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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Long-term care

October 2020 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) October 2020 meeting. Covers an alternative value incentive program that corrects current shortcomings for the skilled nursing facility value-based purchasing program; future research directions in hospice payment policy; balancing financial pressure and equity in Medicare Advantage benchmark policy; and current Medicare indirect medical education policy, concerns, and principles for revising. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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September 2020 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) September 2020 meeting. Covers the coronavirus pandemic and Medicare, the context for Medicare payment policy, a mandated report on the skilled nursing facility value-based purchasing program, a mandated report on the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014's changes to the Medicare clinical laboratory fee schedule, and a Congressional request on private equity and Medicare. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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A Comparison of Rural and Urban Specialty Hospitals
Results of a study examining differences in long-term acute care hospitals, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, and inpatient rehabilitation facilities in urban and rural areas. Features statistics on ownership type, location, number of beds, percent of inpatient days for rural residents, percent of inpatient days for Medicare beneficiaries, operating expenses, percent of Medicaid days, and profitability.
Author(s): George H. Pink, Andrew Osgood, Pranathi Sana
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Rural Healthcare Surge Readiness
Resources for rural healthcare systems preparing for and responding to a COVID-19 surge. Includes resources for emergency medical services, inpatient and hospital care, ambulatory care, and long-term care settings. Addresses a wide range of topics including healthcare operations, space, supplies, funding, and more.
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: COVID-19 Healthcare Resilience Working Group
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Advance Care Planning: New Realities in Times of COVID-19
Examines the challenges of advance care planning, planning for decision-making in times of medical crisis, due to COVID-19. Shares insights from clinicians and others involved in helping rural patients.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Hospital Inpatient PPS and the Long-term Care Hospital PPS for FY 2021
Comments on a May 29, 2020, Federal Register proposed rule revising the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment systems. Discusses proposals to use commercial insurer data to set Medicare severity–diagnosis related group (MS–DRG) relative weights and adopt changes to geographic area delineations to establish hospital wage indexes for the IPPS and LTCH PPS.
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Infection Control Deficiencies Were Widespread and Persistent in Nursing Homes Prior to COVID-19 Pandemic
Explores the prevalence of infection prevention and control deficiencies in nursing homes prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Examines the percentage of nursing homes that had deficiencies cited in multiple years. Provides charts noting the number of nursing homes with an infection prevention and control deficiency by state. Includes a chart that presents the data by urban and rural status.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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COVID-19's Current Impact on Rural Healthcare Delivery: Q&A with Brock Slabach
An interview with Brock Slabach, the National Rural Health Association's Senior Vice President for Member Services. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 on rural healthcare facilities, policy changes impacting rural providers, collaboration among rural communities to help share solutions, and the use of telehealth during the pandemic.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Characteristics of Counties with the Highest Proportion of the Oldest Old
Policy brief examining the characteristics of communities having the greatest percent of residents ages 85 and older. Discusses documented differences in rural-urban locations in long-term care availability and caregiver supports. Includes a list of counties with the highest proportion of the oldest old, a county-level map with shadings showing proportions of the oldest old, and statistics on county characteristics, with breakdowns by highest-prevalence rural counties, all counties, rural counties, and noncore rural counties.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Megan Lahr, Jonathan Schroeder, Cody Tuttle, Samantha Mills
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2020
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, improving Medicare payment for post-acute care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and the impact of healthcare provider consolidation.
Date: 03/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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