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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities

Rural Hospitals' Strategies for Achieving Compliance with HIPAA Privacy Requirements
Discusses a survey of hospital administrators in rural areas regarding the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Includes an overview of HIPAA compliance efforts in rural hospitals, as well as examples of specific strategies to meet HIPAA requirements.
Date: 03/2004
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2004
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussion of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report. Includes discussion of the growth of Medicare spending and quality of care Medicare recipients receive.
Date: 03/2004
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural Health Research in Progress in the Rural Health Research Centers Program, 8th Edition
Describes the research and policy analysis projects underway in the Rural Health Research Centers Program of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP). Projects are arranged by topic, with indexes by funding source, center, and project title.
Date: 02/2004
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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The Financial Benefits of Critical Access Hospital Conversion for FY 1999 and FY 2000 Converters
Discusses the impact of conversion to Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status on the financial condition of rural hospitals one and two years after conversion. CAHs' pre- and post-conversion revenues are compared, and CAH revenues are compared to small rural hospitals that did not convert to cost-based Medicare reimbursement.
Author(s): Jeffrey Stensland, Gestur Davidson, Ira Moscovice
Date: 01/2004
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-173): A Summary of Provisions Important to Rural Health Care Delivery
Overview of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-173) as it relates to rural healthcare. Includes information on how this Act impacts beneficiaries, healthcare access, and payments to rural healthcare providers.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller
Date: 01/2004
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Rural Policy Research Institute
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Modeling the Frontier Extended Stay Clinic Conditions of Participation and Reimbursement Methodologies
Discusses the financial feasibility of the Frontier Extended Stay Clinic (FESC), a proposed provider type to expand services in remote and isolated primary care clinics. Compares Medicare reimbursement for FESC status with Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Rural Health Clinic (RHC), and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) reimbursement. Includes detailed examples of financial impact for seven clinics in rural Alaska, Nevada, Washington, and Wyoming.
Date: 2004
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003
Text of the legislation that adds a prescription drug benefit to Medicare and enhances some rural healthcare programs, such as the Critical Access Hospitals program.
Date: 11/2003
Type: Document
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Rural-Urban Issues in the Wage Index Adjustment for Prospective Payment in Skilled Nursing Facilities
Discusses the use of the hospital wage index for the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system (SNF PPS) and how a change to an SNF wage index would impact rural and urban skilled nursing facilities. Also identifies some related issues that impact reimbursement to SNFs in both urban and rural areas.
Additional links: Findings Brief, January 2004
Author(s): Kathleen Dalton, Rebecca Slifkin
Date: 11/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Information Technology: Benefits Realized for Selected Health Care Functions
Describes cost savings and other benefits of information technology use in health care, including clinical care and administrative applications. Discusses examples from hospitals serving rural areas. Also includes examples of IT use by insurers for improved claims processing and customer service.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Medicare: Modest Eligibility Expansion for Critical Access Hospital Program Should Be Considered
Examines the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) program and makes recommendations on CAH eligibility related to the ban on inpatient psychiatric or rehabilitation distinct part units and the limit on patient census.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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