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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Medicare

Rural Medicare Advantage Plan Payment in 2015
Examines how changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) payment policy formula, which were implemented as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), are impacting MA plans and beneficiaries in rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Leah Kemper, Abigail R. Barker, Timothy D. McBride, Keith Mueller
Date: 12/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Grandfathered Tribal (GFT) Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Training: Overview of Requirements and Policies
Provides a summary of the requirements and policies, effective January 1, 2016, for Indian Health Services (IHS), and tribal facilities and organizations when a change in status may allow the healthcare facility to become certified as a Grandfathered Tribal FQHC.
Date: 12/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Health Care Innovation Awards (HCIA) Meta-Analysis and Evaluators Collaborative: Annual Report Year 1
Highlights key implementation and impact findings across 108 Health Care Innovation Awards (HCIA) grant recipients, based on work by 7 independent evaluators. Includes discussion of project experiences in rural areas.
Date: 11/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Medicare Value-based Payment Reform: Priorities for Transforming Rural Health Systems
Analyzes the provisions within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) regarding Medicare payment and delivery system reforms that affect rural health providers and rural health services. Proposes recommendations that support the inclusion of rural appropriate payment systems.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Keith Mueller, Charles Alfero, Andy Coburn, et al.
Date: 11/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Which Rural and Urban Hospitals Have Received Readmission Penalties Over Time?
Evaluates the rural-urban differences in the proportion of hospitals that receive penalties under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Readmission Reduction Program, and compares the specific health condition risk-adjusted readmission rates by rural and urban location. Analyzes characteristics of hospitals receiving readmission penalties.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Michelle Casey, Ira Moscovice
Date: 10/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Hospital Value-based Purchasing: Initial Results Show Modest Effects on Medicare Payments and No Apparent Change in Quality-of-Care Trends
Evaluates the initial effects of the Hospital Value-based Purchasing (HVBP) program on Medicare bonus payments and penalties, the quality of care provided, and selected quality improvement efforts during FY 2013-15. Analyzes data from safety net, small urban, and small rural hospitals.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Report to Congress: Evaluations of Hospitals' Ambulance Data on Medicare Cost Reports and Feasibility of Obtaining Cost Data from All Ambulance Providers and Suppliers
Exploration of the use of cost surveys and reports to collect data on ambulance services, examination of development of a standard cost reporting tool for providers of services and suppliers of ground ambulance services, and examination of the ability to furnish cost data by various types of ambulance providers of services and suppliers, especially for rural and super-rural providers. Features statistics from fiscal years 2007-2012 relating to costs, number of trips by type of hospital, distribution of provider/supplier trip volume, origin-destination pairs, and barriers experienced by people in geographically isolated areas.
Date: 09/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Performance Measurement for Rural Low-Volume Providers: Final Report
Identifies challenges to measuring healthcare performance among low-volume rural providers, and presents recommendations to meet these challenges. Primary focus is on finding appropriate quality measures for use within Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) pay-for-performance programs and encouraging rural participation in CMS quality improvement initiatives.
Date: 09/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Simulation and Analysis of an Alternative Medicare Home Health Payment System Not Based on Number of Therapy Visits
Outlines a possible approach to redesigning the Medicare home health payment system and describes the likely impacts of such a change. Includes statistics with breakdowns by number of therapy and non-therapy visits, payment-to-cost ratios, medical procedure or chronic illness, and type of health facility.
Author(s): Doug Wissoker, Bowen Garrett
Date: 08/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Competition Among Medicare's Private Health Plans: Does It Really Exist?
Measures rates of competition among private Medicare Advantage (MA) plans across the country and across rural/urban geographies.
Author(s): Brian Biles, Giselle Casillas, Stuart Guterman
Date: 08/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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