Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health insurance
Medicare Telehealth Trends Report
Describes the trends of telehealth utilization among Medicare beneficiaries between January 1, 2020, and March 31, 2024. Presents data on the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries that used a telehealth service by calendar quarter and by race/ethnicity, Medicaid eligibility, type of Medicare eligibility, sex, age group, and rural/urban residence.
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Describes the trends of telehealth utilization among Medicare beneficiaries between January 1, 2020, and March 31, 2024. Presents data on the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries that used a telehealth service by calendar quarter and by race/ethnicity, Medicaid eligibility, type of Medicare eligibility, sex, age group, and rural/urban residence.
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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An REH Conversion Story: Harper County Hospital
Profiles Oklahoma's Harper County Hospital and its transition from a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) to a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). Summarizes an interview with Kevin O'Brien, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Harper County Hospital, regarding the experience of converting to REH status. Covers the hospital's financial position before conversion, including limitations to being a county-owned hospital; the exploration of the REH designation; and the financial and operational impacts of the REH designation, including services added by the hospital after the conversion.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Profiles Oklahoma's Harper County Hospital and its transition from a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) to a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). Summarizes an interview with Kevin O'Brien, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Harper County Hospital, regarding the experience of converting to REH status. Covers the hospital's financial position before conversion, including limitations to being a county-owned hospital; the exploration of the REH designation; and the financial and operational impacts of the REH designation, including services added by the hospital after the conversion.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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An REH Conversion Story: Mercy Hospital
Profiles Mercy Hospital, in Moundridge, Kansas, and its transition from a prospective payment system (PPS) hospital to a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). Summarizes an interview with Aaron Herbel, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mercy Hospital, regarding the experience of converting to REH status. Covers the conversion timeline, the involvement of hospital and community stakeholders, and the opening of a walk-in clinic that coincided with the REH conversion.
Author(s): Hope Burch, Tracey Dorff, Anna Anna, Janice Walters
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Profiles Mercy Hospital, in Moundridge, Kansas, and its transition from a prospective payment system (PPS) hospital to a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). Summarizes an interview with Aaron Herbel, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mercy Hospital, regarding the experience of converting to REH status. Covers the conversion timeline, the involvement of hospital and community stakeholders, and the opening of a walk-in clinic that coincided with the REH conversion.
Author(s): Hope Burch, Tracey Dorff, Anna Anna, Janice Walters
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Characteristics of People Using Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports, 2021
Presents data on the characteristics of individuals who used Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) in 2021, including age, dual-eligibility status, rural or urban residence, and race and ethnicity. Offers data on home and community-based service (HCBS) users by HCBS program and state plan option types and institutional service users by setting type.
Author(s): Cara Stepanczuk, Alexandra Carpenter, Andrea Wysocki
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Presents data on the characteristics of individuals who used Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) in 2021, including age, dual-eligibility status, rural or urban residence, and race and ethnicity. Offers data on home and community-based service (HCBS) users by HCBS program and state plan option types and institutional service users by setting type.
Author(s): Cara Stepanczuk, Alexandra Carpenter, Andrea Wysocki
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics Demonstration Program: Report to Congress, 2023
Provides an overview of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration. Describes changes in the quality of care during the first four years of the demonstration for states with available quality measures, as well as quality bonus payments states made to CCBHCs based on quality measure performance. Builds on findings on demonstration implementation, quality improvement, and costs outlined in previous evaluation reports, focusing on data collected since spring 2022.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Mathematica, RAND Corporation
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Provides an overview of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration. Describes changes in the quality of care during the first four years of the demonstration for states with available quality measures, as well as quality bonus payments states made to CCBHCs based on quality measure performance. Builds on findings on demonstration implementation, quality improvement, and costs outlined in previous evaluation reports, focusing on data collected since spring 2022.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Mathematica, RAND Corporation
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Disability and Independence in Rural America: White Paper
Provides an overview of disability and independence in rural America. Describes disability prevalence in rural areas and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs for people with disabilities. Outlines key considerations for rural disability services, including access, Medicaid and Medicare coverage, workforce, and telehealth and technology. Highlights themes that emerged during the September 2023 National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Service (NACRHHS) meeting regarding areas for disability and independence policy improvement. Appendix A summarizes NACRHHS subcommittee site visits of two organizations serving rural Colorado residents.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Provides an overview of disability and independence in rural America. Describes disability prevalence in rural areas and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs for people with disabilities. Outlines key considerations for rural disability services, including access, Medicaid and Medicare coverage, workforce, and telehealth and technology. Highlights themes that emerged during the September 2023 National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Service (NACRHHS) meeting regarding areas for disability and independence policy improvement. Appendix A summarizes NACRHHS subcommittee site visits of two organizations serving rural Colorado residents.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Variation in Dentist Participation Between Dental Medicaid Managed Care Organizations
Examines the variation in Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) participation among private practice dentists in Iowa. Describes factors associated with Medicaid MCO participation, including dentists' personal and practice characteristics, including practice type, rural or urban location, and dental Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designation.
