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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

Public Law 114-10: Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015
Full text of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, commonly referred to as MACRA. MACRA seeks to transition healthcare from fee-for-service to value-based care by repealing the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and replacing it with the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The QPP streamlines data collection efforts and rewards providers based on value instead of volume through the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (Advanced APMs).
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Congress
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The Health and Well-Being of Children in Rural Areas: A Portrait of the Nation 2011–2012
Describes data from the National Survey of Children's Health demonstrating the health and well-being of children, as well as the family environment and the characteristics of the community that affect rural children and their families.
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maternal and Child Health Bureau
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A Comparison of Closed Rural Hospitals and Perceived Impact
Compares characteristics of rural hospitals that have closed or have converted to provide a mix of health services but no inpatient care. Measures perceived impact of rural hospital closures.
Author(s): Sharita R. Thomas, Brystana G. Kaufman, Randy K. Randolph, et al.
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Sole Community Hospitals: Early Indications Show That TRICARE's Revised Reimbursement Rules Have Not Affected Access to Care
Reports on the impact of a January 2014 revision to TRICARE's reimbursement for Sole Community Hospitals (SCHs), which serve primarily rural areas. The new TRICARE reimbursement rules approximate Medicare's for these hospitals. Looks at the impact of revised SCH reimbursement on healthcare access for servicemembers and their dependents. Findings based on claims data, as well as interviews with 10 SCHs and with national stakeholders. Appendices include information on SCHs with a high number of TRICARE admissions.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Compendium of Unimplemented Recommendations: March 2015
Annual report identifying the top 25 unimplemented recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) that, in OIG's view, would have the most substantial positive impact on Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Positive impact may refer to cost savings, program efficacy and efficiency, and/or quality improvement. Primary areas of interest in the March 2015 edition include: Medicare payment policies and oversight mechanisms, face-to-face requirements for home health agencies, and strengthening fraud prevention in electronic health record (EHR) technology across all providers, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Community Health Centers: A 2013 Profile and Prospects as ACA Implementation Proceeds
Discusses the current and future role of rural and urban community health centers as an integral component in the provision of primary healthcare to accommodate the expansion of patients with health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
Author(s): Peter Shin, Jessica Sharac, Zoe Barber, Sara J. Rosenbaum, Julia Paradise
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management
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Evaluation of Hospital-Setting HCIA Awards: First Annual Report, Final
Evaluations of 10 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects undertaken in a hospital inpatient or emergency department. Covers projects that involved Critical Access Hospitals and other rural hospitals. Includes projects focused on improved care for sepsis and projects using remote electronic intensive care unit (eICU) services.
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Acceptance of New Patients With Public and Private Insurance by Office-based Physicians: United States, 2013
Provides data on office-based physicians accepting new patients with Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance. See Figure 2 for comparison of metropolitan to nonmetropolitan acceptance rates by patient payment source. Also includes state-level data.
Author(s): Esther Hing, Sandra L. Decker, Eric Jamoom
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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A Critique of the Office of the Inspector General's Report on Swing Beds in Critical Access Hospitals
Evaluates the methods and data of a March 2015 report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, commenting on Medicare reimbursement policy for swing bed services in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Author(s): Kristin L. Reiter, G. Mark Holmes
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2015
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report.
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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