Rural Home Health Services – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Home Health Services.
Disparities in Timely Access to Postoperative Home Health Care and Functional Recovery After Joint Replacement by Rurality and Dual Eligibility
Results of a study examining the association of Medicare and Medicaid dual-eligible status and rural residence with prompt initiation of home health services and subsequent functional recovery, following hip and knee replacement among patients age 65 or older. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural residence.
Author(s): Amit Kumar, Jason Falvey, Deepak Adhikari, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 27(9), 106397
Date: 09/2026
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Results of a study examining the association of Medicare and Medicaid dual-eligible status and rural residence with prompt initiation of home health services and subsequent functional recovery, following hip and knee replacement among patients age 65 or older. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural residence.
Author(s): Amit Kumar, Jason Falvey, Deepak Adhikari, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 27(9), 106397
Date: 09/2026
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Home Health Prospective Payment System for CY 2027
Comments on a July 6, 2026, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for home health agencies. Includes comments regarding permanent and temporary budget-neutrality adjustments and durable medical equipment and provider enrollment provisions, as well as comments in response to a request for information on the construction of a home health-specific wage index.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on a July 6, 2026, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for home health agencies. Includes comments regarding permanent and temporary budget-neutrality adjustments and durable medical equipment and provider enrollment provisions, as well as comments in response to a request for information on the construction of a home health-specific wage index.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Home Health Care Services: Chapter 8
Discusses payment adequacy for home healthcare services. Features statistics on Medicare margins for home health agencies between 2019-2024 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, rates of successful discharge and potentially preventable readmissions in urban and rural areas, and the number of home health periods provided to rural beneficiaries.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Discusses payment adequacy for home healthcare services. Features statistics on Medicare margins for home health agencies between 2019-2024 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, rates of successful discharge and potentially preventable readmissions in urban and rural areas, and the number of home health periods provided to rural beneficiaries.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Home Health Care Chartbook 2025
Provides an overview of home health, including patient demographics and clinical profiles, organizational trends, the economic contribution of home health agencies, and patient outcomes. Includes charts and graphs throughout, as well as state-by-state data. Slide 11 highlights the rural-urban distribution of home health users.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organizations: KNG Health Consulting, National Alliance for Care at Home, Research Institute for Home Care
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Provides an overview of home health, including patient demographics and clinical profiles, organizational trends, the economic contribution of home health agencies, and patient outcomes. Includes charts and graphs throughout, as well as state-by-state data. Slide 11 highlights the rural-urban distribution of home health users.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organizations: KNG Health Consulting, National Alliance for Care at Home, Research Institute for Home Care
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Medicare Payment Basics: Durable Medical Equipment Payment System
Overview of Medicare payments for medical equipment used to treat beneficiaries at home. Defines durable medical equipment (DME), details the DME fee schedule, and discusses the competitive bidding program (CBP) for DME. Includes information on adjustments to fee schedule payment rates outside of competitive bidding areas (CBAs).
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Overview of Medicare payments for medical equipment used to treat beneficiaries at home. Defines durable medical equipment (DME), details the DME fee schedule, and discusses the competitive bidding program (CBP) for DME. Includes information on adjustments to fee schedule payment rates outside of competitive bidding areas (CBAs).
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Home Health Care Services Payment System
Overview of Medicare payments for home healthcare services. Includes information on rate-setting and payments for quality reporting and performance. Describes the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and the home health resource groups (HHRGs) based on clinical and functional status.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Overview of Medicare payments for home healthcare services. Includes information on rate-setting and payments for quality reporting and performance. Describes the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and the home health resource groups (HHRGs) based on clinical and functional status.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transforming Care: The Impact of COVID-19 on Telehealth Adoption in U.S. Home Health Care Agencies
Surveys 474 home health agencies between November 2022 and March 2024 to identify telehealth use and the perceived impact of COVID-19 policies on telehealth adoption. Includes rural and urban comparisons of telehealth modalities utilized to discuss targeted policies to support rural adoption.
Author(s): U. Gayani E. Perera, Ashley M. Chastain, Andrew W. Dick, et al.
Citation: Telemedicine and e-Health, 31(12), 1503-1507
Date: 09/2025
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Surveys 474 home health agencies between November 2022 and March 2024 to identify telehealth use and the perceived impact of COVID-19 policies on telehealth adoption. Includes rural and urban comparisons of telehealth modalities utilized to discuss targeted policies to support rural adoption.
Author(s): U. Gayani E. Perera, Ashley M. Chastain, Andrew W. Dick, et al.
Citation: Telemedicine and e-Health, 31(12), 1503-1507
Date: 09/2025
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Comparing Utilization of Home Health Care Between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries by Rural-Urban Status
Policy report describing differences in utilization of home healthcare between beneficiaries enrolled in Traditional Medicare (TM) and Medicare Advantage (MA), and by rural or urban status. Examines differences in use of home health overall, provision of specific services, including physical and occupational therapy, and receipt of care from home health agencies by enrollment in TM and MA. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated rural areas.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Policy report describing differences in utilization of home healthcare between beneficiaries enrolled in Traditional Medicare (TM) and Medicare Advantage (MA), and by rural or urban status. Examines differences in use of home health overall, provision of specific services, including physical and occupational therapy, and receipt of care from home health agencies by enrollment in TM and MA. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated rural areas.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2025
Evaluates Medicare payment issues and provides recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Covers proposed reforms to the physician fee schedule updates and the accuracy of relative payment rates; supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage; home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees; Part D prescription drug plans for beneficiaries in fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage; Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes; the inclusion of rural providers in current Medicare fee-for-service quality reporting programs; and recommendations related to reducing beneficiary cost sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Evaluates Medicare payment issues and provides recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Covers proposed reforms to the physician fee schedule updates and the accuracy of relative payment rates; supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage; home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees; Part D prescription drug plans for beneficiaries in fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage; Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes; the inclusion of rural providers in current Medicare fee-for-service quality reporting programs; and recommendations related to reducing beneficiary cost sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Home Healthcare Establishments Serving Rural Areas Increased about 36 Percent from 2010 to 2023
Chart showing the change for home healthcare services, assisted living facilities, and skilled nursing facilities in nonmetropolitan areas between 2010 and 2023.
Author(s): Brandon Genetin
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Chart showing the change for home healthcare services, assisted living facilities, and skilled nursing facilities in nonmetropolitan areas between 2010 and 2023.
Author(s): Brandon Genetin
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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