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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

Financial Impact of Telehealth: Rural Chief Financial Officer Perspectives
Explores how rural chief financial officers (CFOs) and hospital administrators perceive the financial impacts of telehealth in their facilities. Analyzes 30 interview responses from CFOs and administrators between October 2021 and January 2022 about the perceived benefits and challenges of telehealth programs. Discusses opportunities to improve telehealth infrastructure to make the modality more cost effective for hospitals.
Author(s): Lori Uscher-Pines, Jessica L. Sousa, Kori S. Zachrison, Lee Schwamm, Ateev Mehrotra
Citation: The American Journal of Managed Care, 28(12), e436-e443
Date: 12/2022
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Health Insurance in Rural Communities, with Abigail Barker and Timothy McBride
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Abigail Barker and Timothy McBride, co-investigators at the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis. Discusses their findings about rural health insurance coverage shared in the recently published chartbook, An Insurance Profile of Rural America.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Exploring Health Insurance Coverage in the North Central Region at the Intersection of Location, Employment, Gender, Race, and Ethnicity
Provides data on health insurance coverage in North Central Region states. Includes rural versus urban coverage comparisons, further broken down by employment type and demographic variables.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
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Evaluation of the Primary Care First Model: First Annual Report
Provides an overview of the Primary Care First (PCF) model, which aims to enhance primary care and move primary care practitioners toward value-based payment. Describes the first performance year of the PCF model for Cohort 1 practices. Explores advanced primary care attributes that Cohort 1 practices report they possessed at the start of PCF and the approaches these practices have taken or plan to take to change how they deliver advanced primary care. Presents findings on the 13 payers that are partnering with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as payer partners, including why they chose to partner with CMS and efforts made to align their payments with CMS in the PCF model.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Evaluation of the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization Model: Second Evaluation Report
Evaluates the first three performance years of the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization Model (VTAPM), which aims to assess whether scaling an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) across all payers in the state can reduce program expenditures while preserving or improving care quality. Discusses the implementation of the model, provider engagement, efforts to address population health goals; characteristics of participating hospitals, practitioners, and beneficiaries; and the model's impacts on Medicare spending, utilization, and quality of care. Describes changes to the model's design in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency and how COVID-19 and a cyberattack impacted healthcare utilization. Includes information on hospital and provider participation in rural areas and limited participation by Critical Access Hospitals.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Technical Appendices
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Federal Support for Financially Distressed Hospitals
Provides an overview of Medicare hospital payments and federal funding opportunities to assist financially distressed hospitals. Includes information on COVID-19 relief funding targeted to rural and safety net hospitals.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Oral Healthcare in Rural America
Webinar highlighting oral healthcare in rural Texas and nationally. Discusses common oral health disparities, common causes of poor oral health, prevention measures, access to oral healthcare, insurance rates, and oral healthcare projects in Texas. See video description for transcript.
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: University of Texas at Arlington Center for Rural Health and Nursing
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Rural Health Clinic All-Inclusive Rate: CY 2023 Update
Provides an overview of Rural Health Clinic (RHC) payment limits and cost report data requirements for calendar year 2023.
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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New Mexico Primary Care Alternative Payment Model Provider Readiness Assessment
Examines facilitators and barriers related to primary care stakeholders' readiness to implement an alternative payment model (APM) in New Mexico. Analyzes 2022 survey and focus group data from providers to gain feedback from Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), small- and medium-sized practices, hospitals, and interprofessional teams. Discusses issues such as care delivery, health information technology (HIT), financial and organizational readiness, and more, with information specific to small and rural facilities.
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Health Management Associates, New Mexico Human Services Department
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Access to Emergency Medical Services in Rural Communities: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of issues related to the provision of emergency medical services (EMS) in rural areas. Discusses rural EMS access, financing, and workforce challenges, as well as promising telehealth innovations. Outlines federal programs and resources that support EMS programs. Offers policy recommendations related to access to EMS, workforce, and reimbursement.
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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