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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003
Text of the legislation that adds a prescription drug benefit to Medicare and enhances some rural healthcare programs, such as the Critical Access Hospitals program.
Date: 11/2003
Type: Document
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Information Technology: Benefits Realized for Selected Health Care Functions
Describes cost savings and other benefits of information technology use in health care, including clinical care and administrative applications. Discusses examples from hospitals serving rural areas. Also includes examples of IT use by insurers for improved claims processing and customer service.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Medicare: Modest Eligibility Expansion for Critical Access Hospital Program Should Be Considered
Examines the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) program and makes recommendations on CAH eligibility related to the ban on inpatient psychiatric or rehabilitation distinct part units and the limit on patient census.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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A Primer on Interpreting Hospital Margins
Explains the most commonly used measures of hospital profitability, and how they are used to inform policy changes. Particular emphasis on the different formulas as they impact rural versus urban hospital figures.
Author(s): Kathleen Dalton, Rebecca Slifkin
Date: 07/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Variation and Innovation in Medicare
Analyzes variation within the Medicare program and explores a variety of possible payment innovations. Includes some rural-specific information. Geographic, market, quality, hospital financial performance, and use of physician services variations are covered. Also examines Medicare's reimbursement for Part B drugs. Recommendations include quality incentives and competitive pricing.
Date: 06/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural Hospital HIPAA Readiness and Resource Needs
Presents a survey of rural hospitals regarding the extent of their preparation for HIPAA requirements and their need for resources to implement HIPAA requirements. Results shown by hospital size. Also includes information on financial and staff commitment levels.
Author(s): J. Patrick Hart, Wanqing Zhang, Jane L. Meza, Keith J. Mueller
Citation: RUPRI Rural Policy Brief, 8(6)
Date: 05/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Trends in Rural Hospital Closure: 1990 - 2000
Focuses on the extent, characteristics, reasons for and impact of rural hospitals closures from 1990 through 2000. Includes rural hospital closure data by state.
Date: 05/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Environmental Context of Patient Safety and Medical Errors
Explores the environmental context of patient safety and medical errors with specific interest in rural settings. Reviews the patient safety/medical error literature, identifies unique features of rural health care organizations and their environment that relate to patient safety issues and medical errors. Discusses strategies for medical error reduction and prevention in rural health care settings.
Author(s): Douglas Wholey, Ira Moscovice, Terry Hietpas, Jeremy Holtzman
Date: 03/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2003
Report to the Congress. Reviews the Medicare prospective payment systems (PPSs) for seven sectors: hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, physician, skilled nursing, home health, outpatient dialysis, and ambulatory surgical center services. Also discusses broader issues related to Medicare payments. Includes recommendations. Appendix with data on hospital financial performance for 1991-2000.
Date: 03/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural Health Research In Progress in the Rural Health Research Centers Program, 7th Edition
Describes the research and policy analysis projects underway in March 2003 through the Rural Health Research Centers Program of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Date: 03/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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