Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities
Hospital Financing: Volume Limits and Reporting Could Help Manage Risks of Expanding FHA's Mortgage Insurance Program
Describes the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program, which insures loans for capital improvements at hospitals; loans insured through the program between 2000 and 2022. Explores characteristics of hospitals ineligible for the program that may impact their financing options. Examines the potential effects and risks of extending Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program eligibility to currently ineligible hospital types on program participation risks. Offers recommendations to Congress if it decides to expand program eligibility to hospitals that primarily provide non-acute care services.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Describes the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program, which insures loans for capital improvements at hospitals; loans insured through the program between 2000 and 2022. Explores characteristics of hospitals ineligible for the program that may impact their financing options. Examines the potential effects and risks of extending Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program eligibility to currently ineligible hospital types on program participation risks. Offers recommendations to Congress if it decides to expand program eligibility to hospitals that primarily provide non-acute care services.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Billing Requirements for Intensive Outpatient Program Services for Federally Qualified Health Centers & Rural Health Clinics
Provides an overview of Medicare coverage for intensive outpatient program (IOP) services and billing requirements for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of Medicare coverage for intensive outpatient program (IOP) services and billing requirements for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Place of Care in the Last Three Years of Life for Medicare Beneficiaries
Examines place of care during the last 3 years of life according to days of institutional care (hospital inpatient or skilled nursing facility), skilled home care (home healthcare or hospice), or personal home. Analyzes sociodemographic factors of 199,828 Medicare beneficiaries, with data broken down by median days in care, age at death, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance type, health conditions, and metro versus nonmetro neighborhood.
Author(s): Haiqun Lin, Irina B. Grafova, Anum Zafar, et al.
Citation: BMC Geriatrics, 24, 91
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Examines place of care during the last 3 years of life according to days of institutional care (hospital inpatient or skilled nursing facility), skilled home care (home healthcare or hospice), or personal home. Analyzes sociodemographic factors of 199,828 Medicare beneficiaries, with data broken down by median days in care, age at death, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance type, health conditions, and metro versus nonmetro neighborhood.
Author(s): Haiqun Lin, Irina B. Grafova, Anum Zafar, et al.
Citation: BMC Geriatrics, 24, 91
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Expanding the Care Team: Leveraging a Broad Workforce to Improve Health Care in Kansas
Discusses challenges facing the healthcare landscape in Kansas, such as hospital closures and healthcare workforce shortages, and how expanding healthcare teams to include professions like community paramedics and community health workers can help alleviate these challenges. Includes data on demographics of the Kansas population and related hospital closures that impact rural areas in particular.
Author(s): Valentina Blanchard, Wyatt J. Beckman, Linda J. Sheppard
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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Discusses challenges facing the healthcare landscape in Kansas, such as hospital closures and healthcare workforce shortages, and how expanding healthcare teams to include professions like community paramedics and community health workers can help alleviate these challenges. Includes data on demographics of the Kansas population and related hospital closures that impact rural areas in particular.
Author(s): Valentina Blanchard, Wyatt J. Beckman, Linda J. Sheppard
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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CAH Staff Perspectives on use of EHRs for Quality Measure Activities
Summarizes interviews with eight Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) regarding electronic health record (EHR) use for quality measurement and improvement activities. Describes strengths and challenges for CAHs using EHRs for quality-related activities. Discusses the CAHs' readiness for, and concerns about, new health equity and social drivers of health quality measures.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Abigail Wenninger, Dori Cross, Ben C.D. Weideman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Summarizes interviews with eight Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) regarding electronic health record (EHR) use for quality measurement and improvement activities. Describes strengths and challenges for CAHs using EHRs for quality-related activities. Discusses the CAHs' readiness for, and concerns about, new health equity and social drivers of health quality measures.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Abigail Wenninger, Dori Cross, Ben C.D. Weideman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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EHR Capabilities and Interoperability in Critical Access Hospitals
Explores the electronic health record (EHR) and interoperable health information exchange capabilities among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2019. Analyzes 2019 American Hospital Association Information Technology Supplement (AHAIT) survey data, which includes data from nearly 700 CAHs. Compares EHR capabilities and the use of electronic methods for four interoperability domains by CAH status and system affiliation. Discusses how to support CAHs in advancing information sharing and using comprehensive EHRs.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Alyssa Furukawa, Megan Lahr, Dori Cross
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Explores the electronic health record (EHR) and interoperable health information exchange capabilities among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2019. Analyzes 2019 American Hospital Association Information Technology Supplement (AHAIT) survey data, which includes data from nearly 700 CAHs. Compares EHR capabilities and the use of electronic methods for four interoperability domains by CAH status and system affiliation. Discusses how to support CAHs in advancing information sharing and using comprehensive EHRs.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Alyssa Furukawa, Megan Lahr, Dori Cross
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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A Comparison of 2017-19 Uncompensated Care of Rural and Urban Hospitals by Net Patient Revenue, System Affiliation, and Ownership
Examines the association between uncompensated care and three factors - net patient revenue, system affiliation, and ownership - using Medicare Cost Report data from 2017-2019. Compares rates of uncompensated care as a percentage of operating expenses across Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals, and urban PPS hospitals.
Author(s): Emmaline Keesee, Susie Gurzenda, Kristie Thompson, George Pink
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Examines the association between uncompensated care and three factors - net patient revenue, system affiliation, and ownership - using Medicare Cost Report data from 2017-2019. Compares rates of uncompensated care as a percentage of operating expenses across Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals, and urban PPS hospitals.
Author(s): Emmaline Keesee, Susie Gurzenda, Kristie Thompson, George Pink
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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January 2024 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Discusses status reports on ambulatory surgical centers, Medicare Part D, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for standardized benefits in Medicare Advantage plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2024 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Discusses status reports on ambulatory surgical centers, Medicare Part D, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as policy options for standardized benefits in Medicare Advantage plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Legislative Action Bridging Public Health and Clinical Healthcare
Discusses legislation that relates to equitable access to healthcare, with a focus on telehealth, infrastructure, safety net services, management of healthcare costs, and the expansion of the healthcare workforce. Includes information on access to emergency departments in rural areas and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Author(s): Ashley Cram, Brianna Gorman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Discusses legislation that relates to equitable access to healthcare, with a focus on telehealth, infrastructure, safety net services, management of healthcare costs, and the expansion of the healthcare workforce. Includes information on access to emergency departments in rural areas and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Author(s): Ashley Cram, Brianna Gorman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Nursing Home Closures and Access to Post-Acute Care and Long-Term Care Services in Rural Areas
Examines distance to care for residents needing post-acute care (PAC) and long-term care (LTC) services. Analyzes nursing home closures from 2008 to 2018 and identifies closest PAC and LTC services in rural versus urban areas, with data broken down by population demographics, nursing home characteristics, and distance to providers.
Author(s): Hari Sharma, Redwan Bin Abdul Baten, Fred Ullrich, A. Clint MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Examines distance to care for residents needing post-acute care (PAC) and long-term care (LTC) services. Analyzes nursing home closures from 2008 to 2018 and identifies closest PAC and LTC services in rural versus urban areas, with data broken down by population demographics, nursing home characteristics, and distance to providers.
Author(s): Hari Sharma, Redwan Bin Abdul Baten, Fred Ullrich, A. Clint MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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