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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

OBGYNs and the Provision of Sexual and Reproductive Health Care: Key Findings from a National Survey
Reports on a nationwide survey of obstetrician-gynecologists (OBGYNs) regarding sexual and reproductive healthcare, covering screening practices; provision of contraception, abortion, and sexually transmitted infection care; and the effects of policy on healthcare access and quality. Analyzes survey data from 1,210 OBGYN participants on contraception provision and other services, access to specific services based on regional and urban/rural location, provider characteristics and experiences, Medicaid coverage, and more.
Author(s): Gabriela Weigel, Brittni Frederiksen, Usha Ranji, Alina Salganicoff
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Medicare Reimbursement in Rural America
Policy brief discussing Medicare reimbursement for services provided at rural hospitals and how it impacts hospital finances. Provides policy recommendations for rural health reimbursement, and identifies and other considerations for addressing rural healthcare sustainability.
Author(s): Eric Schlidt, Cody Wilkinson
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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