Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Medicare
MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2019
Evaluates Medicare payment issues and offers recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Includes a chapter on access to primary care for Medicare beneficiaries that addresses rural access to care and programs supporting it, such as the National Health Service Corps. Other sections of the report addressing rural concerns focus on Medicare enrollment, changes in hospice and post-acute care after implementing the long-term care hospital dual payment-rate structure, and Medicare fee-for-service spending for emergency department services.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Evaluates Medicare payment issues and offers recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Includes a chapter on access to primary care for Medicare beneficiaries that addresses rural access to care and programs supporting it, such as the National Health Service Corps. Other sections of the report addressing rural concerns focus on Medicare enrollment, changes in hospice and post-acute care after implementing the long-term care hospital dual payment-rate structure, and Medicare fee-for-service spending for emergency department services.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Cost-Sharing as a Barrier to Accessing Care at FQHCs and RHCs for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Results of a national study investigating cost barriers, using data acquired after enactment of the Affordable Care Act and viewed from perspectives other than ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations. Features statistics including descriptive data of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) from the study sample, with breakdowns by rural and urban location.
Author(s): Alex R. Schulte, George H. Pink, Mark Holmes, Denise Kirk
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Results of a national study investigating cost barriers, using data acquired after enactment of the Affordable Care Act and viewed from perspectives other than ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations. Features statistics including descriptive data of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) from the study sample, with breakdowns by rural and urban location.
Author(s): Alex R. Schulte, George H. Pink, Mark Holmes, Denise Kirk
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Investing in America's Health Care
Recording of a U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing on a wide variety of healthcare bills addressing funding for community health centers, teaching health centers, the National Health Service Corps, a tribal diabetes program, the National Quality Forum, Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments, and more. Includes testimony from Shasta Community Health Center, Vidant Health, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, Medicare Rights Center, and others.
Additional links: C. Dean Germano Testimony, Diana Autin Testimony, Fred Riccardi Testimony, Michael Waldrum Testimony, Thomas Barker Testimony
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Recording of a U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing on a wide variety of healthcare bills addressing funding for community health centers, teaching health centers, the National Health Service Corps, a tribal diabetes program, the National Quality Forum, Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments, and more. Includes testimony from Shasta Community Health Center, Vidant Health, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, Medicare Rights Center, and others.
Additional links: C. Dean Germano Testimony, Diana Autin Testimony, Fred Riccardi Testimony, Michael Waldrum Testimony, Thomas Barker Testimony
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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The Health Care Costs of Financial Exploitation in Maine
Results of a study of dual eligible older adults in Maine who had substantiated allegations of elder financial exploitation. Identifies a higher portion of this group living in rural areas and estimates costs to Medicare and Medicaid.
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Results of a study of dual eligible older adults in Maine who had substantiated allegations of elder financial exploitation. Identifies a higher portion of this group living in rural areas and estimates costs to Medicare and Medicaid.
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Infectious Diseases Society of America Position Statement on Telehealth and Telemedicine as Applied to the Practice of Infectious Diseases
Position statement to educate members of the Infectious Diseases Society of America on telehealth and to promote use of this technology in clinical care, research, and education. Explores the potential to increase access to subspecialist care in rural areas, and describes reimbursement policies of private insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid, for telehealth services provided to patients in rural areas. Also describes HIPAA requirements for telehealth interactions and protected health information.
Author(s): Jeremy D. Young, Rima Abdel-Massih, Thomas Herchline, et al.
Citation: Clinical Infectious Diseases, 68(9), 1437-1443
Date: 05/2019
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Position statement to educate members of the Infectious Diseases Society of America on telehealth and to promote use of this technology in clinical care, research, and education. Explores the potential to increase access to subspecialist care in rural areas, and describes reimbursement policies of private insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid, for telehealth services provided to patients in rural areas. Also describes HIPAA requirements for telehealth interactions and protected health information.
Author(s): Jeremy D. Young, Rima Abdel-Massih, Thomas Herchline, et al.
Citation: Clinical Infectious Diseases, 68(9), 1437-1443
Date: 05/2019
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Health Centers: Trends in Revenue and Grants Supported by the Community Health Center Fund
Examines funding sources for community health centers for 2010-2017, including various state and federal grants and health insurance reimbursement. Addresses whether the funding went to existing services or service expansions. Provides data on the rural/urban location of new community health center sites.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines funding sources for community health centers for 2010-2017, including various state and federal grants and health insurance reimbursement. Addresses whether the funding went to existing services or service expansions. Provides data on the rural/urban location of new community health center sites.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Medicare Advantage Demographics Report, 2016
Summarizes demographics data on Medicare Advantage enrollment. Addresses rural/urban differences in Appendix B.
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: AHIP
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Summarizes demographics data on Medicare Advantage enrollment. Addresses rural/urban differences in Appendix B.
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: AHIP
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The Special Diabetes Program for Indians: Estimates of Medicare Savings
Examines the potential Medicare savings due to the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) efforts in providing diabetes prevention and treatment services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. Focuses on diabetes prevalence and end-stage renal disease related to diabetes. Appendix II includes additional information about the SDPI.
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Examines the potential Medicare savings due to the Special Diabetes Program for Indians (SDPI) efforts in providing diabetes prevention and treatment services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. Focuses on diabetes prevalence and end-stage renal disease related to diabetes. Appendix II includes additional information about the SDPI.
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Rural/Urban and Regional Variation in the 2019 CMS Hospital Wage Index
Findings brief describing the geographic variation in the 2019 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) hospital wage index by rural and urban definitions. Includes data comparisons for rural and urban definitions by Census region, frontier and remote (FAR) codes, and state.
Author(s): Kristie W. Thompson, Ann Howard, George H. Pink
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Findings brief describing the geographic variation in the 2019 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) hospital wage index by rural and urban definitions. Includes data comparisons for rural and urban definitions by Census region, frontier and remote (FAR) codes, and state.
Author(s): Kristie W. Thompson, Ann Howard, George H. Pink
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Medicare Physician Payment Reform After Two Years: Examining MACRA Implementation and the Road Ahead
Provides a recording of a U.S. Senate Committee on Finance hearing on physician payment reforms under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). Features testimonies about what is working well and challenges faced, including provisions and challenges for small and rural practices. Contains testimonies from the American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Group Association, and Brookings Institution.
Additional links: American Medical Association Testimony, John Cullen Testimony, Scott Hines Testimony
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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Provides a recording of a U.S. Senate Committee on Finance hearing on physician payment reforms under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). Features testimonies about what is working well and challenges faced, including provisions and challenges for small and rural practices. Contains testimonies from the American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Group Association, and Brookings Institution.
Additional links: American Medical Association Testimony, John Cullen Testimony, Scott Hines Testimony
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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