Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance
Produce Prescription Programs Offer 'A Holistic Approach' to Addressing Rural Food Insecurity and Diet-Related Disease
Features produce prescription programs serving rural Mississippi, New Mexico, and Vermont that are helping improve access to healthy foods for those with diet-related chronic conditions. Describes how produce Rx programs can support local food systems and discusses funding and sustainability considerations.
Author(s): Brendan Stermer
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Features produce prescription programs serving rural Mississippi, New Mexico, and Vermont that are helping improve access to healthy foods for those with diet-related chronic conditions. Describes how produce Rx programs can support local food systems and discusses funding and sustainability considerations.
Author(s): Brendan Stermer
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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EHR Capabilities and Interoperability in Critical Access Hospitals
Explores the electronic health record (EHR) and interoperable health information exchange capabilities among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2019. Analyzes 2019 American Hospital Association Information Technology Supplement (AHAIT) survey data, which includes data from nearly 700 CAHs. Compares EHR capabilities and the use of electronic methods for four interoperability domains by CAH status and system affiliation. Discusses how to support CAHs in advancing information sharing and using comprehensive EHRs.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Alyssa Furukawa, Megan Lahr, Dori Cross
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Explores the electronic health record (EHR) and interoperable health information exchange capabilities among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2019. Analyzes 2019 American Hospital Association Information Technology Supplement (AHAIT) survey data, which includes data from nearly 700 CAHs. Compares EHR capabilities and the use of electronic methods for four interoperability domains by CAH status and system affiliation. Discusses how to support CAHs in advancing information sharing and using comprehensive EHRs.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Alyssa Furukawa, Megan Lahr, Dori Cross
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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A Comparison of 2017-19 Uncompensated Care of Rural and Urban Hospitals by Net Patient Revenue, System Affiliation, and Ownership
Examines the association between uncompensated care and three factors - net patient revenue, system affiliation, and ownership - using Medicare Cost Report data from 2017-2019. Compares rates of uncompensated care as a percentage of operating expenses across Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals, and urban PPS hospitals.
Author(s): Emmaline Keesee, Susie Gurzenda, Kristie Thompson, George Pink
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Examines the association between uncompensated care and three factors - net patient revenue, system affiliation, and ownership - using Medicare Cost Report data from 2017-2019. Compares rates of uncompensated care as a percentage of operating expenses across Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals, and urban PPS hospitals.
Author(s): Emmaline Keesee, Susie Gurzenda, Kristie Thompson, George Pink
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Trends in Emergency Department Visits Among People Younger Than Age 65 by Insurance Status: United States, 2010–2021
Provides data on people younger than 65 who visited emergency rooms from 2010-2021 by insurance status, with further data breakdowns by age, sex, and metro versus nonmetro statistical area.
Author(s): Loredana Santo, Susan M. Schappert, Jill J. Ashman
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Provides data on people younger than 65 who visited emergency rooms from 2010-2021 by insurance status, with further data breakdowns by age, sex, and metro versus nonmetro statistical area.
Author(s): Loredana Santo, Susan M. Schappert, Jill J. Ashman
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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January 2024 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Discusses status reports on ambulatory surgical centers, Medicare Part D, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for standardized benefits in Medicare Advantage plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Discusses status reports on ambulatory surgical centers, Medicare Part D, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for standardized benefits in Medicare Advantage plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Legislative Action Bridging Public Health and Clinical Healthcare
Discusses legislation that relates to equitable access to healthcare, with a focus on telehealth, infrastructure, safety net services, management of healthcare costs, and the expansion of the healthcare workforce. Includes information on access to emergency departments in rural areas and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Author(s): Ashley Cram, Brianna Gorman
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Discusses legislation that relates to equitable access to healthcare, with a focus on telehealth, infrastructure, safety net services, management of healthcare costs, and the expansion of the healthcare workforce. Includes information on access to emergency departments in rural areas and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Author(s): Ashley Cram, Brianna Gorman
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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The Future of Remote Patient Monitoring
Provides an overview of remote monitoring, including evidence-based use cases, coverage and utilization across payers, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation of remote monitoring devices, and data security and privacy. Offers policy recommendations regarding ways to improve the use of remote monitoring services, ensure access to these services across populations, and enhance data security and privacy standards. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Julia Harris, Mikayla Curtis, Maya Sandalow, G. William Hoagland, Marilyn Werber Serafini
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Provides an overview of remote monitoring, including evidence-based use cases, coverage and utilization across payers, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation of remote monitoring devices, and data security and privacy. Offers policy recommendations regarding ways to improve the use of remote monitoring services, ensure access to these services across populations, and enhance data security and privacy standards. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Julia Harris, Mikayla Curtis, Maya Sandalow, G. William Hoagland, Marilyn Werber Serafini
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Medicare Advantage Demographics Report, 2021
Summarizes demographics data on Medicare Advantage enrollment in 2021. Compares rural/urban residence of Medicare Advantage, Original Medicare, and dually eligible enrollees in Appendix B.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: AHIP
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Summarizes demographics data on Medicare Advantage enrollment in 2021. Compares rural/urban residence of Medicare Advantage, Original Medicare, and dually eligible enrollees in Appendix B.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: AHIP
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Evaluation of the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (NGACO) Model: Final Report
Sixth and final evaluation report on the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (NGACO) Model. Summarizes findings from across all six performance years (2016-2021) and explores how participating entities responded to the model and how they did or did not achieve model goals. Presents information on cumulative model-wide impacts on Medicare spending, utilization, and quality of care; variations in model outcomes by organization characteristics; spending patterns of beneficiaries served by NGACOs; population health strategies and pathways to reduced spending; lessons learned; and more. The appendices include data on community and beneficiary characteristics, including rurality.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Technical Appendices
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Sixth and final evaluation report on the Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (NGACO) Model. Summarizes findings from across all six performance years (2016-2021) and explores how participating entities responded to the model and how they did or did not achieve model goals. Presents information on cumulative model-wide impacts on Medicare spending, utilization, and quality of care; variations in model outcomes by organization characteristics; spending patterns of beneficiaries served by NGACOs; population health strategies and pathways to reduced spending; lessons learned; and more. The appendices include data on community and beneficiary characteristics, including rurality.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Technical Appendices
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Nursing Home Closures and Access to Post-Acute Care and Long-Term Care Services in Rural Areas
Examines distance to care for residents needing post-acute care (PAC) and long-term care (LTC) services. Analyzes nursing home closures from 2008 to 2018 and identifies closest PAC and LTC services in rural versus urban areas, with data broken down by population demographics, nursing home characteristics, and distance to providers.
Author(s): Hari Sharma, Redwan Bin Abdul Baten, Fred Ullrich, A. Clint MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(3), 557-564
Date: 01/2024
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Examines distance to care for residents needing post-acute care (PAC) and long-term care (LTC) services. Analyzes nursing home closures from 2008 to 2018 and identifies closest PAC and LTC services in rural versus urban areas, with data broken down by population demographics, nursing home characteristics, and distance to providers.
Author(s): Hari Sharma, Redwan Bin Abdul Baten, Fred Ullrich, A. Clint MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(3), 557-564
Date: 01/2024
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