Patient Experience and Function, Fall 2018 Cycle: CDP Report
Evaluates 5 new measures related to patient function and experience of care and supports using them for quality improvement efforts and public reporting. Measures focus on care coordination, particularly following discharge in order to reduce hospital readmissions. Includes Critical Access Hospitals under acute care hospitals, with exclusions for swing bed stays.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Fall 2018 Cycle: CDP Report
Evaluates 5 quality measures related to geriatrics and palliative care and supports using them for quality improvement efforts and reporting programs. The measures were not risk-adjusted for rurality and provide exclusions for different hospital types, such as Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Developing Risk-Adjusted Avoidable Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits Quality Measures: Final Report
Defines avoidable hospitalization (AH) and avoidable emergency department (ED) visits (AVs) and summarizes the development of a model for calculating expected AH and AV rates using Medicare claims data. Seeks to inform Medicare quality payment models and target areas for quality improvement. Table 3-10 includes AH and AV risk-standardized rates for a number of rural market areas.
Author(s): Zhanlian Feng, Benjamin Silver, Micah Segelman, et al.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, RTI International
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Rural Quality Advisory Council Meeting Summary: August 1, 2019
Summarizes a meeting of the Rural Quality Advisory Council that focused on updates to the Critical Access Hospital Measurement and Performance Assessment System (CAHMPAS), Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Program (MBQIP) Performance Standards, the Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Program, and new Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) items.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Participating in the Improvement Activities Performance Category in the 2019 Performance Year
Provides details on how to participate in the performance improvement part of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), one of two payment options under the Medicare Quality Payment Program. Identifies differences for small practices and clinicians located in a rural or Health Professional Shortage Area.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Accelerating Value-Based Payment in California's Federally Qualified Health Centers: Options for Medicaid Health Plans
Highlights examples of value-based payment (VBP) models for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), including a rural Hawaii model and a Colorado model that incorporates rural FQHCs. Covers Accountable Care Organization (ACO) models, state-led Capitated Alternative Payment Models (APMs), state-led quality payment adjustments, and Medicaid shared savings ACO models. Addresses how FQHCs and health plans can overcome challenges when launching new VBP models and offers recommendations for California's health plans.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Rural Success: Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital, NH
Highlights the quality improvement efforts of a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in rural New Hampshire. Focuses on their Quality Improvement Committee, response times, rounding, care transitions, and transferring practices.
Citation: MBQIP Monthly, 1-2
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Department of Health Care Services: It Has Not Ensured That Medi-Cal Beneficiaries in Some Rural Counties Have Reasonable Access to Care
Findings from a study to determine whether rural beneficiaries of the Medi-Cal Regional Model health plan were given acceptable access to care and adequate quality of care after the state transitioned into managed care plans in 2013. Includes county-level map showing Medi-Cal Managed Care Models and statistics showing maximum distance required to access care, with breakdowns by provider type.
Author(s): Elaine M. Howle
Citation: California State Auditor Report 2018-122
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Auditor of the State of California
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2020 Quality Payment Program Proposed Rule Overview Factsheet with Request for Information for 2021
Provides an overview of proposed policy changes related to the Quality Payment Program (QPP). Includes a comparison of the 2019 policy and the 2020 proposed policy and information on the definition of rural for the purposes of the program.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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New Mexico Department of Health, Office of Primary Care & Rural Health, Fact Sheet
Lists activities of the Office of Primary Care & Rural Health, including descriptions of programs related to primary care, rural hospitals and health networks, and health workforce development.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
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