Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance
Medicare Beneficiary Use of Telehealth Visits: Early Data from the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines changes in Medicare in-person primary care visits and the use of telehealth services at the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Discusses how Medicare telehealth flexibilities implemented in response to COVID-19 impacted access to these services. Compares the percentage of primary care telehealth visits between rural and urban providers. Includes a county-level map displaying the percentage of primary care visits conducted via telehealth services in April 2020.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Examines changes in Medicare in-person primary care visits and the use of telehealth services at the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Discusses how Medicare telehealth flexibilities implemented in response to COVID-19 impacted access to these services. Compares the percentage of primary care telehealth visits between rural and urban providers. Includes a county-level map displaying the percentage of primary care visits conducted via telehealth services in April 2020.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Hospitals Face Financial Challenges Due to COVID-19
Describes the financial impact of COVID-19 on Kittitas Valley Healthcare in Ellensburg, Washington. Discusses the decline in emergency department and non-emergency surgery volume and changes to labor costs as a percentage of net revenue.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Describes the financial impact of COVID-19 on Kittitas Valley Healthcare in Ellensburg, Washington. Discusses the decline in emergency department and non-emergency surgery volume and changes to labor costs as a percentage of net revenue.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Strategies for Rural Communities for Addressing Substance Misuse among Families Involved with the Child Welfare System
Describes nine programs across seven states that have addressed challenges to serving child welfare-involved parents with substance use issues through mentoring, case management, providing access to treatment and affordable housing, and other support services. Discusses considerations for expanding and replicating these programs in rural communities.
Additional links: Research Summary
Author(s): Jung Kim, Elizabeth Clary, Christina Ribar, Sarah Palmer, Elizabeth Weigensberg
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Mathematica
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Describes nine programs across seven states that have addressed challenges to serving child welfare-involved parents with substance use issues through mentoring, case management, providing access to treatment and affordable housing, and other support services. Discusses considerations for expanding and replicating these programs in rural communities.
Additional links: Research Summary
Author(s): Jung Kim, Elizabeth Clary, Christina Ribar, Sarah Palmer, Elizabeth Weigensberg
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Mathematica
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Independent Evaluation of Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+): Second Annual Report
Reports on the first two program years of the CPC+, a CMS primary care payment and delivery reform effort. Discusses CPC+ participating practices, payer partners, and health information technology (HIT) vendors supporting the program. Describes practices changes and outcomes for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. Includes statistics with breakdowns by rural, suburban, or urban practice location.
Additional links: Appendices to the Supplemental Volume, CMS Perspective Report, Findings at a Glance, Supplemental Volume
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Reports on the first two program years of the CPC+, a CMS primary care payment and delivery reform effort. Discusses CPC+ participating practices, payer partners, and health information technology (HIT) vendors supporting the program. Describes practices changes and outcomes for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. Includes statistics with breakdowns by rural, suburban, or urban practice location.
Additional links: Appendices to the Supplemental Volume, CMS Perspective Report, Findings at a Glance, Supplemental Volume
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Advance Care Planning: New Realities in Times of COVID-19
Examines the challenges of advance care planning, planning for decision-making in times of medical crisis, due to COVID-19. Shares insights from clinicians and others involved in helping rural patients.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Examines the challenges of advance care planning, planning for decision-making in times of medical crisis, due to COVID-19. Shares insights from clinicians and others involved in helping rural patients.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Insights for What Enhances or Undermines Trust in Hospital Settings
Reviews research on the trust rural and underserved populations have in hospitals. Highlights dimensions of patient trust identified by researchers. Profiles a study by the Colorado Hospital Association examining the relationship between patient and family engagement activities and patient trust in rural hospitals. Includes a discussion on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals.
Author(s): Bonnie Austin Cluxton
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: AcademyHealth
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Reviews research on the trust rural and underserved populations have in hospitals. Highlights dimensions of patient trust identified by researchers. Profiles a study by the Colorado Hospital Association examining the relationship between patient and family engagement activities and patient trust in rural hospitals. Includes a discussion on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals.
Author(s): Bonnie Austin Cluxton
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: AcademyHealth
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Left Out: Barriers to Health Equity for Rural and Underserved Communities
Summarizes responses to a Request for Information from the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee's Rural and Underserved Communities Health Task Force. Describes factors contributing to healthcare challenges in rural areas, including demographics, social and structural determinants of health, insurance coverage, access to care, and workforce shortages. Highlights promising models of healthcare delivery in rural areas. Includes state-by-state health equity maps.
Additional links: State and Territory Health Equity Maps, Summary
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee
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Summarizes responses to a Request for Information from the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee's Rural and Underserved Communities Health Task Force. Describes factors contributing to healthcare challenges in rural areas, including demographics, social and structural determinants of health, insurance coverage, access to care, and workforce shortages. Highlights promising models of healthcare delivery in rural areas. Includes state-by-state health equity maps.
Additional links: State and Territory Health Equity Maps, Summary
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Hospital Inpatient PPS and the Long-term Care Hospital PPS for FY 2021
Comments on a May 29, 2020, Federal Register proposed rule revising the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment systems. Discusses proposals to use commercial insurer data to set Medicare severity–diagnosis related group (MS–DRG) relative weights and adopt changes to geographic area delineations to establish hospital wage indexes for the IPPS and LTCH PPS.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on a May 29, 2020, Federal Register proposed rule revising the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment systems. Discusses proposals to use commercial insurer data to set Medicare severity–diagnosis related group (MS–DRG) relative weights and adopt changes to geographic area delineations to establish hospital wage indexes for the IPPS and LTCH PPS.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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South Carolina Telehealth Alliance - COVID-19: Resources for Patients and Providers in South Carolina
Features links to resources for online screening, laws and regulations, and reimbursement policies, related to telehealth in South Carolina.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Telehealth Alliance
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Features links to resources for online screening, laws and regulations, and reimbursement policies, related to telehealth in South Carolina.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Telehealth Alliance
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The Impact of Medicare's Rural Add-on Payments on Supply of Home Health Agencies Serving Rural Counties
Examines how Medicare rural add-on payments affected the number of home health agencies serving rural counties between 2002-2017. Compares the population-adjusted number of home health agencies in urban, urban-adjacent non-urban-adjacent rural counties during periods with add-on payments and without add-on payments. Discusses implications for revised and future add-on payments to maintain or increase the supply of rural home health agencies.
Author(s): Tracy M. Mroz, Davis G. Patterson, Bianca K. Frogner
Citation: Health Affairs, 39(6), 949-957
Date: 06/2020
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Examines how Medicare rural add-on payments affected the number of home health agencies serving rural counties between 2002-2017. Compares the population-adjusted number of home health agencies in urban, urban-adjacent non-urban-adjacent rural counties during periods with add-on payments and without add-on payments. Discusses implications for revised and future add-on payments to maintain or increase the supply of rural home health agencies.
Author(s): Tracy M. Mroz, Davis G. Patterson, Bianca K. Frogner
Citation: Health Affairs, 39(6), 949-957
Date: 06/2020
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