Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Post-acute care
MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2021
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 healthcare facilities and services, improving Medicare payment for post-acute care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and the impact of healthcare provider consolidation. Contains information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Medicare beneficiary healthcare access, mortality, and service use. Presents an option for Medicare's coverage of telehealth beyond the public health emergency.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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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 healthcare facilities and services, improving Medicare payment for post-acute care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and the impact of healthcare provider consolidation. Contains information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Medicare beneficiary healthcare access, mortality, and service use. Presents an option for Medicare's coverage of telehealth beyond the public health emergency.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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The Effect of Medicare Payment Standardization Methods on the Perceived Cost of Post-Acute Swing Bed Care in Critical Access Hospitals
Discusses the different payment systems the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) uses to reimburse for post-acute care in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), prospective payment system (IPPS) hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Describes how the payment standardization methods may influence post-acute care discharge patterns and access to care for rural residents. Examines the effects of these payment methods on the perceived cost of CAH swing bed care as it relates to the Medicare Spending per Beneficiary performance measure.
Author(s): Tyler Malone, Denise Kirk, Kristin Reiter
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Discusses the different payment systems the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) uses to reimburse for post-acute care in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), prospective payment system (IPPS) hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Describes how the payment standardization methods may influence post-acute care discharge patterns and access to care for rural residents. Examines the effects of these payment methods on the perceived cost of CAH swing bed care as it relates to the Medicare Spending per Beneficiary performance measure.
Author(s): Tyler Malone, Denise Kirk, Kristin Reiter
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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January 2021 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2021 meeting. Features a discussion on the expansion of telehealth in Medicare. Also covers payment adequacy and updates for hospital inpatient and outpatient services and the mandated report expanding the post-acute care transfer policy to hospice, physician and other health professional services, ambulatory surgical center services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, long-term care hospital services, and CMMI's development and implementation of alternative payment models.
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2021 meeting. Features a discussion on the expansion of telehealth in Medicare. Also covers payment adequacy and updates for hospital inpatient and outpatient services and the mandated report expanding the post-acute care transfer policy to hospice, physician and other health professional services, ambulatory surgical center services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, long-term care hospital services, and CMMI's development and implementation of alternative payment models.
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Severe Wound Care: Spending Declines May Reflect Site of Care Changes; Limited Information Is Available on Quality
Reports on an analysis of where Medicare beneficiaries received care for severe wounds in 2018 and Medicare payment for these services. Provides an overview of the implementation of a dual payment system for long-term care hospitals in 2016, and examines how the dual payment system affected the availability and quality of severe wound care for Medicare beneficiaries. Includes data on severe wound care by facility type in addition to Medicare spending by urban and rural location.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Reports on an analysis of where Medicare beneficiaries received care for severe wounds in 2018 and Medicare payment for these services. Provides an overview of the implementation of a dual payment system for long-term care hospitals in 2016, and examines how the dual payment system affected the availability and quality of severe wound care for Medicare beneficiaries. Includes data on severe wound care by facility type in addition to Medicare spending by urban and rural location.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) Demonstration Evaluation: Final Evaluation Report
Presents findings from an evaluation of the Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) Demonstration. Describes the three possible interventions, including their impact, progress and accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned. Identifies commonalities that emerged across the FCHIP interventions that may inform future demonstrations among rural healthcare providers.
Additional links: Findings At-A-Glance
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Presents findings from an evaluation of the Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) Demonstration. Describes the three possible interventions, including their impact, progress and accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned. Identifies commonalities that emerged across the FCHIP interventions that may inform future demonstrations among rural healthcare providers.
Additional links: Findings At-A-Glance
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Blue Mountain Strengthens Community Partnerships Amidst the Pandemic
Discusses how Blue Mountain Hospital (BMH), an 11-bed Critical Access Hospital in Blanding, Utah, has worked to build strategic partnerships and increase opportunities to promote staff relationships. Describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the swing bed program and BMH's support of surrounding tribal communities.
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Discusses how Blue Mountain Hospital (BMH), an 11-bed Critical Access Hospital in Blanding, Utah, has worked to build strategic partnerships and increase opportunities to promote staff relationships. Describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the swing bed program and BMH's support of surrounding tribal communities.
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Post-Acute Skilled Nursing Care Availability in Rural United States
Policy brief focusing on availability of post-acute skilled nursing care in rural areas, through swing bed programs in Critical Access Hospitals, short-term general hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities. Examines characteristics of counties with and without post-acute skilled nursing care, and what factors are associated with counties without this type of care. Features statistics with breakdowns by micropolitan, noncore, and all rural county locations.
Author(s): Darcy McMaughan, Ifedioranma O. Anikpo, Scott Horel, Jennifer Ozmetin
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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Policy brief focusing on availability of post-acute skilled nursing care in rural areas, through swing bed programs in Critical Access Hospitals, short-term general hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities. Examines characteristics of counties with and without post-acute skilled nursing care, and what factors are associated with counties without this type of care. Features statistics with breakdowns by micropolitan, noncore, and all rural county locations.
Author(s): Darcy McMaughan, Ifedioranma O. Anikpo, Scott Horel, Jennifer Ozmetin
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility PPS for FY 2021
Comments on an April 21, 2020, Federal Register proposed rule addressing updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2021. Includes comments on the adoption of the Office of Management and Budget's geographic area delineations to determine wage index values.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on an April 21, 2020, Federal Register proposed rule addressing updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2021. Includes comments on the adoption of the Office of Management and Budget's geographic area delineations to determine wage index values.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Estimated Reduction in CAH Profitability from Loss of Cost-Based Reimbursement for Swing Beds
Examines the impact of proposed legislation recommending changes to swing bed reimbursements for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) from cost-based to the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS). Estimates CAH profitability using reimbursement formulas from Medicare cost reports and discusses the characteristics of CAHs most affected by a change in swing bed reimbursement.
Author(s): Drake M. Broussard, Kristin L. Reiter
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Examines the impact of proposed legislation recommending changes to swing bed reimbursements for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) from cost-based to the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS). Estimates CAH profitability using reimbursement formulas from Medicare cost reports and discusses the characteristics of CAHs most affected by a change in swing bed reimbursement.
Author(s): Drake M. Broussard, Kristin L. Reiter
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2020
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 healthcare facilities and services, improving Medicare payment for post-acute care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and the impact of healthcare provider consolidation.
Date: 03/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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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 healthcare facilities and services, improving Medicare payment for post-acute care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and the impact of healthcare provider consolidation.
Date: 03/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details