Author(s): Pamela C. Nwachukwu, Peter C. Damiano, Steven Levy, et al.
Citation: Journal of Public Health Dentistry,
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Examines the variation in Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) participation among private practice dentists in Iowa. Describes factors associated with Medicaid MCO participation, including dentists' personal and practice characteristics, including practice type, rural or urban location, and dental Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designation.
Author(s): Pamela C. Nwachukwu, Peter C. Damiano, Steven Levy, et al.
Citation: Journal of Public Health Dentistry,
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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The Low-Volume Hospital Adjustment Before and During COVID-19
Describes characteristics of rural low-volume hospitals (LVHs) between April 2018 and March 2022. Compares the characteristics and profitability of rural LVHs with other rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presents data on LVH profitability margins with and without the LVH payment adjustment.
Author(s): Emmaline Keesee, Susie Gurzenda, Kristie Thompson, George Pink
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Describes characteristics of rural low-volume hospitals (LVHs) between April 2018 and March 2022. Compares the characteristics and profitability of rural LVHs with other rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presents data on LVH profitability margins with and without the LVH payment adjustment.
Author(s): Emmaline Keesee, Susie Gurzenda, Kristie Thompson, George Pink
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Medicare Advantage Enrollees Account for a Rising Share of Inpatient Hospital Days
Describes the growth of Medicare Advantage (MA) as a share of hospital inpatient days between 2015 and 2022. Presents data from hospital cost reports submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) regarding the share of inpatient days attributable to MA compared to traditional Medicare, the percentage of hospitals with more inpatient days from Medicare Advantage than traditional Medicare, and the variation across hospitals within counties. Compares trends in the share of inpatient days for MA enrollees across rural, micropolitan, and metropolitan hospitals.
Author(s): Jamie Godwin, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Zachary Levinson, Tricia Neuman
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Describes the growth of Medicare Advantage (MA) as a share of hospital inpatient days between 2015 and 2022. Presents data from hospital cost reports submitted to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) regarding the share of inpatient days attributable to MA compared to traditional Medicare, the percentage of hospitals with more inpatient days from Medicare Advantage than traditional Medicare, and the variation across hospitals within counties. Compares trends in the share of inpatient days for MA enrollees across rural, micropolitan, and metropolitan hospitals.
Author(s): Jamie Godwin, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Zachary Levinson, Tricia Neuman
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Proposed CY 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule: Fact Sheet
Fact sheet covering proposed Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) telehealth policy changes for 2025 as outlined in the calendar year (CY) 2025 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule. Covers proposals related to audio-only telehealth; eligible services that can be delivered by telehealth; frequency limitations for inpatient visits, nursing facilities, and critical care consults; direct supervision through the use of live video; payment to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs); opioid treatment programs; and more.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Fact sheet covering proposed Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) telehealth policy changes for 2025 as outlined in the calendar year (CY) 2025 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule. Covers proposals related to audio-only telehealth; eligible services that can be delivered by telehealth; frequency limitations for inpatient visits, nursing facilities, and critical care consults; direct supervision through the use of live video; payment to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs); opioid treatment programs; and more.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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