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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health insurance

MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2016
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report. Focuses on payment adequacy, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Part D.
Date: 03/2016
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural ACO Leaders Speak: What Have Been the Biggest Challenges and the Biggest Advantages to Creating Your ACO?
Five rural Accountable Care Organization (ACO) leaders discuss the biggest challenges and advantages they've experienced in building an ACO.
Author(s): Zachary Toliver
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2016
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Access to Rural Home Health Services: Views from the Field
Describes current issues affecting access to rural home health services, with an emphasis on Medicare-reimbursed programs. Based on published research, gray literature, and telephone interviews with 40 key informants from 19 states between May 2014 and March 2015. Discusses challenges and barriers to access as well as possible solutions.
Author(s): Susan M. Skillman, Davis G. Patterson, Cynthia Coulthard, Tracy M. Mroz
Date: 02/2016
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Report to Congress on Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Payments
First annual report on Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments, which provide support to safety-net hospitals to help offset uncompensated care costs for Medicaid and uninsured patients. Discusses Medicaid policy, current and future DSH allotments, and data needs. Table B-3 projects FY2018 DSH payments under different scenarios, with data for urban and rural hospitals and for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 02/2016
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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CMS Manual System: Revisions to Medicare State Operations Manual, Chapter 9 - Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Recertification Checklist: Rural and Distance or Necessary Provider Verification
Provides a list of the necessary components to be confirmed when Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) are surveyed for recertification to determine if they meet the rural location and distance or necessary provider requirements to maintain their CAH status. Identifies the procedures used by the CMS Regional Office and state survey agencies to determine if CAHs meet the necessary requirements.
Date: 02/2016
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Guiding Innovations to Improve the Oral Health of Adult Medicaid Beneficiaries
Highlights several innovative ideas for providing oral healthcare to Medicaid-enrolled adults by discussing consumer outreach and engagement, workforce and training, access and delivery in rural and urban areas, and return on investment and business models.
Author(s): Stacey Chazin
Date: 01/2016
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Benefiting Hospitals, Not Patients: An Analysis of Charity Care Provided by Hospitals Enrolled in the 340B Discount Program
Examines charity care levels at 340B Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSHs) to determine if eligibility criteria for DSH hospitals appropriately align with the 340B programs goal of supporting access to prescription drugs for uninsured and vulnerable populations. Appendix provides additional information and operating statistics specific to Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 2016
Sponsoring organization: Alliance for Integrity and Reform of 340B
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The Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE): 2013-2014
Reports on health insurance coverage in the United States in 2014 and changes between 2013 and 2014. Includes maps showing county-level uninsured rates.
Date: 2016
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Closing Gaps in Native American Health
Describes health disparities between Wisconsin Native Americans and their White peers, with discussion of how new Medicaid policies could result in increased access to health services, improved care coordination for tribal health patients, and additional support for Indian Health Service providers. Features statistics including infant mortality rates, age-adjusted mortality rate, diabetes and cancer age-adjusted mortality rates, suicide rates, and average age of death.
Date: 2016
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Council on Children and Families
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After a Parent Left Employment, One in Five Children Lost Private Insurance
Examines children's loss of private health insurance after parental job loss. Includes data on rural compared to urban privately insured children. Reports that, after parental job loss, rural and urban children were similarly impacted related to health insurance coverage.
Author(s): Kristin Smith
Date: 2016
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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