Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Medicare
Spread of Accountable Care Organizations in Rural America
Uses data through December 2015 to reveal trends in rural Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) activity, and discusses motivations behind the recent increase in rural ACO participation. Includes maps of ACO presence by county, illustrating changes that occurred between 2013 and 2015.
Author(s): Keith Mueller, Fred Ullrich
Date: 10/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Uses data through December 2015 to reveal trends in rural Medicare Accountable Care Organization (ACO) activity, and discusses motivations behind the recent increase in rural ACO participation. Includes maps of ACO presence by county, illustrating changes that occurred between 2013 and 2015.
Author(s): Keith Mueller, Fred Ullrich
Date: 10/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Medicare Advantage Enrollment Update 2016
Reports on the percentage of rural Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) and other prepaid enrollment plans by metropolitan and non-metropolitan location. Addresses state variations.
Author(s): Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Reports on the percentage of rural Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) and other prepaid enrollment plans by metropolitan and non-metropolitan location. Addresses state variations.
Author(s): Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Aging in Rural and Frontier Oregon: Challenges Facing Rural and Frontier Home Health Agencies
Provides an overview of the services and challenges affecting home health agencies offering assistance to the aging population in rural Oregon by county. Includes discussion on healthcare access, home health agency regulation and reimbursement, recruitment and retention of healthcare providers, and physician compliance.
Author(s): Callie Walsh-Bailey, Jamie Horst
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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Provides an overview of the services and challenges affecting home health agencies offering assistance to the aging population in rural Oregon by county. Includes discussion on healthcare access, home health agency regulation and reimbursement, recruitment and retention of healthcare providers, and physician compliance.
Author(s): Callie Walsh-Bailey, Jamie Horst
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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State Innovation Models (SIM) Initiative Evaluation: Model Test Year Two Annual Report
Second annual report detailing the findings of CMS's State Innovation Models (SIM) Initiative, which tests the ability of the governments in six states - Arkansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont, and Oregon - to accelerate health system transformation in the areas of delivery systems, payment models, information technology, workforce development, and more. Presents results from the second of three planned site visits to the states, including interviews, focus groups, and surveys. Connections made throughout to issues specifically affecting rural healthcare.
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Second annual report detailing the findings of CMS's State Innovation Models (SIM) Initiative, which tests the ability of the governments in six states - Arkansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont, and Oregon - to accelerate health system transformation in the areas of delivery systems, payment models, information technology, workforce development, and more. Presents results from the second of three planned site visits to the states, including interviews, focus groups, and surveys. Connections made throughout to issues specifically affecting rural healthcare.
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Evaluation of the Round Two Health Care Innovation Awards (HCIA R2): First Annual Report
Summarizes the first year evaluation results of the 39 Health Care Innovation Awards Round Two projects. Includes findings for the individual grantees, which include 14 projects that serve rural areas.
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica Policy Research
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Summarizes the first year evaluation results of the 39 Health Care Innovation Awards Round Two projects. Includes findings for the individual grantees, which include 14 projects that serve rural areas.
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica Policy Research
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2016 Rural Provider Leadership Summit Report: Strategies for Rural Provider Engagement in Transitioning to Value-based Purchasing and Population Health
Explores issues related to value models for rural providers and provides strategies rural hospitals may use to overcome challenges and enhance staff collaboration. Includes a list of rural provider leadership tools and resources.
Author(s): Karla Weng
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Technical Assistance and Services Center
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Explores issues related to value models for rural providers and provides strategies rural hospitals may use to overcome challenges and enhance staff collaboration. Includes a list of rural provider leadership tools and resources.
Author(s): Karla Weng
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Technical Assistance and Services Center
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Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) Demonstration Fact Sheet
Provides an overview of the Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) Demonstration, which tested models of healthcare delivery in the most sparsely populated rural counties. Identifies the participating Critical Access Hospitals and the interventions they focused on.
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of the Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) Demonstration, which tested models of healthcare delivery in the most sparsely populated rural counties. Identifies the participating Critical Access Hospitals and the interventions they focused on.
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Costs of Accountable Care Organization Participation for Primary Care Providers: Early Stage Results
Analyzes data from 2012 and 2013 Medicare cost reports to determine whether joining an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) is associated with an increase in a Rural Health Clinic's (RHC) per visit cost, particularly during the first two years of participation.
Author(s): Richard A. Hofler, Judith Ortiz
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 16(315)
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
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Analyzes data from 2012 and 2013 Medicare cost reports to determine whether joining an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) is associated with an increase in a Rural Health Clinic's (RHC) per visit cost, particularly during the first two years of participation.
Author(s): Richard A. Hofler, Judith Ortiz
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 16(315)
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
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Rural Medicare Advantage Market Dynamics and Quality: Historical Context and Current Implications
Policy brief assessing ways in which market dynamics affect rural beneficiaries of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and the variation in Medicare's star ratings of these plans. Features statistics including star ratings by urban and rural counties; MA contracts by star rating, rural characteristics, and experience; and percent enrollment in 4+ star plans with breakdowns by rural and urban counties.
Author(s): Leah Kemper, Abigail R. Barker, Lyndsey Wilbers, Timothy D. McBride, Keith Mueller
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Policy brief assessing ways in which market dynamics affect rural beneficiaries of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and the variation in Medicare's star ratings of these plans. Features statistics including star ratings by urban and rural counties; MA contracts by star rating, rural characteristics, and experience; and percent enrollment in 4+ star plans with breakdowns by rural and urban counties.
Author(s): Leah Kemper, Abigail R. Barker, Lyndsey Wilbers, Timothy D. McBride, Keith Mueller
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015: Ensuring Successful Implementation of Physician Payment Reforms
Recording of a July 13, 2016, U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing regarding the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Andy Slavitt, Acting Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, discusses the input received from stakeholders and the resulting focus on patient-first, physician-driven, collaborative care. He also emphasizes the need to support small, rural practices and those in underserved areas to achieve success.
Additional links: Andrew M. Slavitt, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services - Testimony
Date: 07/2016
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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Recording of a July 13, 2016, U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing regarding the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Andy Slavitt, Acting Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, discusses the input received from stakeholders and the resulting focus on patient-first, physician-driven, collaborative care. He also emphasizes the need to support small, rural practices and those in underserved areas to achieve success.
Additional links: Andrew M. Slavitt, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services - Testimony
Date: 07/2016
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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