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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

Telemedicine in Sexual and Reproductive Health
Overview of telemedicine use in sexual and reproductive healthcare by patients, and by providers in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. Reviews the potential of telemedicine to increase access particularly in rural areas, identifies the range of reproductive health services facilitated by telemedicine, and covers Medicaid reimbursement, insurance coverage, and investment costs.
Author(s): Gabriela Weigel, Brittni Frederiksen, Usha Ranji, Alina Salganicoff
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Intergovernmental Advisory Committee to the Federal Communications Commission Advisory Recommendation No: 2019-2 in the Matter of State, Local Tribal, and Territorial Regulatory and Other Barriers and Incentives to Telemedicine
Examines the technical infrastructure necessary for effective telemedicine delivery in state, territorial, tribal, and local (rural and urban) areas. Discusses the regulatory barriers including legislation, licensing, reimbursement, malpractice insurance, and privacy that obstruct its development and utilization, and offers recommendations addressing these barriers. Appendix A presents case studies of broadband and telehealth development in several states and territories.
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Federal Communications Commission, Intergovernmental Advisory Committee to the Federal Communications Commission
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Beyond the Numbers: Access to Reproductive Health Care for Low-Income Women in Five Communities
Highlights the key findings, major themes, and the extent of the challenges faced by low-income women in accessing reproductive and sexual healthcare in urban and rural areas. Identifies promising practices developed by providers to address barriers to care and improve access to healthcare.
Author(s): Usha Ranji, Michelle Long, Alina Salganicoff, et al.
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Health Management Associates, KFF
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Rural Health Clinic Costs and Medicare Reimbursement
Policy brief exploring whether updates to the Medicare per-visit reimbursement cap have allowed Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) of various types and sizes to keep pace with increases in staffing and other costs. Features statistics including RHC mean Medicare adjusted cost per visit and RHC mean Medicare healthcare staff costs as of 2014, with breakdowns by 4 sizes of RHCs and private or publicly-owned status.
Author(s): John Gale, Zachariah T. Croll, Andrew F. Coburn
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Rural Hospitals: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Describes the conditions facing rural hospitals and their communities contributing to the high rate of rural hospital closure. Discusses state and federal legislation, policies, and programs developed to support rural hospitals. Provides data for 15 Southern states including their state and rural populations, percentage of population uninsured, Medicaid expansion status, percentage at high financial risk, and number of rural hospital closures.
Author(s): Nick Bowman
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Southern Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments
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Project Sustainability Action Plan SAMPLE: Center States Rural Health Network
Provides a reference model for rural communities to use when establishing a sustainability action plan. Topics covered include strategic thinking, marketing, operational review, financial outlook, network sustainability assessment, and opportunities for sustainability.
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Rural Health Innovations
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Urban and Rural Hospitalizations in Mississippi: Overview and Trend Analyses, 2014-2018
Results of a rural health surveillance system established by the Mississippi State Department of Health to monitor and report on the health status of rural residents and the capacity of the local healthcare systems serving this population. Features county-level maps and statistics from 2014-2018 on inpatient care, numbers of hospitals, hospital beds, percent of hospitalizations, and payment models, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural areas.
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Mississippi State Department of Health
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Estimate of Federal Payment Reductions to Hospitals Following the ACA: 2010-2029: Estimates and Methodology
Estimates the reduction in Medicare hospital payments due to sequestration from 2010 to 2029, not including reductions enacted under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Demonstrates how other legislative acts and regulatory changes by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reduced federal payments to hospitals over the same period. Highlights how reductions in Medicare payments for bad debt impacted Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals
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States' Medicaid Fee-for-Service Nursing Facility Payment Policies
Spreadsheet outlining each state's Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) nursing facility payment policy. Lists how each state sets the payment rate and any adjustments and supplemental payments. Includes information on rural/urban aspects of setting or adjustment to the payment in each state.
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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CAH Participation in Flex Financial and Operational Improvement Activities, 2015–2018
Examines patterns of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) participation in activities funded by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program. Looks at CAHs' participation in financial and operational improvement activities, with information by various hospital characteristics including risk of financial distress.
Author(s): Kathleen Knocke, Kristin Reiter, George H. Pink
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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