Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health insurance
Housing Affordability, Adequacy, and Access to the Internet in Homes of Medicaid Enrollees
Examines the housing adequacy, affordability, and internet access among Medicaid enrollees in 2019. Describes the impact of housing conditions on health, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses policy options for Medicaid programs to address housing challenges. Presents data by Medicaid enrollee demographic characteristics, including race/ethnicity, age, sex, and metro/non-metro status.
Author(s): Bradley Corallo
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Examines the housing adequacy, affordability, and internet access among Medicaid enrollees in 2019. Describes the impact of housing conditions on health, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses policy options for Medicaid programs to address housing challenges. Presents data by Medicaid enrollee demographic characteristics, including race/ethnicity, age, sex, and metro/non-metro status.
Author(s): Bradley Corallo
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Evaluation and Oversight of Telehealth for Behavioral Health in Medicaid
Explores how 37 states evaluated and conducted oversight of telehealth for behavioral health services for Medicaid enrollees in January and February 2020. Discusses states' experiences with telehealth and the impacts of telehealth on access to care, as well as concerns regarding the impact of these services on cost and quality of care. Provides recommendations for states the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to meet the behavioral health needs of Medicaid enrollees and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Explores how 37 states evaluated and conducted oversight of telehealth for behavioral health services for Medicaid enrollees in January and February 2020. Discusses states' experiences with telehealth and the impacts of telehealth on access to care, as well as concerns regarding the impact of these services on cost and quality of care. Provides recommendations for states the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to meet the behavioral health needs of Medicaid enrollees and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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States Reported Multiple Challenges with Using Telehealth to Provide Behavioral Health Services to Medicaid Enrollees
Summarizes results of a January-February 2020 survey of State Medicaid Directors in 37 states that provide behavioral health services via telehealth through managed care organizations. Describes challenges with using telehealth to serve Medicaid enrollees, including provider and enrollee training, internet connectivity, privacy, and technology costs. Offers recommendations for the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help states address these challenges.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Summarizes results of a January-February 2020 survey of State Medicaid Directors in 37 states that provide behavioral health services via telehealth through managed care organizations. Describes challenges with using telehealth to serve Medicaid enrollees, including provider and enrollee training, internet connectivity, privacy, and technology costs. Offers recommendations for the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help states address these challenges.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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2021 Final Marketplace Special Enrollment Period Report
Provides data on the 2021 Special Enrollment Period (SEP), describing the number of Americans who enrolled in the individual, federally-sponsored Health insurance Marketplace. Table 4 provides demographic and plan characteristics by sex, age, rural status, household income, and more.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Provides data on the 2021 Special Enrollment Period (SEP), describing the number of Americans who enrolled in the individual, federally-sponsored Health insurance Marketplace. Table 4 provides demographic and plan characteristics by sex, age, rural status, household income, and more.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Evaluation of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration: Report Covering 2005-2017 (Interim Report 1)
Provides an overview of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD). Describes the characteristics of RCHD participants that entered the demonstration between 2005-2012, the Medicare payments received under program, and the impact of the RCHD on hospital finances between 2005-2017.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD). Describes the characteristics of RCHD participants that entered the demonstration between 2005-2012, the Medicare payments received under program, and the impact of the RCHD on hospital finances between 2005-2017.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs for CY 2022
Comments on an August 4, 2021, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2022. Includes considerations for Rural Emergency Hospital payments and emergency department staffing requirements.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on an August 4, 2021, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2022. Includes considerations for Rural Emergency Hospital payments and emergency department staffing requirements.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Air Ambulance Use and Surprise Billing
Provides an overview of air ambulance services, including the types and number of air ambulance providers and suppliers, utilization rates by patients, average costs, and the potential for balance billing for air ambulance transport. Summarizes key policies and legislation related to air ambulances, including the No Surprises Act. Presents data on air ambulance utilization by rurality between 2014-2018.
Author(s): Gina Turrini, Joel Ruhter, Andre R. Chappel, Nancy De Lew
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Provides an overview of air ambulance services, including the types and number of air ambulance providers and suppliers, utilization rates by patients, average costs, and the potential for balance billing for air ambulance transport. Summarizes key policies and legislation related to air ambulances, including the No Surprises Act. Presents data on air ambulance utilization by rurality between 2014-2018.
Author(s): Gina Turrini, Joel Ruhter, Andre R. Chappel, Nancy De Lew
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2022
Comment on a July 23, 2021, Federal Register proposed rule revising the physician fee schedule to improve payment systems for physicians and other Medicare Part B revisions. Includes a discussion of the expansion of telehealth service coverage after the COVID-19 public health emergency, as well as reimbursement rates to Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers for telehealth mental health services.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comment on a July 23, 2021, Federal Register proposed rule revising the physician fee schedule to improve payment systems for physicians and other Medicare Part B revisions. Includes a discussion of the expansion of telehealth service coverage after the COVID-19 public health emergency, as well as reimbursement rates to Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers for telehealth mental health services.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Geographic Access to Health Care for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries: A National Study
Policy brief exploring rural and urban healthcare, geographic access to providers, and types of providers seen by Medicare beneficiaries based on Medicare administrative data from 2014. Charts offer rural and urban comparisons of characteristics of beneficiaries, number of visits by region, number of visits by race/ethnicity, visits by provider type, and travel distance and time.
Author(s): Eric H. Larson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Lisa A. Garberson, David V. Evans
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Policy brief exploring rural and urban healthcare, geographic access to providers, and types of providers seen by Medicare beneficiaries based on Medicare administrative data from 2014. Charts offer rural and urban comparisons of characteristics of beneficiaries, number of visits by region, number of visits by race/ethnicity, visits by provider type, and travel distance and time.
Author(s): Eric H. Larson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Lisa A. Garberson, David V. Evans
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Medicare Covers a Lower Percentage of Outpatient Costs in Hospitals Located in Rural Areas
Policy brief describing differences in Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) payments between urban and rural hospitals. Features statistics on OPPS payments as a percent of total net patient revenue, as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by hospital payment classification, and as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by number of acute beds, with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Pranathi Sana, George H. Pink
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Policy brief describing differences in Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) payments between urban and rural hospitals. Features statistics on OPPS payments as a percent of total net patient revenue, as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by hospital payment classification, and as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by number of acute beds, with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Pranathi Sana, George H. Pink
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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