Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Medicare Copayments for Critical Access Hospital Outpatient Services - Update
Estimates the impact of Medicare Part B coinsurance on beneficiaries receiving outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), and identifies the Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) proportion of key services provided in CAHs.
Author(s): Allison Briggs, Matthew Toth, Sara Freeman
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Estimates the impact of Medicare Part B coinsurance on beneficiaries receiving outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), and identifies the Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) proportion of key services provided in CAHs.
Author(s): Allison Briggs, Matthew Toth, Sara Freeman
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Global Budgets for Rural Hospitals
Discusses the financial and budgetary challenges faced by rural hospitals, explains how some rural hospitals have responded, and presents the case for using global budgets as an alternative payment model. Includes information on some of the proposed policy solutions such as Maryland's all-payer system and the Save Rural Hospitals Act.
Author(s): Joshua M. Sharfstein
Citation: The Milbank Quarterly, 94(2), 255-259
Date: 06/2016
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Discusses the financial and budgetary challenges faced by rural hospitals, explains how some rural hospitals have responded, and presents the case for using global budgets as an alternative payment model. Includes information on some of the proposed policy solutions such as Maryland's all-payer system and the Save Rural Hospitals Act.
Author(s): Joshua M. Sharfstein
Citation: The Milbank Quarterly, 94(2), 255-259
Date: 06/2016
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Stroudwater Population Health
An 8-part video series designed to help rural healthcare organizations transition from payment for volume to payment for value and advance population health strategies. Each part discusses an important strategy for achieving population health, including: quality and efficiency, network relationships and service rationalization, employer-sponsored health plans and fee-for-service payments, shared savings plans, and full risk payments and capitation.
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: Stroudwater Associates
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An 8-part video series designed to help rural healthcare organizations transition from payment for volume to payment for value and advance population health strategies. Each part discusses an important strategy for achieving population health, including: quality and efficiency, network relationships and service rationalization, employer-sponsored health plans and fee-for-service payments, shared savings plans, and full risk payments and capitation.
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: Stroudwater Associates
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Commission on Care: Final Report
Provides a comprehensive examination of how to best organize the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), allocate funding support, and deliver healthcare to veterans in a variety of settings and geographic locations, including rural areas. The Commission on Care was established by the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to examine access to healthcare for veterans.
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: Commission on Care
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Provides a comprehensive examination of how to best organize the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), allocate funding support, and deliver healthcare to veterans in a variety of settings and geographic locations, including rural areas. The Commission on Care was established by the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to examine access to healthcare for veterans.
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: Commission on Care
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Impact of the Affordable Care Act Coverage Expansion on Rural and Urban Populations
Discusses the advances supported by provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) related to health insurance coverage, premium tax credits, and healthcare access for rural and urban populations with a special focus on rural individuals.
Author(s): Kelsey Avery, Kenneth Finegold, Xiao Xiao
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Discusses the advances supported by provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) related to health insurance coverage, premium tax credits, and healthcare access for rural and urban populations with a special focus on rural individuals.
Author(s): Kelsey Avery, Kenneth Finegold, Xiao Xiao
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Does ACA Insurance Coverage Expansion Improve the Financial Performance of Rural Hospitals?
Findings brief discussing perceptions of rural hospital administrators, state hospital associations, and State Offices of Rural Health, concerning changes in payer mix, changes in uncompensated care and unreimbursed cost, and financial performance in their respective hospitals or states.
Author(s): Kristie Thompson, Kristin Reiter, Rebecca Whitaker, Sharita Thomas
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Findings brief discussing perceptions of rural hospital administrators, state hospital associations, and State Offices of Rural Health, concerning changes in payer mix, changes in uncompensated care and unreimbursed cost, and financial performance in their respective hospitals or states.
Author(s): Kristie Thompson, Kristin Reiter, Rebecca Whitaker, Sharita Thomas
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Purchased/Referred Care
Explains the Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) program, formerly the Contract Health Services program, which is a program that guides usage of healthcare services outside of Indian Health Service or tribal healthcare facilities when needed.
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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Explains the Purchased/Referred Care (PRC) program, formerly the Contract Health Services program, which is a program that guides usage of healthcare services outside of Indian Health Service or tribal healthcare facilities when needed.
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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Association Between the Value-Based Purchasing Pay for Performance Program and Patient Mortality in US Hospitals: Observational Study
Examines the impact of Medicare's Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (HVBP) program on mortality for pneumonia, heart failure, and acute myocardial infarction by comparing data from acute care hospitals participating in the program to data from over 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and 44 hospitals in Maryland not in the program.
Author(s): Jose F. Figueroa, Yusuke Tsugawa, Jie Zheng, E. John Orav, Ashish K. Jha
Citation: BMJ, 9(353), i2214
Date: 05/2016
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Examines the impact of Medicare's Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (HVBP) program on mortality for pneumonia, heart failure, and acute myocardial infarction by comparing data from acute care hospitals participating in the program to data from over 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and 44 hospitals in Maryland not in the program.
Author(s): Jose F. Figueroa, Yusuke Tsugawa, Jie Zheng, E. John Orav, Ashish K. Jha
Citation: BMJ, 9(353), i2214
Date: 05/2016
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How Are Migrant Health Centers and Their Patients Faring Under the Affordable Care Act?
An analysis of the population characteristics of migrant and seasonal agricultural workers (MSAW) and their dependents, the changes over time in the MSAW population served by federally funded community health centers, and the effect of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid expansion on federally funded migrant health centers.
Author(s): Jessica Sharac, Rachel Gunsalus, Chi Tran, Peter Shin, Sara Rosenbaum
Date: 05/2016
Sponsoring organizations: Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health, RCHN Community Health Foundation
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An analysis of the population characteristics of migrant and seasonal agricultural workers (MSAW) and their dependents, the changes over time in the MSAW population served by federally funded community health centers, and the effect of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid expansion on federally funded migrant health centers.
Author(s): Jessica Sharac, Rachel Gunsalus, Chi Tran, Peter Shin, Sara Rosenbaum
Date: 05/2016
Sponsoring organizations: Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health, RCHN Community Health Foundation
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Veterans' Health Care: Proper Plan Needed to Modernize System for Paying Community Providers
Examines the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Medicare and TRICARE systems in regards to processing Veterans healthcare claims including processing times and factors that have impeded processing and payment, as well as modified provisions to improve claim processing. Provides an overview of the Veterans Choice Program and other types of community healthcare programs offered by Veterans Affairs (VA).
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): Randall B. Williamson
Date: 05/2016
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Medicare and TRICARE systems in regards to processing Veterans healthcare claims including processing times and factors that have impeded processing and payment, as well as modified provisions to improve claim processing. Provides an overview of the Veterans Choice Program and other types of community healthcare programs offered by Veterans Affairs (VA).
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): Randall B. Williamson
Date: 05/2016
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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