Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Home health
MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Home Health Prospective Payment System for CY 2025
Comments on a July 3, 2024, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for home health agencies. Includes comments regarding permanent and temporary budget-neutrality adjustments, the plan of care development and scope of services home health patients receive, and the proposed adoption of the core-based statistical area (CBSA) delineations for the home health wage index.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on a July 3, 2024, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for home health agencies. Includes comments regarding permanent and temporary budget-neutrality adjustments, the plan of care development and scope of services home health patients receive, and the proposed adoption of the core-based statistical area (CBSA) delineations for the home health wage index.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Fewer Hospitalized Medicare Beneficiaries Are Receiving Recommended Home Health Care
Describes trends in Medicare patients' receipt of recommended home health services following a hospitalization between 2016 and 2022. Presents data on home health referral completion rates by patient characteristics, including rural/urban location. Discusses factors that could influence home health utilization trends and considerations for policymakers.
Author(s): Marie Steele-Adjognon, Clarence Kelley, Lane Koenig
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Commonwealth Fund, KNG Health Consulting, LLC
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Describes trends in Medicare patients' receipt of recommended home health services following a hospitalization between 2016 and 2022. Presents data on home health referral completion rates by patient characteristics, including rural/urban location. Discusses factors that could influence home health utilization trends and considerations for policymakers.
Author(s): Marie Steele-Adjognon, Clarence Kelley, Lane Koenig
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Commonwealth Fund, KNG Health Consulting, LLC
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Standing Technical Expert Panel for the Development, Evaluation, and Maintenance of Post-Acute Care (PAC) and Hospice Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Measurement Sets: Summary Report
Describes a December 15, 2023, Technical Expert Panel (TEP) regarding the development of additional cross-setting measures for the Post-Acute Care (PAC) and Hospice Quality Reporting Programs (QRPs), and filling measurement gaps with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Universal Foundation measures. Summarizes TEP comments on adding measures to PAC and Hospice QRPs in four domains: 1) behavioral and mental health, 2) patient experience of care, 3) pain management, and 4) immunization. Covers panelists' discussions on the appropriateness of the existing measure set and potential new measures, setting-specific considerations, data sources, and other topics related to each domain. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Acumen, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Describes a December 15, 2023, Technical Expert Panel (TEP) regarding the development of additional cross-setting measures for the Post-Acute Care (PAC) and Hospice Quality Reporting Programs (QRPs), and filling measurement gaps with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Universal Foundation measures. Summarizes TEP comments on adding measures to PAC and Hospice QRPs in four domains: 1) behavioral and mental health, 2) patient experience of care, 3) pain management, and 4) immunization. Covers panelists' discussions on the appropriateness of the existing measure set and potential new measures, setting-specific considerations, data sources, and other topics related to each domain. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Acumen, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Estimated Impacts of Multiple Payment Policies on Rural-Serving Home Health Agencies
Describes the estimated impact of three major Medicare home health payment policy changes - implementation of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), revisions to rural add-on payments, and the demonstration and nationwide expansion of the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) model - on home health agency (HHA) reimbursement for Medicare beneficiaries. Compares the estimated impact of these payment policy changes by HHA rural-serving status, U. S. Census Division, profit status, quality rating, and episode volume.
Author(s): Tracy M. Mroz, Lisa A. Garberson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Davis G. Patterson
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Describes the estimated impact of three major Medicare home health payment policy changes - implementation of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), revisions to rural add-on payments, and the demonstration and nationwide expansion of the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) model - on home health agency (HHA) reimbursement for Medicare beneficiaries. Compares the estimated impact of these payment policy changes by HHA rural-serving status, U. S. Census Division, profit status, quality rating, and episode volume.
Author(s): Tracy M. Mroz, Lisa A. Garberson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Davis G. Patterson
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Community Health Needs and Opportunities in Rural Central New York
Reports on community health in central New York's Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, and Oswego counties. Discusses issues related to rural access to care, funding, and health workforce supply. Highlights health disparities affecting rural Black, Hispanic, multiracial, LGB, and disabled people. Includes sections dedicated to perinatal health, oral health, mental health and substance use, and medical and nonmedical home care.
Date: 06/2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Foundation for Western & Central New York
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Reports on community health in central New York's Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, and Oswego counties. Discusses issues related to rural access to care, funding, and health workforce supply. Highlights health disparities affecting rural Black, Hispanic, multiracial, LGB, and disabled people. Includes sections dedicated to perinatal health, oral health, mental health and substance use, and medical and nonmedical home care.
Date: 06/2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Foundation for Western & Central New York
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Perspectives on Supporting Veterans' Social Needs During Hospital to Home Health Transitions: Findings from the Transitions Nurse Program
Examines the social needs of veterans who utilize post-acute home health care (HHC) by exploring the perspectives of clinicians, care partners, and the veterans themselves. Analyzes 35 interviews that took place at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Medical Centers and discusses social needs as related to HHC, social needs screening during hospitalization, delays in HHC, and communication between HHC and VHA. Includes social need examples specific to rural veterans.
Author(s): Marguerite Daus, Marcie Lee, Lexus L. Ujano-De Motta, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 24, 520
Date: 04/2024
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Examines the social needs of veterans who utilize post-acute home health care (HHC) by exploring the perspectives of clinicians, care partners, and the veterans themselves. Analyzes 35 interviews that took place at Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Medical Centers and discusses social needs as related to HHC, social needs screening during hospitalization, delays in HHC, and communication between HHC and VHA. Includes social need examples specific to rural veterans.
Author(s): Marguerite Daus, Marcie Lee, Lexus L. Ujano-De Motta, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 24, 520
Date: 04/2024
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Directory of Mississippi Health Facilities
Directory of Mississippi health facilities with address, phone number, and accreditation status if applicable, current as of May 5, 2025. Includes a list of rural health facilities on pages 87-99.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: Mississippi State Department of Health
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Directory of Mississippi health facilities with address, phone number, and accreditation status if applicable, current as of May 5, 2025. Includes a list of rural health facilities on pages 87-99.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: Mississippi State Department of Health
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Rural Health Research Recap: Quality Star Ratings: Hospitals, Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Home Health Agencies
Examines the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating system among hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies in 2021 and 2022. Features statistics including number of rural hospitals without a star rating with breakdowns by census region, and percentage of hospitals without star rating, with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Per Ostmo
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Examines the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating system among hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health agencies in 2021 and 2022. Features statistics including number of rural hospitals without a star rating with breakdowns by census region, and percentage of hospitals without star rating, with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Per Ostmo
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2024
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D. Includes two mandated reports on special needs plans for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D. Includes two mandated reports on special needs plans for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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2023 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report: Chartbook on Patient Safety
Summarizes trends in healthcare quality across 28 measures of patient safety. Presents findings for four settings of care: ambulatory care, home health, hospitals, and nursing homes. Highlights differences in maternal morbidity and mortality measures by rurality.
Author(s): Barbara Barton, Darryl Gray, Cecilia Hahn, et al.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Summarizes trends in healthcare quality across 28 measures of patient safety. Presents findings for four settings of care: ambulatory care, home health, hospitals, and nursing homes. Highlights differences in maternal morbidity and mortality measures by rurality.
Author(s): Barbara Barton, Darryl Gray, Cecilia Hahn, et al.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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