Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Medicaid
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Could Improve Its Wage Index Adjustment for Hospitals in Areas With the Lowest Wages
Analyzes characteristics of hospitals with area wage indexes (AWI) in the bottom quartile in 2020, including rurality, geography, Medicaid expansion status, and hourly wages. Provides an overview of the hospital wage index system and AWI, circularity, and the impact of these policies on prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals. Offers policy recommendations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding future adjustments.
Additional links: Full Data Brief
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Analyzes characteristics of hospitals with area wage indexes (AWI) in the bottom quartile in 2020, including rurality, geography, Medicaid expansion status, and hourly wages. Provides an overview of the hospital wage index system and AWI, circularity, and the impact of these policies on prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals. Offers policy recommendations to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding future adjustments.
Additional links: Full Data Brief
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Telemedicine Utilization Report: Telehealth and Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines the use of telemedicine to deliver Medicaid-covered services in the state of Minnesota. Describes state and federal telehealth policy waivers and modifications that were temporarily implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses telehealth use by and special considerations for rural populations.
Author(s): Neerja Singh, Julie Marquardt
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Human Services
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Examines the use of telemedicine to deliver Medicaid-covered services in the state of Minnesota. Describes state and federal telehealth policy waivers and modifications that were temporarily implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses telehealth use by and special considerations for rural populations.
Author(s): Neerja Singh, Julie Marquardt
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Human Services
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CMS Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) 2014 Risk Scores Are Lower for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries than for Urban Beneficiaries
Research brief discussing the Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) risk adjustment model developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), comparing data on metropolitan, micropolitan, and non-core regions. Presents data on beneficiary distribution, average risk scores, risk scores by race/ethnicity, and healthcare utilization using 2014 CMS Risk Score Files, which were the only data available.
Author(s): Tyler Malone, Denise Kirk, Randy Randolph, Kristin Reiter
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Research brief discussing the Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) risk adjustment model developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), comparing data on metropolitan, micropolitan, and non-core regions. Presents data on beneficiary distribution, average risk scores, risk scores by race/ethnicity, and healthcare utilization using 2014 CMS Risk Score Files, which were the only data available.
Author(s): Tyler Malone, Denise Kirk, Randy Randolph, Kristin Reiter
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Costs of Emergency Department Visits in the United States, 2017
Examines the cost of emergency department (ED) visits in the United States. Includes data by location of patient's residence for large metropolitan, small metro, micropolitan, and rural areas. Topics covered include aggregate costs, average costs, number of ED visits, aggregate costs by age, aggregate costs by community-level income, and aggregate costs by primary expected payer.
Author(s): Brian J. Moore, Lan Liang
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Examines the cost of emergency department (ED) visits in the United States. Includes data by location of patient's residence for large metropolitan, small metro, micropolitan, and rural areas. Topics covered include aggregate costs, average costs, number of ED visits, aggregate costs by age, aggregate costs by community-level income, and aggregate costs by primary expected payer.
Author(s): Brian J. Moore, Lan Liang
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Informing Health Care Workforce Policy by Leveraging Data: A Toolkit for States
Describes how healthcare workforce data can be used to address questions regarding access to care. Discusses three key considerations for states to improve their healthcare workforce data collection practices. Includes examples from states that utilized data to inform policy.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Governors Association
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Describes how healthcare workforce data can be used to address questions regarding access to care. Discusses three key considerations for states to improve their healthcare workforce data collection practices. Includes examples from states that utilized data to inform policy.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Governors Association
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Accountable Health Communities Model - Two Rural Participants' Experiences
Describes how two health systems, Ballard Health and Rocky Mountain Health Plan, implemented the Accountable Health Communities Model to address health-related social needs of rural Medicare, Medicaid, and dual-eligible beneficiaries. Discusses challenges each system faced while implementing the model.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Describes how two health systems, Ballard Health and Rocky Mountain Health Plan, implemented the Accountable Health Communities Model to address health-related social needs of rural Medicare, Medicaid, and dual-eligible beneficiaries. Discusses challenges each system faced while implementing the model.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Rethinking Rural Health: FY 2020 Year in Review
Provides an overview of Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) programs and activities that have affected rural health and healthcare in fiscal year 2020. Focuses on nine priority areas: COVID-19, maternal health, Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM), quality improvement, practitioner engagement, patient empowerment and person-centered care, Medicare and Medicaid payment and policy, models and demonstrations, and telehealth.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) programs and activities that have affected rural health and healthcare in fiscal year 2020. Focuses on nine priority areas: COVID-19, maternal health, Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM), quality improvement, practitioner engagement, patient empowerment and person-centered care, Medicare and Medicaid payment and policy, models and demonstrations, and telehealth.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Comment Letter on HHS Report to Congress on Telehealth for Pediatric SUD
Reviews the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report, Reducing Barriers to Furnishing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Services Using Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring for Pediatric Populations Under Medicaid: Final Report. Covers the role of telehealth in mitigating the shortage of behavioral health providers and expanding behavioral health services to children covered by Medicaid. Discusses the need for additional research on telehealth in Medicaid, information sharing between states, and addressing barriers to technology.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Reviews the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report, Reducing Barriers to Furnishing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Services Using Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring for Pediatric Populations Under Medicaid: Final Report. Covers the role of telehealth in mitigating the shortage of behavioral health providers and expanding behavioral health services to children covered by Medicaid. Discusses the need for additional research on telehealth in Medicaid, information sharing between states, and addressing barriers to technology.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Colorado: Total Medicare and Medicaid Enrollees, Combined October 2020
Map of Colorado showing the percentage of each county's population enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Rural Health Center
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Map of Colorado showing the percentage of each county's population enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Rural Health Center
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Mandated Report on Non-Emergency Medical Transportation: Work Plan and Preliminary Findings
Presentation slides examining non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) benefits for Medicaid beneficiaries as well as improved coordination between NEMT and public transit or other federally-assisted transportation services. Discusses challenges faced by rural communities.
Author(s): Kacey Buderi
Date: 10/2020
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Presentation slides examining non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) benefits for Medicaid beneficiaries as well as improved coordination between NEMT and public transit or other federally-assisted transportation services. Discusses challenges faced by rural communities.
Author(s): Kacey Buderi
Date: 10/2020
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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