Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health insurance
Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) Guides Requirements
Infographic displaying the differences in the Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) Guide requirements for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) participating in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program and eligible clinicians participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Promoting Interoperability performance category for eligible clinicians.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Infographic displaying the differences in the Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) Guide requirements for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) participating in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program and eligible clinicians participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Promoting Interoperability performance category for eligible clinicians.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Health Care Access Among Self-Employed Workers in Nonmetropolitan Counties
Webinar recording highlighting a May 2022 report that examines access to healthcare for self-employed workers, their families, and their households in rural areas. Utilizes 2014-2020 data to discuss health insurance coverage and affordability, availability of healthcare services, and changes in work, income, health status, and healthcare access. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Dobis, Jessica E. Todd
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
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Webinar recording highlighting a May 2022 report that examines access to healthcare for self-employed workers, their families, and their households in rural areas. Utilizes 2014-2020 data to discuss health insurance coverage and affordability, availability of healthcare services, and changes in work, income, health status, and healthcare access. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Dobis, Jessica E. Todd
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
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Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. 2022
Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals and birth centers that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, percentage of women without health insurance, percentage of births covered by Medicaid, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of maternity care deserts as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals and birth centers that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, percentage of women without health insurance, percentage of births covered by Medicaid, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of maternity care deserts as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Improving Access to and Enrollment in Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
Provides an overview of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), including the history of the model and the recent policy landscape. Identifies challenges to the growth of PACE and offers federal policy recommendations that would address the challenges to the spread and scale of PACE. Discusses the results of the 2006 Rural PACE Provider Grant Program and policies to promote further access to PACE programs in areas with low penetration rates, including rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Provides an overview of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), including the history of the model and the recent policy landscape. Identifies challenges to the growth of PACE and offers federal policy recommendations that would address the challenges to the spread and scale of PACE. Discusses the results of the 2006 Rural PACE Provider Grant Program and policies to promote further access to PACE programs in areas with low penetration rates, including rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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RHC Policies & Procedures
Recording of an October 6, 2022, webinar on Rural Health Clinic (RHC) policies and procedures. Discusses regulatory requirements for RHC policies and procedures, including patient care, medical record, and emergency preparedness policies and procedures. Describes new requirements, including the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, the transition out of the COVID-19 public health emergency, and potential changes that may occur in 2023. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of an October 6, 2022, webinar on Rural Health Clinic (RHC) policies and procedures. Discusses regulatory requirements for RHC policies and procedures, including patient care, medical record, and emergency preparedness policies and procedures. Describes new requirements, including the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, the transition out of the COVID-19 public health emergency, and potential changes that may occur in 2023. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Medicare Part B Overpaid and Beneficiaries Incurred Cost-Share Overcharges of Over $1 Million for the Same Professional Services
Results of an audit of Medicare Part B claims to determine whether Part B payments to Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) for professional services and payments made to healthcare practitioners for the same services complied with federal requirements. Includes recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG), and the response from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Additional links: Report in Brief
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Results of an audit of Medicare Part B claims to determine whether Part B payments to Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) for professional services and payments made to healthcare practitioners for the same services complied with federal requirements. Includes recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG), and the response from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Additional links: Report in Brief
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Configuration and Delivery of Primary Care in Rural and Urban Settings
Compares structure, capabilities, and payment reform participation of isolated, small town, micropolitan, and metropolitan physician practices. Features statistics on characteristics of physician practices, Medicare beneficiaries, and beneficiary utilization in 2017, with breakdowns by rurality.
Author(s): Taressa K. Fraze, Valerie A. Lewis, Andrew Wood, Helen Newton, Carrie H. Colla
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 37(12), 3045-3053
Date: 09/2022
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Compares structure, capabilities, and payment reform participation of isolated, small town, micropolitan, and metropolitan physician practices. Features statistics on characteristics of physician practices, Medicare beneficiaries, and beneficiary utilization in 2017, with breakdowns by rurality.
Author(s): Taressa K. Fraze, Valerie A. Lewis, Andrew Wood, Helen Newton, Carrie H. Colla
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 37(12), 3045-3053
Date: 09/2022
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September 2022 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) September 2022 meeting. Covers Medicare payments to safety-net clinicians, the development of a prototype post-acute care prospective payment system, nursing facility staffing requirements and data, the expansion of telehealth during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and payment for telehealth services after the PHE, inpatient psychiatric facility care, and Part D data on drug rebates and discounts. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) September 2022 meeting. Covers Medicare payments to safety-net clinicians, the development of a prototype post-acute care prospective payment system, nursing facility staffing requirements and data, the expansion of telehealth during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and payment for telehealth services after the PHE, inpatient psychiatric facility care, and Part D data on drug rebates and discounts. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Health Panel Comment Letter – Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements
Comments offered in response to a July 29, 2022, proposed rule regarding changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program (SSP) to facilitate more widespread participation in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Discusses how changes will impact rural Medicare beneficiaries, as well as challenges to extending ACOs to all rural counties. Covers advanced interest payments, extended time in one-sided risk, changes to calculating benchmarks, proposals to allow low revenue ACOs to realize shared savings at a lower minimum, a health equity adjustment, and social determinants of health measures.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Comments offered in response to a July 29, 2022, proposed rule regarding changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program (SSP) to facilitate more widespread participation in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Discusses how changes will impact rural Medicare beneficiaries, as well as challenges to extending ACOs to all rural counties. Covers advanced interest payments, extended time in one-sided risk, changes to calculating benchmarks, proposals to allow low revenue ACOs to realize shared savings at a lower minimum, a health equity adjustment, and social determinants of health measures.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Medicaid: Efforts to Address Fraud in Nonemergency Medical Transportation
Describes state approaches to administering the non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) Medicaid benefit. Highlights how Colorado uses different approaches to serve urban and rural counties. Discusses the outcomes and findings of related fraud investigations and program audits and strategies selected states used to address related fraud.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Describes state approaches to administering the non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) Medicaid benefit. Highlights how Colorado uses different approaches to serve urban and rural counties. Discusses the outcomes and findings of related fraud investigations and program audits and strategies selected states used to address related fraud.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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