Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Home health
Potentially More Out of Reach: Public Reporting Exacerbates Inequities in Home Health Access
Examines the impact of the introduction of home health star ratings on changes in high-quality home health agency utilization. Describes differences in high-quality home health agency use by race, ethnicity, income status, neighborhood racial composition, and neighborhood poverty status.
Author(s): Shekinah A. Fashaw-Walters, Momotazur Rahman, Gilbert Gee, et al.
Citation: Milbank Quarterly
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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Examines the impact of the introduction of home health star ratings on changes in high-quality home health agency utilization. Describes differences in high-quality home health agency use by race, ethnicity, income status, neighborhood racial composition, and neighborhood poverty status.
Author(s): Shekinah A. Fashaw-Walters, Momotazur Rahman, Gilbert Gee, et al.
Citation: Milbank Quarterly
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2023
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 healthcare facilities and services; Medicare Advantage (MA), including a mandated report comparing per enrollee spending in the MA program with that of traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare; and Medicare Part D.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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 healthcare facilities and services; Medicare Advantage (MA), including a mandated report comparing per enrollee spending in the MA program with that of traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare; and Medicare Part D.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Access to Health Services Across Rural and Urban Minoritized Racial/Ethnic Group Areas
Summarizes results from a series of reports documenting disparities in access to health services nationwide across ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) categorized by rurality and racial and ethnic composition. Presents data on the distance to care from the population center of rural and urban ZCTAs to the nearest provider. Covers first line, higher acuity, and home-based services.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Summarizes results from a series of reports documenting disparities in access to health services nationwide across ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) categorized by rurality and racial and ethnic composition. Presents data on the distance to care from the population center of rural and urban ZCTAs to the nearest provider. Covers first line, higher acuity, and home-based services.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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The State of Health in Tennessee: 2023 Annual Report to the 113th Tennessee General Assembly
Provides a comprehensive overview of health in Tennessee, including health outcomes of individuals and information on the health of the state's healthcare system. Includes statistics on rural hospitals that have closed in recent years, and those at risk of closure as of 2022. Features county-level maps showing Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Provides a comprehensive overview of health in Tennessee, including health outcomes of individuals and information on the health of the state's healthcare system. Includes statistics on rural hospitals that have closed in recent years, and those at risk of closure as of 2022. Features county-level maps showing Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Strengthening the Direct Service Workforce in Rural Areas
Summarizes the challenges of the direct service workforce in rural areas including strategies that rural stakeholders can use to provide high-quality, long-term care services and supports. Discusses the challenges of recruiting and retaining direct-care workers in rural areas.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Summarizes the challenges of the direct service workforce in rural areas including strategies that rural stakeholders can use to provide high-quality, long-term care services and supports. Discusses the challenges of recruiting and retaining direct-care workers in rural areas.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Public Law 117–328: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023
Text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Public Law 117-328 (December 29, 2022). Section 4113 extends certain COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities, including the ability of Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers to serve as distant site providers, through December 31, 2024. Section 4137 authorizes the extension of a 1% add-on payment for home health services provided in high-utilization rural counties through 2023.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Congress
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Text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Public Law 117-328 (December 29, 2022). Section 4113 extends certain COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities, including the ability of Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers to serve as distant site providers, through December 31, 2024. Section 4137 authorizes the extension of a 1% add-on payment for home health services provided in high-utilization rural counties through 2023.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Congress
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December 2022 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2022 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for hospital inpatient and outpatient services and supporting Medicare safety-net hospitals, ambulatory surgical center services, outpatient dialysis services, physician and other health professional services, hospice services, skilled nursing facilities, home health services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2022 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for hospital inpatient and outpatient services and supporting Medicare safety-net hospitals, ambulatory surgical center services, outpatient dialysis services, physician and other health professional services, hospice services, skilled nursing facilities, home health services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Mandated Analysis of Home Health Service Utilization From January 2016 Through March 2022
Report evaluates the distribution of rural add-on payments for home health claims. Examines the results of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services's new rural add-on methodology aimed at providing higher add-on percentages for "low population density" categories and explores the effect this methodology has had on "high utilization" categories. Makes comments and recommendations as to how this methodology can be adjusted.
Additional links: Report in Brief
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Report evaluates the distribution of rural add-on payments for home health claims. Examines the results of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services's new rural add-on methodology aimed at providing higher add-on percentages for "low population density" categories and explores the effect this methodology has had on "high utilization" categories. Makes comments and recommendations as to how this methodology can be adjusted.
Additional links: Report in Brief
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Who Will Care for Rural Older Adults? Measuring the Direct Care Workforce in Rural Areas
Policy brief examining existing disparities in the supply of home health aides and nursing assistants in rural areas compared to urban areas. Features statistics on the ratio of home health aides and nursing assistants relative to the population of adults age 65 and above, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas and by census region.
Author(s): Janette Dill, Carrie Henning-Smith, Rongxuan Zhu, Elizabeth Vomacka
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Policy brief examining existing disparities in the supply of home health aides and nursing assistants in rural areas compared to urban areas. Features statistics on the ratio of home health aides and nursing assistants relative to the population of adults age 65 and above, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas and by census region.
Author(s): Janette Dill, Carrie Henning-Smith, Rongxuan Zhu, Elizabeth Vomacka
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Patterns of Health Care Use among Rural-Urban Medicare Beneficiaries Age 85 and Older, 2010-2017
Policy brief examining how rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries age 85+ differ in terms of their socioeconomic and health characteristics that may inform healthcare use. Features statistics on trends in healthcare use, including inpatient and emergency department care, outpatient and prescription services, specialists and dentists, and home health and durable medical equipment, with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Heidi O'Connor, Amanda Burgess, Carly Milkowski
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Policy brief examining how rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries age 85+ differ in terms of their socioeconomic and health characteristics that may inform healthcare use. Features statistics on trends in healthcare use, including inpatient and emergency department care, outpatient and prescription services, specialists and dentists, and home health and durable medical equipment, with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Heidi O'Connor, Amanda Burgess, Carly Milkowski
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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