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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

National Rural Hospital Charges Due to Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions
Examines charges associated with hospitalizations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions in rural hospitals, with data by hospital bed size.
Author(s): Li-Wu Chen, Wanqing Zhang, Junfeng Sun, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 12/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Medicare Program: Changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System, Ambulatory Surgical Center System, Graduate Medical Education and Critical Access Hospital; Interim and Final Rule with Comment Period
Addresses changes to the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and CY 2008 Payment Rates, the Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System and CY 2008 Payment Rates, the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and FY 2008 Payment Rates. Describes changes relating to the necessary provider designations of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and to the conditions of participation requirements. Also addresses changes to graduate medical education (GME) payments made to teaching hospitals that have Medicare affiliation agreements for certain emergency situations.
Citation: Federal Register, 72(227), 66579-67226
Date: 11/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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State Initiatives Funded by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant Program
Explores activities funded by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Program) in the previous two years to strengthen the rural health care infrastructure. Discusses which activities were considered most successful by State Flex Coordinators.
Additional links: Policy Brief, December 2007
Author(s): John Gale, Jennifer Lenardson, Walt Gregg, et al.
Date: 10/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs): Distance from Other Providers and Relocation of CAHs with a Necessary Provider Designation
September 7, 2007, letter from CMS to State Survey Agency Directors. Explains the criteria to determine whether a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) applicant satisfies the regulatory requirement. Explains the criteria to determine whether a CAH with a necessary provider designation remains essentially the same provider, serving the same service area after relocation. Supersedes the November 14, 2005, guidance on this topic.
Date: 09/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Rural Hospitals' Experience with the 340B Drug Pricing Program
Policy brief describing the results of surveys of rural hospitals participating in the 340B drug pricing program and of rural eligible but non-participating hospitals. Includes information on factors affecting participation in the program and the benefits and challenges of participation.
Author(s): Claudia Schur, Karen Cheung, Andrea Radford, Rebecca Slifkin
Date: 09/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Rural Inpatient Psychiatric Units Improve Access to Community-Based Mental Health Services, but Medicare Payment Policy a Barrier
Examines inpatient psychiatric units (IPUs) in rural hospitals as well as the community-based mental health services available to patients.
Author(s): Stephenie Loux, David Hartley, David Lambert
Date: 08/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Implementing Patient Safety Initiatives in Rural Hospitals: An Evaluation of the Tennessee Rural Hospital Patient Safety Demonstration
Executive summary of a report describing a project to improve patient safety in eight rural hospitals by strengthening their capacity to implement priority patient safety initiatives.
Author(s): Jill Klingner, Ira Moscovice, Mary Wakefield, Marlene Miller
Date: 08/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
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Rural Emergency Department Staffing: Potential Implications for the Quality of Emergency Care Provided in Rural Areas
Reports results of a study of rural emergency department staffing and discusses potential implications of staffing for the quality of emergency care provided in rural areas.
Date: 08/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
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How Will Elimination of Hospital Bad Debt Reimbursement Affect Rural PPS Hospitals?
Examines the financial effect that changes in Medicare bad debt payment policy could have on rural hospitals.
Author(s): Janet P. Sutton, Alene Kennedy, Lucia Hammer, Grace Yang
Date: 07/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Potential Refinements to Medicare's Wage Indexes for Hospitals and Other Sectors
Analyzes issues in the Medicare wage index and alternative wage indexes. Includes a historical overview of the Medicare wage index.
Author(s): Kathleen Dalton, Gregory C. Pope, Walter Adamache, Brian Dulisse, Nathan West
Date: 06/2007
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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