Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance
Medicare Could save Billions with Comparable Access for Enrollees If Critical Access Hospital Payments for Swing-Bed Services Were Similar to Those of the Fee-for-Service Prospective Payment System
Describes the use of swing beds for skilled nursing services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and average daily Medicare reimbursement for these services from 2015 through 2020. Examines data from a sample of 100 CAHs to determine whether Medicare enrollees would have had access to the same skilled nursing services provided by CAHs at alternative facilities within a 35-mile driving distance. Compares the average daily reimbursement for skilled nursing services at CAHs and alternative facilities, as well as the potential savings to Medicare if CAHs were reimbursed for skilled nursing services under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS).
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
view details
Describes the use of swing beds for skilled nursing services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and average daily Medicare reimbursement for these services from 2015 through 2020. Examines data from a sample of 100 CAHs to determine whether Medicare enrollees would have had access to the same skilled nursing services provided by CAHs at alternative facilities within a 35-mile driving distance. Compares the average daily reimbursement for skilled nursing services at CAHs and alternative facilities, as well as the potential savings to Medicare if CAHs were reimbursed for skilled nursing services under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS).
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
view details
Associations Between Rural Hospital Closures and Acute and Post-Acute Care Access and Outcomes
Examines the impact of rural hospital closures on hospital and post-acute care (PAC) use and outcomes. Analyzes 32 rural hospital closures and county-level impacts on travel distances, lengths of stay at hospitals, hospital charges, PAC episodes, fall injuries and related mortality and hospitalizations, and population-level hospitalization and death rates. Includes descriptive statistics of 2014-2018 rural hospital closure status.
Author(s): Geoffrey J. Hoffman, Jinkyung Ha, Zhaohui Fan, Jun Li
Citation: Health Services Research
Date: 12/2024
view details
Examines the impact of rural hospital closures on hospital and post-acute care (PAC) use and outcomes. Analyzes 32 rural hospital closures and county-level impacts on travel distances, lengths of stay at hospitals, hospital charges, PAC episodes, fall injuries and related mortality and hospitalizations, and population-level hospitalization and death rates. Includes descriptive statistics of 2014-2018 rural hospital closure status.
Author(s): Geoffrey J. Hoffman, Jinkyung Ha, Zhaohui Fan, Jun Li
Citation: Health Services Research
Date: 12/2024
view details
Mapping Geographic Access to Illinois Birthing Hospitals, 2016–2023
Examines geographic access to birthing hospitals between 2016 to 2023 for women of reproductive age in Illinois. Includes maps showing driving times to hospitals and closed hospitals in the state, as well as changing levels of access for rural and urban women.
Author(s): Barbara C. Keino, Mechelle D. Claridy, Laurin Kasehagen, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 21
Date: 12/2024
view details
Examines geographic access to birthing hospitals between 2016 to 2023 for women of reproductive age in Illinois. Includes maps showing driving times to hospitals and closed hospitals in the state, as well as changing levels of access for rural and urban women.
Author(s): Barbara C. Keino, Mechelle D. Claridy, Laurin Kasehagen, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 21
Date: 12/2024
view details
Nevada Medicaid Cost Driver Analysis, 2024
Report analyzing 2016-2023 Medicaid data to determine drivers of healthcare costs in Nevada. Data analyzed by plan type, service category, geography, age, and sex.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Nevada Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Report analyzing 2016-2023 Medicaid data to determine drivers of healthcare costs in Nevada. Data analyzed by plan type, service category, geography, age, and sex.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Nevada Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Suicide Care in Kentucky Hospitals
Provides an overview of suicide-related visits in Kentucky hospitals and emergency departments, recent changes, and patient demographics. Features statistics including percentages of suicide-related visits in 2017-2023 in rural and urban Kentucky hospitals, and a county-level map showing locations of psychiatric hospitals.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Kentucky Hospital Association
view details
Provides an overview of suicide-related visits in Kentucky hospitals and emergency departments, recent changes, and patient demographics. Features statistics including percentages of suicide-related visits in 2017-2023 in rural and urban Kentucky hospitals, and a county-level map showing locations of psychiatric hospitals.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Kentucky Hospital Association
view details
December 2024 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), skilled nursing facility services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, home health services, hospice services, and outpatient dialysis services.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services; and Mandated Report on Rural Emergency Hospitals - Presentation Slides, Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Skilled Nursing Facility Services - Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), skilled nursing facility services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, home health services, hospice services, and outpatient dialysis services.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services; and Mandated Report on Rural Emergency Hospitals - Presentation Slides, Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Skilled Nursing Facility Services - Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Estimating the Effects of the Medicare $2 Drug List on Part D Enrollees
Discusses the Medicare $2 Drug List (M2DL) Model, which would allow Medicare Part D enrollees to purchase monthly drugs for $2 or less. Provides projected financial impact of the model, such as out of pocket (OOP) costs for individual drugs as well as OOP changes for enrollees, with breakdowns by demographic variables, including urban, rural-micropolitan, rural-other, or unclassified location.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
view details
Discusses the Medicare $2 Drug List (M2DL) Model, which would allow Medicare Part D enrollees to purchase monthly drugs for $2 or less. Provides projected financial impact of the model, such as out of pocket (OOP) costs for individual drugs as well as OOP changes for enrollees, with breakdowns by demographic variables, including urban, rural-micropolitan, rural-other, or unclassified location.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
view details
Trends in Medicaid and CHIP Telehealth, 2019-2021 Part II: Medicaid and CHIP Telehealth Utilization Trends by Enrollee and Provider Rurality
Explores trends in the use of telehealth among Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees before and during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). Compares trends between rural and urban enrollees, enrollees that reside in primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and by providers' rural or urban location.
Author(s): Anupama Warrier, Amelia Whitman, Aiden Lee, et al.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
view details
Explores trends in the use of telehealth among Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees before and during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). Compares trends between rural and urban enrollees, enrollees that reside in primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and by providers' rural or urban location.
Author(s): Anupama Warrier, Amelia Whitman, Aiden Lee, et al.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
view details
How Community Health Centers Respond to Rural Hospital Closures
Describes how community health centers work to fill gaps in healthcare services and impact the economy when a local rural hospital closes.
Author(s): Nick Widmyer, Lena Ben-Gideon
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
view details
Describes how community health centers work to fill gaps in healthcare services and impact the economy when a local rural hospital closes.
Author(s): Nick Widmyer, Lena Ben-Gideon
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
view details
Civil Rights and Disparities in Pediatric Healthcare Access for Racial and Ethnic Minority Families in Arizona
Reports on disparities in pediatric healthcare access and quality experienced by racial and ethnic minority families in Arizona. Discusses primary findings based on testimony heard by the Arizona Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and provides suggestions to address civil rights concerns related to pediatric healthcare. Includes findings related to insurance, foster youth, healthcare provider shortages, data collection, and bias, among other topics. Discusses rural and tribal health throughout.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
view details
Reports on disparities in pediatric healthcare access and quality experienced by racial and ethnic minority families in Arizona. Discusses primary findings based on testimony heard by the Arizona Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and provides suggestions to address civil rights concerns related to pediatric healthcare. Includes findings related to insurance, foster youth, healthcare provider shortages, data collection, and bias, among other topics. Discusses rural and tribal health throughout.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
view details