Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Outpatient care
2023 National CAH Quality Inventory & Assessment National Report
Presents a high-level summary of key data points from the October-December 2023 National Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Quality Inventory and Assessment. Includes data on CAH system affiliation; median average daily census and emergency department volume; hospital inpatient, behavioral health and specialty care, and outpatient and other service lines; and CAH quality payment model participation.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Robert Barclay, Madeleine Pick
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Presents a high-level summary of key data points from the October-December 2023 National Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Quality Inventory and Assessment. Includes data on CAH system affiliation; median average daily census and emergency department volume; hospital inpatient, behavioral health and specialty care, and outpatient and other service lines; and CAH quality payment model participation.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Robert Barclay, Madeleine Pick
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
FH Healthcare Indicators and FH Medical Price Index 2024: An Annual View of Place of Service Trends and Medical Pricing
White paper exploring changes in healthcare utilization, demographic and geographic factors, diagnoses, costs, and procedures. Features statistics including usage of retail clinics and telehealth from 2017-2022; and urgent care, ambulatory surgery centers, and emergency rooms from 2013-2022. Includes comparisons of utilization of each service type by urban and rural location.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: FAIR Health
view details
White paper exploring changes in healthcare utilization, demographic and geographic factors, diagnoses, costs, and procedures. Features statistics including usage of retail clinics and telehealth from 2017-2022; and urgent care, ambulatory surgery centers, and emergency rooms from 2013-2022. Includes comparisons of utilization of each service type by urban and rural location.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: FAIR Health
view details
MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Mandated Report: Rural Emergency Hospitals: Chapter 15
Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Discusses the evolution of Medicare's support for rural hospitals through payment policies and the impact of declining inpatient volumes on rural hospitals' financial sustainability. Describes the characteristics of hospitals that converted to REH status in 2023, the first year of the designation.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Discusses the evolution of Medicare's support for rural hospitals through payment policies and the impact of declining inpatient volumes on rural hospitals' financial sustainability. Describes the characteristics of hospitals that converted to REH status in 2023, the first year of the designation.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2024
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D. Includes two mandated reports on special needs plans for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D. Includes two mandated reports on special needs plans for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
2023 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report: Chartbook on Patient Safety
Summarizes trends in healthcare quality across 28 measures of patient safety. Presents findings for four settings of care: ambulatory care, home health, hospitals, and nursing homes. Describes disparities in patient safety by race/ethnicity, sex, age, and insurance status. Highlights disparities for maternal morbidity and mortality measures by rurality.
Author(s): Barbara Barton, Darryl Gray, Cecilia Hahn, et al.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Summarizes trends in healthcare quality across 28 measures of patient safety. Presents findings for four settings of care: ambulatory care, home health, hospitals, and nursing homes. Describes disparities in patient safety by race/ethnicity, sex, age, and insurance status. Highlights disparities for maternal morbidity and mortality measures by rurality.
Author(s): Barbara Barton, Darryl Gray, Cecilia Hahn, et al.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
January 2024 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Discusses status reports on ambulatory surgical centers, Medicare Part D, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for standardized benefits in Medicare Advantage plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Discusses status reports on ambulatory surgical centers, Medicare Part D, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for standardized benefits in Medicare Advantage plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
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
view details
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
view details
An Examination of Geographic Access to Outpatient Stroke Rehabilitation Services in Tennessee, a Stroke Belt State
Presents data on travel time and distance to Tennessee stroke rehabilitation facilities, with comparisons of rural and urban counties as well as counties with low, medium, or high stroke prevalence. Describes care access challenges faced by rural stroke patients, including barriers related to transportation and telerehabilitation.
Author(s): Phoebe M. Tran, Cenjing Zhu, William T. Harris II, et al.
Citation: Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases, 33(1), 107472
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
view details
Presents data on travel time and distance to Tennessee stroke rehabilitation facilities, with comparisons of rural and urban counties as well as counties with low, medium, or high stroke prevalence. Describes care access challenges faced by rural stroke patients, including barriers related to transportation and telerehabilitation.
Author(s): Phoebe M. Tran, Cenjing Zhu, William T. Harris II, et al.
Citation: Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases, 33(1), 107472
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
view details
Filling the Gaps: Program Builds Referral and Recovery Services in Western Massachusetts
Features a rural Massachusetts coalition's work to address substance misuse and build sustainable recovery services, with support from the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). Discusses youth outreach and engagement, stigma reduction activities, facilitating access to services, and more.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Features a rural Massachusetts coalition's work to address substance misuse and build sustainable recovery services, with support from the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). Discusses youth outreach and engagement, stigma reduction activities, facilitating access to services, and more.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
CY 2024 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Final Rule (CMS 1786-FC)
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2024. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to the community mental health centers (CMHC) Conditions of Participation (CoPs); payment for intensive outpatient program (IOP) services; payment methodology for Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal facilities that convert to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status; the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; and more.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2024. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to the community mental health centers (CMHC) Conditions of Participation (CoPs); payment for intensive outpatient program (IOP) services; payment methodology for Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal facilities that convert to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status; the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; and more.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details