that serves rural and frontier counties in northwest and north central Kansas, in partnership with the University of Kansas Medical Center. Explores the financial impact of the tele-hospice intervention, comparing tele-hospice costs with costs of in-person services. Also identifies cost savings related to the use of virtual technology to conduct administrative meetings.
Author(s): Adam F. Lomenick, Sandy J. Kuhlman, Joe L. Barnes, et al.
Citation: Journal of Palliative Medicine, 24(10), 1461–1466
Date: 2021
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Describes a tele-hospice program implemented in 2015 by Hospice Services, Inc., a community-based hospice provider that serves rural and frontier counties in northwest and north central Kansas, in partnership with the University of Kansas Medical Center. Explores the financial impact of the tele-hospice intervention, comparing tele-hospice costs with costs of in-person services. Also identifies cost savings related to the use of virtual technology to conduct administrative meetings.
Author(s): Adam F. Lomenick, Sandy J. Kuhlman, Joe L. Barnes, et al.
Citation: Journal of Palliative Medicine, 24(10), 1461–1466
Date: 2021
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Rural Michigan Farmers' Health Concerns and Experiences: A Focus Group Study
Interviewed 14 members of the Michigan Farm Bureau in 2019 to explore their healthcare system experiences. Overall themes discussed include formal healthcare, well-being and health supports, health insurance, and virtual healthcare. Data show basic demographics of participants in addition to their access to internet, cell phones, and virtual healthcare.
Author(s): Nathan Wright, Marylee Scherdt, Michelle L. Aebersold, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 12(2021)
Date: 2021
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Interviewed 14 members of the Michigan Farm Bureau in 2019 to explore their healthcare system experiences. Overall themes discussed include formal healthcare, well-being and health supports, health insurance, and virtual healthcare. Data show basic demographics of participants in addition to their access to internet, cell phones, and virtual healthcare.
Author(s): Nathan Wright, Marylee Scherdt, Michelle L. Aebersold, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 12(2021)
Date: 2021
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