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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

Community Impact and Benefit Activities of Critical Access, Other Rural, and Urban Hospitals, 2018
Examines the economic and healthcare benefit of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) on rural communities. Looks at services provided, economic health of CAHs, and the effect this has on their communities broadly. Includes national and state-level comparisons of service indicators provided by CAHs and other rural and urban hospitals.
Author(s): Zachariah Croll, John Gale, Connor Huggins
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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COVID-19's Current Impact on Rural Healthcare Delivery: Q&A with Brock Slabach
An interview with Brock Slabach, the National Rural Health Association's Senior Vice President for Member Services. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 on rural healthcare facilities, policy changes impacting rural providers, collaboration among rural communities to help share solutions, and the use of telehealth during the pandemic.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility PPS for FY 2021
Comments on an April 21, 2020, Federal Register proposed rule addressing updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2021. Includes comments on the adoption of the Office of Management and Budget's geographic area delineations to determine wage index values.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Estimated Reduction in CAH Profitability from Loss of Cost-Based Reimbursement for Swing Beds
Examines the impact of proposed legislation recommending changes to swing bed reimbursements for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) from cost-based to the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS). Estimates CAH profitability using reimbursement formulas from Medicare cost reports and discusses the characteristics of CAHs most affected by a change in swing bed reimbursement.
Author(s): Drake M. Broussard, Kristin L. Reiter
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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As It Grows, Medicare Advantage is Enrolling More Low-Income and Medically Complex Beneficiaries
Examines how the demographics, socioeconomic status, and clinical characteristics of Medicare Advantage enrollees changed between 2012 and 2015. Explores how these changes related to changes in healthcare utilization and performance during this time.
Author(s): Christie Teigland, Zulkarnain Pulungan, Tanya Shah, Eric Schneider, Shawn Bishop
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Most Rural Hospitals Have Little Cash Going into COVID
Findings brief exploring two scenarios in which rural hospitals have cash on hand for either 180 days or 7 days, representing the estimate of time the facilities could operate without receiving additional revenue, prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the U.S. Features statistics showing median days cash on hand by Medicare Payment Classification, with breakdowns by 7 types of hospitals, including Critical Access Hospitals and Sole Community Hospitals.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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CAHMPAS Financial Data Revisions
Provides an overview of new and revised financial indicators included in the Critical Access Hospital Measurement and Performance Assessment System (CAHMPAS) tool. Discusses the revised indicator framework and provides benchmarks and percentiles for all indicators for 2017 and 2018.
Author(s): Savannah Stallings, Ann Howard, George Pink, Kristin Reiter
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Medicare Primer
A general overview of the Medicare program. Describes the program's history, eligibility criteria, covered services, provider payment systems, and program administration, and financing. Includes information specific to rural areas.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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The Effect of Rural Hospital Closures on Emergency Medical Service Response and Transport Times
Examines ways in which rural hospital closures affect EMS response time, transport time, and total activation time, using data from 2010-2016. Features statistics comparing rates prior to rural hospital closure and immediately post-closure.
Author(s): Katherine E.M. Miller, Hailey J. James, George Mark Holmes, Courtney H. Van Houtven
Citation: Health Services Research, 55(2), 288-300
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
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April 2020 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) April 2020 meeting. Covers value-based payment in Medicare, challenges in maintaining and increasing savings from accountable care organizations, incentives in Medicare Part D, the Medicare Advantage quality bonus program, and Medicare's end-stage renal disease (ESRD) prospective payment system. Includes a discussion of ESRD payment adjustments for rural and low-volume providers.
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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