Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

Map Monday: Rural Hospitals Closing Their Doors
Map of rural hospital closures since 2005. Use the "switch view" drop down to see a mobile friendly version of the map.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
view details
MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Home Health Prospective Payment System for FY 2024
Comments on a July 10, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for home health agencies. Includes comments on expanding the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model nationwide, wage index adjustments, the Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP), and more.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the End-Stage Renal Disease Payment System Update for FY 2024
Comments on a June 30, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Includes comments addressing the low-volume payment adjustment (LVPA) and recommending the development of a new payment adjustment based on geographic isolation.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Reaching Out to People Who Live in Rural Areas about Medicaid and CHIP Renewals
Information and resources for communicating with people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP about how to maintain health insurance coverage. Includes strategies specific to reaching people living in rural areas.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Rates of Nursing Home Closures Were Relatively Stable Over the Past Decade, but Warrant Continuous Monitoring
Evaluates nursing home closures between 2011 and 2021 to identify trends and characteristics associated with closure. Considers location, Medicaid and Medicare, resident race, and more.
Author(s): Kelly Hughes, Zhanlian Feng, Qinghua Li, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 1(2)
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
view details
An Examination of Practices and Barriers of Procedures Performed by Physicians in Rural Hawai'i
Surveys 47 rural Hawaiian physicians to evaluate their scope of practice for procedures and learn the barriers to performing procedures. Discusses specialty care, reimbursement, training, time management, resource access, and more.
Author(s): Joseph W. Turban, Eun Ah Cho, Weston McCue, Kelley Withy
Citation: Hawai'i Journal of Health & Social Welfare, 82(8), 183-187
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
view details
A Consensus Panel Approach to Estimating the Start-Up and Annual Service Costs for Rural Ambulance Agencies
Policy brief exploring the costs of running ambulance services for 3 population-based service tiers. Establishes a minimum access standard for ambulances servicing a 25-minute travel time from the ambulance station, and enables policymakers and community stakeholders to develop strategic plans for the financing and provision of ambulance services. Features statistics on number of calls, population ranges of service areas, and fixed, depreciation, variable, and administrative costs.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Gary Wingrove, Nikiah Nudell, Kevin McGinnis
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details
Distributional Analysis of Variation in Medicare Advantage Participation Within and Between Metropolitan, Micropolitan, and Noncore Counties
Policy brief identifying penetration rates, number of plans, and enrollment patterns and trends in Medicare Advantage participation in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties from 2017-2022. Features statistics with breakdowns by year and metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Author(s): Dan Shane, Ufuoma Ejughemre, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
view details
Medicaid's Coverage Role in Small Towns and Rural Areas
Discusses the roles Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) play in providing health coverage to residents of small towns and rural areas. Presents data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) on the percentage of children and adults covered by Medicaid and CHIP in 2020-2021. Includes a list of the top 20 small towns and rural areas with the highest share of children and adults covered by Medicaid.
Author(s): Aubrianna Osorio, Joan Alker, Edwin Park
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
view details
Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2024 Payment Year - Payment Adjustment User Guide
Provides information on Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) payment adjustments for calendar year 2024. Describes how 2022 MIPS scores relate to 2024 payment adjustments and how payment adjustments are applied. Offers answers to frequently asked questions.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details