Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Long-term care
January 2025 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis services, and hospice services. Discusses status reports on Medicare Part D, ambulatory surgical centers, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for modifying the cost-sharing liability for beneficiaries who receive care at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Reducing Beneficiary Cost-sharing for Outpatient Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis services, and hospice services. Discusses status reports on Medicare Part D, ambulatory surgical centers, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for modifying the cost-sharing liability for beneficiaries who receive care at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Reducing Beneficiary Cost-sharing for Outpatient Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural-Urban Differences in PACE Organization and Enrollee Characteristics
Compares differences between rural and urban Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and their enrollees. Presents data on enrollment, eligibility, length of time in PACE, age, and sex.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Mariana Tuttle, Ingrid Jacobson, Madeleine Pick, Julia Interrante
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Compares differences between rural and urban Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and their enrollees. Presents data on enrollment, eligibility, length of time in PACE, age, and sex.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Mariana Tuttle, Ingrid Jacobson, Madeleine Pick, Julia Interrante
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Number of Skilled Nursing Facilities by Pennsylvania County, 2024
County-level Pennsylvania map showing numbers of skilled nursing facilities as of 2024, and shadings showing counties with fewer than 5, 5-9, and 10 or more facilities.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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County-level Pennsylvania map showing numbers of skilled nursing facilities as of 2024, and shadings showing counties with fewer than 5, 5-9, and 10 or more facilities.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Cumulative Disadvantages in Nursing Home COVID-19 Infections and Deaths: Implications of Ownership Status and Location
Explores how nursing home characteristics are related to different health outcomes and susceptibility to momentary threats in the environment, such as nursing home and community COVID-19 infection rates and staffing shortages. Compares nursing home COVID-19 infection and mortality rates by facilities' profit status and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Sungjae Hong, Shannon T. Mejia
Citation: Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 137, 105918
Date: 2025
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Explores how nursing home characteristics are related to different health outcomes and susceptibility to momentary threats in the environment, such as nursing home and community COVID-19 infection rates and staffing shortages. Compares nursing home COVID-19 infection and mortality rates by facilities' profit status and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Sungjae Hong, Shannon T. Mejia
Citation: Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 137, 105918
Date: 2025
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Medicare Could save Billions with Comparable Access for Enrollees If Critical Access Hospital Payments for Swing-Bed Services Were Similar to Those of the Fee-for-Service Prospective Payment System
Describes the use of swing beds for skilled nursing services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and average daily Medicare reimbursement for these services from 2015 through 2020. Examines data from a sample of 100 CAHs to determine whether Medicare enrollees would have had access to the same skilled nursing services provided by CAHs at alternative facilities within a 35-mile driving distance. Compares the average daily reimbursement for skilled nursing services at CAHs and alternative facilities, as well as the potential savings to Medicare if CAHs were reimbursed for skilled nursing services under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS).
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Describes the use of swing beds for skilled nursing services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and average daily Medicare reimbursement for these services from 2015 through 2020. Examines data from a sample of 100 CAHs to determine whether Medicare enrollees would have had access to the same skilled nursing services provided by CAHs at alternative facilities within a 35-mile driving distance. Compares the average daily reimbursement for skilled nursing services at CAHs and alternative facilities, as well as the potential savings to Medicare if CAHs were reimbursed for skilled nursing services under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS).
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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December 2024 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), skilled nursing facility services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, home health services, hospice services, and outpatient dialysis services.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services; and Mandated Report on Rural Emergency Hospitals - Presentation Slides, Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Skilled Nursing Facility Services - Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), skilled nursing facility services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, home health services, hospice services, and outpatient dialysis services.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services; and Mandated Report on Rural Emergency Hospitals - Presentation Slides, Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Skilled Nursing Facility Services - Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Caring for Pennsylvanians with Dementia and Related Disorders: An Analysis of Needs and Capacity in Rural Areas, 2024 to 2034
Examines potential demand for care of people living with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder (ADRD) in rural Pennsylvania. Features county-level maps showing numbers of various types of care facilities and their capacity, and statistics including projections of the population aged 65+ and rate of increase from 2020 to 2040, age-adjusted mortality rate from ADRD, projections of number of ADRD cases by 2040, and impact of smoking and obesity on ADRD, with breakdowns by county.
Author(s): Dara P. Bourassa, Sara A. Grove
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Examines potential demand for care of people living with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder (ADRD) in rural Pennsylvania. Features county-level maps showing numbers of various types of care facilities and their capacity, and statistics including projections of the population aged 65+ and rate of increase from 2020 to 2040, age-adjusted mortality rate from ADRD, projections of number of ADRD cases by 2040, and impact of smoking and obesity on ADRD, with breakdowns by county.
Author(s): Dara P. Bourassa, Sara A. Grove
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Interconnected: The Future of Nursing Homes & Elder Care Across Minnesota
A recorded webinar in which an expert panel discusses the issue of an aging populace in Minnesota alongside a decrease in skilled nursing care capacity. Focuses on regional supply and demand data, business models and facility closures, and policy to improve elder care in Minnesota. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Author(s): Kim Brenne, Erin Huppert, Kathy Messerli, Barb Jezorski, Jason Anderson
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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A recorded webinar in which an expert panel discusses the issue of an aging populace in Minnesota alongside a decrease in skilled nursing care capacity. Focuses on regional supply and demand data, business models and facility closures, and policy to improve elder care in Minnesota. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Author(s): Kim Brenne, Erin Huppert, Kathy Messerli, Barb Jezorski, Jason Anderson
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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Minnesota Capacity of Nursing Facilities that Close
Discusses bed availability and capacity of nursing home facilities in rural Minnesota. Provides data on both open and closed nursing home facilities according to entirely rural, town/rural mix, urban/town/rural mix, or entirely urban location.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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Discusses bed availability and capacity of nursing home facilities in rural Minnesota. Provides data on both open and closed nursing home facilities according to entirely rural, town/rural mix, urban/town/rural mix, or entirely urban location.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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An Aging America: Priorities and Policy Innovations
Presents themes that emerged during the National Academy of State Health Policy's 2024 pre-conference on aging. Highlights examples of innovative approaches in New York and North Dakota, as well as federal aging initiatives that support states.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Presents themes that emerged during the National Academy of State Health Policy's 2024 pre-conference on aging. Highlights examples of innovative approaches in New York and North Dakota, as well as federal aging initiatives that support states.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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