COVID-19 Hospitalization Trends in Rural Versus Urban Areas in the United States
Examines disparities in COVID-19 hospitalization rates between rural and urban areas in six states from May 1, 2020, to July 1, 2021. Describes differences in occupancy rates between rural and urban hospitals during the same period. Presents data by week and cumulatively over time.
Author(s): Yi Zhu, Caitlin Carroll, Khoa Vu, et al.
Citation: Medical Care Research and Review, 80(2), 236-244
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
view details

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
view details

Rural–Urban Disparities in Adverse Maternal Outcomes in the United States, 2016–2019
Analyzes maternal mortality and admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) in rural and urban areas in the U.S. between 2016 and 2019. Utilizes Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) to examine rural versus urban maternal health disparities.
Author(s): Katharine A. Harrington, Natalie A. Cameron, Kasen Culler, William A. Grobman, Sadiya S. Khan
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 113(2)
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
view details

Improving Rural Health Through Telehealth-Guided Provider-to-Provider Communication
Presents the results of a comprehensive literature review to identify, summarize, and evaluate available research on the contributions of rural provider-to-provider telehealth communication and collaboration in addressing health disparities, and improving the health of rural populations. Topics cover the specific applications, effectiveness, implementation, sustainability, and barriers and facilitators of provider-to-provider telehealth in rural areas.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Full Report, Telehealth's Potential To Benefit Rural Healthcare Delivery: Infographic 1, Telehealth's Potential To Benefit Rural Healthcare Delivery: Infographic 2
Author(s): Annette Totten, Dana M. Womack, Marian S. McDonagh, et al.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details

December 2022 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2020 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
view details

Mental Health Disorders Among Delivery Inpatient Stays by Patient Race and Ethnicity, 2020
Reports on the number and rate of delivery stays with a mental health disorder diagnosis by patient race and ethnicity for Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, White, and Hispanic populations. Includes data by location of patient residence for large metropolitan, small metro, and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Audrey J. Weiss, Michael A. Head, Lawrence D. Reid
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details

Changes in Hospitalizations and In-Hospital Deaths in the Initial Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic (April–December 2020), 38 States and DC
Presents data from 38 states on the number of all-cause hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths between April-December 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. Includes data by location of patient residence for large metro, medium and small metro, and rural areas.
Author(s): Marc Roemer, Jennifer Welch
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details

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
view details

COVID-19 Hospital Encounters by Urban-Rural Location of the Hospital by Week From Selected Hospitals
Line chart showing hospitals' percentage of confirmed COVID-19 encounters among all emergency department or inpatient encounters. Includes data from March 2020 through July 2022 for large central and fringe metro areas, medium and small metro areas, and rural areas.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details

MedPAC Payment Basics
Series of briefs providing an of Medicare payment systems. Covers payments systems including Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics, hospital acute inpatient services, and more.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details