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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Reimbursement and payment models

Indian Health Service: Information on Third-Party Collections and Processes to Procure Supplies and Services
Reviews the Indian Health Service (IHS) oversight of collections received from third-party payers such as Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance for care provided to patients. Examines recent trends in third-party collections; describes IHS's processes to procure medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and health care services; and discusses the extent to which IHS has entered into procurement contracts under the Buy Indian Act.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Stability of the Rural Health Safety Net: State and National Data Tables
Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies such as sequestration and bad debt reimbursement on rural hospital revenues, jobs, and gross domestic product. Presented at the February 2022 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Medicare: Information on Geographic Adjustments to Physician Payments for Physicians' Time, Skills, and Effort
Provides an overview of the work geographic practice cost indices (GPCI), which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services uses to adjust Medicare physician payments to account for differences in the costs of providing care across various geographic locations. Examines the extent to which the work GPCI accounts for geographic variation in physician earnings and how Medicare payments could change under potential modifications to the work GPCI.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Structural Factors That Impact Rural Life Expectancy
Policy position paper focused on challenges to improving life expectancy in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to address health outcomes in rural populations.
Author(s): Bryan Price, Elizabeth Ruen, Wade Swenson
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Rural Health Clinics
Policy position paper providing an overview of Rural Health Clinics. Offers policy recommendations regarding access to care, RHC reimbursement, and programmatic updates.
Author(s): Kelly Braun, Trent Bourland
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Rural Emergency Hospital Conversion: Critical Factors for EMS Support
Policy position paper focused on emergency medical services (EMS) in communities with hospitals converting to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status. Outlines barriers to EMS delivery in rural areas including funding, workforce, and community engagement and support. Includes policy recommendations.
Author(s): Julie Bosak, Jed Hansen
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Medicaid and Counties: Understanding the Program and Why It Matters to Counties
Discusses the importance of Medicaid in county-level healthcare. Describes the role Medicaid plays in financing and delivering healthcare for children, the elderly, the disabled, and rural residents. Highlights the impact of COVID-19 on the Medicaid program and challenges for county governments.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
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Meeting the Behavioral Health Needs of Farm Families in Times of Economic Distress
Offers strategies to support development and integration of behavioral health services across healthcare and community-based organizations, including leveraging payment systems to support coordinated care for farm families and aligning federal grant programs to address mental health and substance use disorders. Features recommendations including integrating primary and behavioral care for initial treatment of mental health and substance abuse concerns, expanding the workforce to improve rural behavioral health services capacity, increasing telehealth services, and expanding private and public insurance coverage.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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CMS Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced Model: Third Evaluation Report
Third annual report of the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced) Model, which tests whether linking payments for a clinical episode of care can reduce Medicare expenditures while maintaining or improving quality of care. Explores the impact of BPCI Advanced on episode payments, utilization, and quality of care through Model Years 1 and 2, Medicare savings in Model Years 1 and 2, and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected BPCI Advanced participants through June 30, 2020.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance
Author(s): The Lewin Group, Abt Associates, GDIT, Telligen
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Quality Payment Program Participation in 2020: Results At-a-Glance
Provides an overview of the results of the Quality Payment Program for the 2020 performance year. Highlights mean and median final scores in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for small practices.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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