Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health insurance
MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Hospital Inpatient PPS and the Long-term Care Hospital PPS for FY 2021
Comments on a May 29, 2020, Federal Register proposed rule revising the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment systems. Discusses proposals to use commercial insurer data to set Medicare severity–diagnosis related group (MS–DRG) relative weights and adopt changes to geographic area delineations to establish hospital wage indexes for the IPPS and LTCH PPS.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on a May 29, 2020, Federal Register proposed rule revising the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment systems. Discusses proposals to use commercial insurer data to set Medicare severity–diagnosis related group (MS–DRG) relative weights and adopt changes to geographic area delineations to establish hospital wage indexes for the IPPS and LTCH PPS.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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The Impact of Medicare's Rural Add-on Payments on Supply of Home Health Agencies Serving Rural Counties
Examines how Medicare rural add-on payments affected the number of home health agencies serving rural counties between 2002-2017. Compares the population-adjusted number of home health agencies in urban, urban-adjacent non-urban-adjacent rural counties during periods with add-on payments and without add-on payments. Discusses implications for revised and future add-on payments to maintain or increase the supply of rural home health agencies.
Author(s): Tracy M. Mroz, Davis G. Patterson, Bianca K. Frogner
Citation: Health Affairs, 39(6), 949-957
Date: 06/2020
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Examines how Medicare rural add-on payments affected the number of home health agencies serving rural counties between 2002-2017. Compares the population-adjusted number of home health agencies in urban, urban-adjacent non-urban-adjacent rural counties during periods with add-on payments and without add-on payments. Discusses implications for revised and future add-on payments to maintain or increase the supply of rural home health agencies.
Author(s): Tracy M. Mroz, Davis G. Patterson, Bianca K. Frogner
Citation: Health Affairs, 39(6), 949-957
Date: 06/2020
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Telehealth in Rural America: Disruptive Innovation for the Long Term?
Blog post discussing policy challenges and rural-specific concerns related to telehealth and telemedicine expansion during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. Addresses potential impacts of telehealth on rural facilities, Medicaid programs, and policy efforts.
Author(s): Matthew Ralls, Lauren Moran
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Blog post discussing policy challenges and rural-specific concerns related to telehealth and telemedicine expansion during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. Addresses potential impacts of telehealth on rural facilities, Medicaid programs, and policy efforts.
Author(s): Matthew Ralls, Lauren Moran
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Improving Rural Health: State Policy Options for Increasing Access to Care
Discusses strategies from state legislatures and other stakeholders to increase access to healthcare in rural areas. Focuses on policies and policy options for state legislatures in three areas: improving health insurance coverage, safeguarding rural health facilities, and changing rural healthcare delivery. Features examples from Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Author(s): Jack Pitsor
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Discusses strategies from state legislatures and other stakeholders to increase access to healthcare in rural areas. Focuses on policies and policy options for state legislatures in three areas: improving health insurance coverage, safeguarding rural health facilities, and changing rural healthcare delivery. Features examples from Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Author(s): Jack Pitsor
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Availability of Health Insurance Literacy Resources Fails to Meet Consumer Needs in Rural, Appalachian Communities: Implications for State Medicaid Waivers
Reports on the availability of health system and community‐based programs promoting health insurance literacy and supporting informed consumer healthcare decision making in rural Kentucky. Findings are based on focus groups and interviews conducted with healthcare providers, community health workers, patient navigators, and others primarily serving rural Appalachian counties in the state.
Author(s): Jean Edward, Robin Thompson, Andrea Jaramillo
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 06/2020
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Reports on the availability of health system and community‐based programs promoting health insurance literacy and supporting informed consumer healthcare decision making in rural Kentucky. Findings are based on focus groups and interviews conducted with healthcare providers, community health workers, patient navigators, and others primarily serving rural Appalachian counties in the state.
Author(s): Jean Edward, Robin Thompson, Andrea Jaramillo
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 06/2020
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COVID-19: Opportunities to Improve Federal Response and Recovery Efforts
Provides an overview of key federal actions and spending allocations in response to the health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifies challenges related to federal actions including the Payment Protection Program, economic impact payments, and Medicaid's Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) formula. Offers lesson learned from the initial pandemic response and recommends areas for further legislative action.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of key federal actions and spending allocations in response to the health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifies challenges related to federal actions including the Payment Protection Program, economic impact payments, and Medicaid's Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) formula. Offers lesson learned from the initial pandemic response and recommends areas for further legislative action.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Out‐of‐Network Air Ambulance Bills: Prevalence, Magnitude, and Policy Solutions
Examines the prevalence and cost of surprise air ambulance bills among privately insured patients. Describes air ambulance rates for commercial payers in relation to Medicare rates. Compares the number of air ambulance claims from urban and rural locations. Offers policy solutions to address surprise and out-of-network bills for these services.
Author(s): Erin C. Fuse Brown, Erin Trish, Bich Ly, Mark Hall, Loren Adler
Citation: Milbank Quarterly, 98(3), 747-774
Date: 06/2020
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Examines the prevalence and cost of surprise air ambulance bills among privately insured patients. Describes air ambulance rates for commercial payers in relation to Medicare rates. Compares the number of air ambulance claims from urban and rural locations. Offers policy solutions to address surprise and out-of-network bills for these services.
Author(s): Erin C. Fuse Brown, Erin Trish, Bich Ly, Mark Hall, Loren Adler
Citation: Milbank Quarterly, 98(3), 747-774
Date: 06/2020
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How Telehealth Policy is Structured in the United States
June 23, 2020, webinar recording provides an overview of the telehealth policy landscape on the federal and state levels. Discusses telehealth reimbursement policies. Outlines federal and state telehealth policy changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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June 23, 2020, webinar recording provides an overview of the telehealth policy landscape on the federal and state levels. Discusses telehealth reimbursement policies. Outlines federal and state telehealth policy changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Provision of Mental Health Services by Critical Access Hospital-Based Rural Health Clinics
Examines the extent to which Critical Access Hospital (CAH)-based Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) provide mental health services. Describes the characteristics and staffing patterns of CAH-based RHCs that offer these services. Explores challenges of providing mental health services at RHCs and strategies for integrating mental health and primary care services.
Author(s): John Gale, Zachariah Croll, Nathan First, Sara Kahn-Troster
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Examines the extent to which Critical Access Hospital (CAH)-based Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) provide mental health services. Describes the characteristics and staffing patterns of CAH-based RHCs that offer these services. Explores challenges of providing mental health services at RHCs and strategies for integrating mental health and primary care services.
Author(s): John Gale, Zachariah Croll, Nathan First, Sara Kahn-Troster
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Farm Households Reported That Working Off the Farm Provided Greater and More Stable Income, Along with Health and Retirement Benefits
Bar chart showing reasons for off-farm jobs, comparing small family farms, midsize family farms, and large-scale family farms. Includes health benefits as one reason for off-farm employment.
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Bar chart showing reasons for off-farm jobs, comparing small family farms, midsize family farms, and large-scale family farms. Includes health benefits as one reason for off-farm employment.
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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