Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health insurance
A Primer on the Occupational Mix Adjustment to the Medicare Hospital Wage Index
Focuses on the occupational mix adjustment (OMA) to the labor-related share in the hospital inpatient prospective payment system. Explains what the OMA is, why it is needed, and how it has been calculated. Discusses reasons the effect of the OMA has been less than some rural advocates anticipated.
Author(s): Kristin Reiter, Rebecca Slifkin, Mark Holmes
Date: 09/2006
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Focuses on the occupational mix adjustment (OMA) to the labor-related share in the hospital inpatient prospective payment system. Explains what the OMA is, why it is needed, and how it has been calculated. Discusses reasons the effect of the OMA has been less than some rural advocates anticipated.
Author(s): Kristin Reiter, Rebecca Slifkin, Mark Holmes
Date: 09/2006
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Medicare Physician Payments: Trends in Service Utilization, Spending, and Fees Prompt Consideration of Alternative Payment Approaches
Statement discussing the sustainable growth rate (SGR) system, which Medicare uses to determine annual changes to physician fees. Includes some rural-specific information.
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): A. Bruce Steinwald
Date: 07/2006
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Statement discussing the sustainable growth rate (SGR) system, which Medicare uses to determine annual changes to physician fees. Includes some rural-specific information.
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): A. Bruce Steinwald
Date: 07/2006
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Increasing the Value of Medicare
Examines issues affecting the Medicare program and makes recommendations to the Congress. Topics covered include care coordination, pricing accuracy in the hospice and physician payment systems, quality measures in home health, gathering data on outpatient therapy, Medicare Advantage, the Part D prescription drug program, and cost-effectiveness analysis.
Date: 06/2006
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Examines issues affecting the Medicare program and makes recommendations to the Congress. Topics covered include care coordination, pricing accuracy in the hospice and physician payment systems, quality measures in home health, gathering data on outpatient therapy, Medicare Advantage, the Part D prescription drug program, and cost-effectiveness analysis.
Date: 06/2006
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicaid and Its Importance to Rural Health
Presents an overview of the impact that Medicaid has on rural health. Covers the role of Medicaid in rural areas as a source of health insurance, as a revenue source for rural providers, and as a contributor to the community by supporting its health care system and local economy.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Andrew F. Coburn, A. Clinton MacKinney, et al.
Date: 05/2006
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Presents an overview of the impact that Medicaid has on rural health. Covers the role of Medicaid in rural areas as a source of health insurance, as a revenue source for rural providers, and as a contributor to the community by supporting its health care system and local economy.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Andrew F. Coburn, A. Clinton MacKinney, et al.
Date: 05/2006
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Rural Dental Practice: A Tale of Four States
Reports the findings of a study investigating rural dentist issues, such as: demography, training, practice characteristics, staff, and job satisfaction in Alabama, California, Maine, and Missouri.
Additional links: Project Summary
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Denise M. Lishner, L. Gary Hart
Date: 03/2006
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Reports the findings of a study investigating rural dentist issues, such as: demography, training, practice characteristics, staff, and job satisfaction in Alabama, California, Maine, and Missouri.
Additional links: Project Summary
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Denise M. Lishner, L. Gary Hart
Date: 03/2006
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2006
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report.
Date: 03/2006
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report.
Date: 03/2006
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Hospital Quality Data: CMS Needs More Rigorous Methods to Ensure Reliability of Publicly Released Data
Describes how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) collects hospital quality measures and ways the process could be improved to better ensure the accuracy of the data. Discusses how rural and urban hospital accuracy scores compare.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2006
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Describes how the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) collects hospital quality measures and ways the process could be improved to better ensure the accuracy of the data. Discusses how rural and urban hospital accuracy scores compare.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2006
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Premium Assistance Programs for Low Income Families: How Well Does it Work in Rural Areas?
Examines the viability of premium assistance programs that subsidize employer-sponsored or private health insurance with Medicaid or State Children's Health Insurance program funding. Identifies and describes 16 state premium assistance programs that were operational in 2005.
Author(s): Pam Silberman, Laura Brogan, Charity Moore, Rebecca Slifkin
Date: 01/2006
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Examines the viability of premium assistance programs that subsidize employer-sponsored or private health insurance with Medicaid or State Children's Health Insurance program funding. Identifies and describes 16 state premium assistance programs that were operational in 2005.
Author(s): Pam Silberman, Laura Brogan, Charity Moore, Rebecca Slifkin
Date: 01/2006
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Rural Residents More Likely to be Underinsured
Compares health insurance coverage for rural and urban residents, with data on the underinsured, out-of-pocket costs, prescription drug coverage, and underinsurance among those who are self-employed.
Date: 2006
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Compares health insurance coverage for rural and urban residents, with data on the underinsured, out-of-pocket costs, prescription drug coverage, and underinsurance among those who are self-employed.
Date: 2006
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Rural and Urban Parents Report on Access to Health Care for their Children with Medicaid Managed Care
Examines rural and urban healthcare access for children age 0-17 enrolled in Medicaid managed care plans in four states: New Mexico, Washington, North Carolina, and North Dakota. Includes information on access to urgent care, prescription medications, dental care, and transportation.
Author(s): Victoria Freeman, Rebecca Slifkin, Asheley Skinner, Robert Schwartz
Date: 12/2005
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Examines rural and urban healthcare access for children age 0-17 enrolled in Medicaid managed care plans in four states: New Mexico, Washington, North Carolina, and North Dakota. Includes information on access to urgent care, prescription medications, dental care, and transportation.
Author(s): Victoria Freeman, Rebecca Slifkin, Asheley Skinner, Robert Schwartz
Date: 12/2005
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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