Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance
Rural EMS Workforce: A Call to Action
Policy brief discussing rural emergency medical services (EMS) systems. Highlights challenges facing the rural EMS workforce, including the costs of training and reimbursement concerns. Outlines policy recommendations to strengthen rural EMS systems.
Author(s): Christopher McLaughlin, Olivia Riutta, Jonnathan Busko
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing rural emergency medical services (EMS) systems. Highlights challenges facing the rural EMS workforce, including the costs of training and reimbursement concerns. Outlines policy recommendations to strengthen rural EMS systems.
Author(s): Christopher McLaughlin, Olivia Riutta, Jonnathan Busko
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Rural Obstetric Unit Closures and Maternal and Infant Health
Policy paper examining the discontinuation of obstetric services in rural communities. Discusses factors contributing to obstetric unit closures, including hospital financial constraints, Medicaid reimbursement rates, and maternal health workforce concerns. Offers policy recommendations to prevent additional obstetric unit closures in rural areas.
Author(s): Lindsay Corcoran, Catherine Clary, Sarah Brinkman
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy paper examining the discontinuation of obstetric services in rural communities. Discusses factors contributing to obstetric unit closures, including hospital financial constraints, Medicaid reimbursement rates, and maternal health workforce concerns. Offers policy recommendations to prevent additional obstetric unit closures in rural areas.
Author(s): Lindsay Corcoran, Catherine Clary, Sarah Brinkman
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Availability of Supplemental Benefits in Medicare Advantage Plans in Rural and Urban Areas
Examines differences in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans with supplemental benefits that are available to enrollees in nonmetropolitan and metropolitan areas. Features statistics including average number of organizations offering MA plans, proportion of MA plans offering supplemental benefits, and MA plan premiums as of 2020, with breakdowns by noncore, micropolitan, and metropolitan counties.
Author(s): Jason Semprini, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Examines differences in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans with supplemental benefits that are available to enrollees in nonmetropolitan and metropolitan areas. Features statistics including average number of organizations offering MA plans, proportion of MA plans offering supplemental benefits, and MA plan premiums as of 2020, with breakdowns by noncore, micropolitan, and metropolitan counties.
Author(s): Jason Semprini, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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COVID Relief Funding for Medicaid Providers
Analyzes the distribution of COVID-19 provider relief funds to Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) providers. Discusses barriers Medicaid providers experience in applying for COVID relief funding. Presents data on the share of potentially eligible providers who received funding by enrollment in Medicare and provider type. Includes information on the distribution of funding to hospitals by hospital type, urban or rural status, and deemed DSH status.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Analyzes the distribution of COVID-19 provider relief funds to Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) providers. Discusses barriers Medicaid providers experience in applying for COVID relief funding. Presents data on the share of potentially eligible providers who received funding by enrollment in Medicare and provider type. Includes information on the distribution of funding to hospitals by hospital type, urban or rural status, and deemed DSH status.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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High-Functioning Rural Medicare ACOs – A Qualitative Review
Describes the success factors common to high-performing Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) based in rural areas of New York, Maine, Missouri and Arkansas, and New Hampshire. Examines these organizations' governance, ACO history, operations, finances, population health, and lessons learned.
Author(s): Thomas Vaughn, Keith Mueller, Clinton MacKinney
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Describes the success factors common to high-performing Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) based in rural areas of New York, Maine, Missouri and Arkansas, and New Hampshire. Examines these organizations' governance, ACO history, operations, finances, population health, and lessons learned.
Author(s): Thomas Vaughn, Keith Mueller, Clinton MacKinney
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Trends in Nursing Home Closures in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Counties in the United States, 2008-2018
Policy brief documenting closures of facilities dually certified by Medicare and Medicaid or facilities certified by Medicaid only. Identifies areas lacking nursing homes and summarizes characteristics of open and closed nursing homes. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and county-level maps showing areas with one or more nursing home closures from 2008-2018 and counties considered nursing home deserts.
Author(s): Hari Sharma, Redwan Bin Abdul Baten, Fred Ullrich, A. Clinton MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Policy brief documenting closures of facilities dually certified by Medicare and Medicaid or facilities certified by Medicaid only. Identifies areas lacking nursing homes and summarizes characteristics of open and closed nursing homes. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and county-level maps showing areas with one or more nursing home closures from 2008-2018 and counties considered nursing home deserts.
Author(s): Hari Sharma, Redwan Bin Abdul Baten, Fred Ullrich, A. Clinton MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Crises Collide: The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Stability of the Rural Health Safety Net
Examines the vulnerability of rural hospitals based on financial and operational metrics, and the impact of COVID-19 on these hospitals. Discusses declining access to obstetrics and chemotherapy services at rural hospitals. Includes a chart highlighting financial indicators and information on the availability of intensive care beds at rural hospitals by state.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Examines the vulnerability of rural hospitals based on financial and operational metrics, and the impact of COVID-19 on these hospitals. Discusses declining access to obstetrics and chemotherapy services at rural hospitals. Includes a chart highlighting financial indicators and information on the availability of intensive care beds at rural hospitals by state.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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CMS Needs to Implement Risk-Based Oversight of Puerto Rico's Procurement Process
Report details the lack of oversight by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of contractors hired to facilitate Puerto Rico's Medicaid program. Discusses Puerto Rico's Medicaid procurement process and outlines the risk of fraud, waste, and abuse of funds due to lack oversight.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Report details the lack of oversight by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of contractors hired to facilitate Puerto Rico's Medicaid program. Discusses Puerto Rico's Medicaid procurement process and outlines the risk of fraud, waste, and abuse of funds due to lack oversight.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Medicaid's Role in Health Care for American Indians and Alaska Natives
Provides an overview of the federal government's role in providing healthcare to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). Discusses AI/AN demographics, economic and health disparities, and access to healthcare and insurance coverage. Describes the structure of the Indian Health Service (IHS), services provided, and IHS financing and spending. Highlights special rules and protections that apply to AI/AN Medicaid beneficiaries. Presents a series of policy issues that have been raised regarding the Medicaid and IHS relationship, as well as opportunities for improving Medicaid's role in providing healthcare to AI/AN populations.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Provides an overview of the federal government's role in providing healthcare to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). Discusses AI/AN demographics, economic and health disparities, and access to healthcare and insurance coverage. Describes the structure of the Indian Health Service (IHS), services provided, and IHS financing and spending. Highlights special rules and protections that apply to AI/AN Medicaid beneficiaries. Presents a series of policy issues that have been raised regarding the Medicaid and IHS relationship, as well as opportunities for improving Medicaid's role in providing healthcare to AI/AN populations.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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MBQIP Quality Measures National Annual Report - 2019
Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2019. Presents data on the four Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: patient safety/inpatient, outpatient, patient engagement, and care transitions.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Madeleine Pick, Tongtan Chantarat, Nathan Bean, Ira Moscovice
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2019. Presents data on the four Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: patient safety/inpatient, outpatient, patient engagement, and care transitions.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Madeleine Pick, Tongtan Chantarat, Nathan Bean, Ira Moscovice
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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