Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Medicare
December 2023 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2023 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, hospice services, outpatient dialysis services, ambulatory surgical center services, skilled nursing facilities, skilled nursing facility services, home health services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2023 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, hospice services, outpatient dialysis services, ambulatory surgical center services, skilled nursing facilities, skilled nursing facility services, home health services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2024 Reporting MIPS Quality Measures through Medicare Part B Claims Quick Start Guide for Small Practices
Provides details on how small practices can report quality measures through Medicare Part B claims measures. Highlights changes to these measures in 2024, score redistribution policies for small practices, and information for clinicians at Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides details on how small practices can report quality measures through Medicare Part B claims measures. Highlights changes to these measures in 2024, score redistribution policies for small practices, and information for clinicians at Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Alternative Payment Models in the Quality Payment Program as of December 2023
A set of three tables that list brief information about Alternative Payment Models (APMs) that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) operates or has announced, as of December 2023. Identifies Advanced APMs, Merit Based Incentive Program (MIPs) APMs, and Other Payer Advanced APMs, which include Medicaid Other Payer Advanced APMs, Medicare Health Plan Payment Arrangements, and commercial payment arrangements.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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A set of three tables that list brief information about Alternative Payment Models (APMs) that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) operates or has announced, as of December 2023. Identifies Advanced APMs, Merit Based Incentive Program (MIPs) APMs, and Other Payer Advanced APMs, which include Medicaid Other Payer Advanced APMs, Medicare Health Plan Payment Arrangements, and commercial payment arrangements.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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NHPCO Facts and Figures: 2023 Edition
Provides an overview of hospice and palliative care in the United States. Includes information and data on patient characteristics, access to care, reimbursement, barriers and facilitators to care, quality of care, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
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Provides an overview of hospice and palliative care in the United States. Includes information and data on patient characteristics, access to care, reimbursement, barriers and facilitators to care, quality of care, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
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Independent Evaluation of Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+): Final Annual Report
Reports on the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model, a CMS primary care payment and delivery reform effort that ran from 2017-2021. Outlines key findings from the model, including CPC+ supports to practices, care delivery changes made by practices, impacts on outcomes for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, and implications for primary care models. Describes the experiences of payers, practices, health IT vendors, and patients. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Appendices to the Final Report, Volume 1, Appendices to the Final Report, Volume 2, Findings at a Glance
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Reports on the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model, a CMS primary care payment and delivery reform effort that ran from 2017-2021. Outlines key findings from the model, including CPC+ supports to practices, care delivery changes made by practices, impacts on outcomes for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, and implications for primary care models. Describes the experiences of payers, practices, health IT vendors, and patients. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Appendices to the Final Report, Volume 1, Appendices to the Final Report, Volume 2, Findings at a Glance
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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A Snapshot of Sources of Coverage Among Medicare Beneficiaries
Examines the sources of healthcare and supplemental insurance coverage among Medicare beneficiaries in 2021. Presents data on the sources of coverage by beneficiary characteristics, including health status, metropolitan status, and income.
Author(s): Nancy Ochieng, Gabrielle Clerveau, Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Examines the sources of healthcare and supplemental insurance coverage among Medicare beneficiaries in 2021. Presents data on the sources of coverage by beneficiary characteristics, including health status, metropolitan status, and income.
Author(s): Nancy Ochieng, Gabrielle Clerveau, Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Disparities in Health Measures By Race and Ethnicity Among Beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage: A Review of the Literature
Summarizes the results of a review of 20 studies published between January 2018 and April 2023 to examine racial and ethnic disparities in quality of care and beneficiary experience among Medicare Advantage (MA) plan enrollees. Discusses gaps in data and in the literature that contribute to challenges in understanding racial and ethnic disparities in MA quality and beneficiary experience. Includes information on nine studies that explored 25 measures of quality of care received by American Indian and Alaska Native enrollees and two studies that examined disparities among MA enrollees in rural areas by race and ethnicity.
Author(s): Nancy Ochieng, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Summarizes the results of a review of 20 studies published between January 2018 and April 2023 to examine racial and ethnic disparities in quality of care and beneficiary experience among Medicare Advantage (MA) plan enrollees. Discusses gaps in data and in the literature that contribute to challenges in understanding racial and ethnic disparities in MA quality and beneficiary experience. Includes information on nine studies that explored 25 measures of quality of care received by American Indian and Alaska Native enrollees and two studies that examined disparities among MA enrollees in rural areas by race and ethnicity.
Author(s): Nancy Ochieng, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Medicare Cognitive Assessments: Utilization Tripled between 2018 and 2022, but Challenges Remain
Describes the utilization of traditional Medicare's cognitive assessment service from 2018 through 2022. Presents stakeholder views on challenges providers and beneficiaries face in providing and accessing the service, respectively. Discusses steps the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has taken to increase awareness of the service. Includes information on the number of cognitive assessment services by urban and rural beneficiaries by race and ethnicity.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Describes the utilization of traditional Medicare's cognitive assessment service from 2018 through 2022. Presents stakeholder views on challenges providers and beneficiaries face in providing and accessing the service, respectively. Discusses steps the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has taken to increase awareness of the service. Includes information on the number of cognitive assessment services by urban and rural beneficiaries by race and ethnicity.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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CMS Final Rules Overview - Impact for RHCs Beginning January 1, 2024
Recording of a December 11, 2023, webinar providing an overview of telehealth payment rates for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and other regulatory updates and potential changes for 2024. Covers new billable providers for RHCs, changes to care management services and billing, telehealth regulations, intensive outpatient program (IOP) services, and more. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of a December 11, 2023, webinar providing an overview of telehealth payment rates for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and other regulatory updates and potential changes for 2024. Covers new billable providers for RHCs, changes to care management services and billing, telehealth regulations, intensive outpatient program (IOP) services, and more. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Advancing Value-Based Payment Policies Relevant to Rural Areas – Continued Challenges and New Opportunities
Discusses lessons from the recent public health emergency, rising health care costs, improved quality measurement, and innovative technologies on the transition from volume-based payment to value-based payment. Outlines potential policy opportunities for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center model design and CMS program inclusion to expand rural-appropriate opportunities to participate in the transition to value-based care. Builds on the 2020 publication How to Design Value‐based Care Models for Rural Participant Success: A Summit Findings Report.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Discusses lessons from the recent public health emergency, rising health care costs, improved quality measurement, and innovative technologies on the transition from volume-based payment to value-based payment. Outlines potential policy opportunities for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center model design and CMS program inclusion to expand rural-appropriate opportunities to participate in the transition to value-based care. Builds on the 2020 publication How to Design Value‐based Care Models for Rural Participant Success: A Summit Findings Report.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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