Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Legislation and regulations
MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System and the Long-term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System for FY 2020
Comments on a May 3, 2019, Federal Register proposed rule revising the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment systems. Addresses proposed changes to the hospital wage index, including rural floor calculations, uncompensated care measurements that affect disproportionate share (DSH) payments, inpatient and outpatient proposals related to drugs and devices, and the LTCH prospective payment system.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on a May 3, 2019, Federal Register proposed rule revising the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment systems. Addresses proposed changes to the hospital wage index, including rural floor calculations, uncompensated care measurements that affect disproportionate share (DSH) payments, inpatient and outpatient proposals related to drugs and devices, and the LTCH prospective payment system.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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In Support of Family Caregivers: A Snapshot of Five States
Examines policies developed in Washington, Minnesota, Hawaii, Tennessee, and Maine to support family caregivers, including those in rural areas. Features demographic characteristics of the states profiled, state expenditures by the Administration for Community Living in FY2016 on older adults and caregivers, and data on state Medicaid policies affecting these groups.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Jennifer Aufill, Julia Burgdorf, Jennifer Wolff
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Milbank Memorial Fund, The John A. Hartford Foundation
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Examines policies developed in Washington, Minnesota, Hawaii, Tennessee, and Maine to support family caregivers, including those in rural areas. Features demographic characteristics of the states profiled, state expenditures by the Administration for Community Living in FY2016 on older adults and caregivers, and data on state Medicaid policies affecting these groups.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Jennifer Aufill, Julia Burgdorf, Jennifer Wolff
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Milbank Memorial Fund, The John A. Hartford Foundation
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Lower Health Care Costs Act
Recording of a U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on the Lower Health Care Costs Act, which covers access to healthcare, surprise medical bills, market competition, drug prices, and other issues. Includes testimony from an organization that works primarily with small and rural practices, the American Hospital Association, American Enterprise Institute, and others.
Additional links: Benedic N. Ippolito Testimony, Sean Cavanaugh Testimony, Tom Nickels Testimony
Date: 06/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Recording of a U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on the Lower Health Care Costs Act, which covers access to healthcare, surprise medical bills, market competition, drug prices, and other issues. Includes testimony from an organization that works primarily with small and rural practices, the American Hospital Association, American Enterprise Institute, and others.
Additional links: Benedic N. Ippolito Testimony, Sean Cavanaugh Testimony, Tom Nickels Testimony
Date: 06/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Skilled Nursing Facility PPS for FY 2020
Comments on an April 25, 2019, Federal Register proposed rule updating payments for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) and SNF quality reporting. Addresses proposed changes to the wage index system that would adjust for geographical differences, potentially impacting rural areas.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on an April 25, 2019, Federal Register proposed rule updating payments for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) and SNF quality reporting. Addresses proposed changes to the wage index system that would adjust for geographical differences, potentially impacting rural areas.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on Hospice for FY 2020
Comments on an April 25, 2019, Federal Register proposed rule updating payments for hospice and hospice quality reporting. Addresses proposed changes to the wage index system that would adjust for geographical differences, potentially impacting rural areas.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on an April 25, 2019, Federal Register proposed rule updating payments for hospice and hospice quality reporting. Addresses proposed changes to the wage index system that would adjust for geographical differences, potentially impacting rural areas.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility PPS for FY 2020
Comments on an April 24, 2019, Federal Register proposed rule updating payments for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs) and IRF quality reporting. Addresses proposed changes to the wage index system that would adjust for geographical differences, potentially impacting rural areas.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on an April 24, 2019, Federal Register proposed rule updating payments for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs) and IRF quality reporting. Addresses proposed changes to the wage index system that would adjust for geographical differences, potentially impacting rural areas.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Cost-Sharing as a Barrier to Accessing Care at FQHCs and RHCs for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Results of a national study investigating cost barriers, using data acquired after enactment of the Affordable Care Act and viewed from perspectives other than ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations. Features statistics including descriptive data of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) from the study sample, with breakdowns by rural and urban location.
Author(s): Alex R. Schulte, George H. Pink, Mark Holmes, Denise Kirk
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Results of a national study investigating cost barriers, using data acquired after enactment of the Affordable Care Act and viewed from perspectives other than ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations. Features statistics including descriptive data of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) from the study sample, with breakdowns by rural and urban location.
Author(s): Alex R. Schulte, George H. Pink, Mark Holmes, Denise Kirk
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Investing in America's Health Care
Recording of a U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing on a wide variety of healthcare bills addressing funding for community health centers, teaching health centers, the National Health Service Corps, a tribal diabetes program, the National Quality Forum, Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments, and more. Includes testimony from Shasta Community Health Center, Vidant Health, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, Medicare Rights Center, and others.
Additional links: C. Dean Germano Testimony, Diana Autin Testimony, Fred Riccardi Testimony, Michael Waldrum Testimony, Thomas Barker Testimony
Date: 06/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Recording of a U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing on a wide variety of healthcare bills addressing funding for community health centers, teaching health centers, the National Health Service Corps, a tribal diabetes program, the National Quality Forum, Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments, and more. Includes testimony from Shasta Community Health Center, Vidant Health, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, Medicare Rights Center, and others.
Additional links: C. Dean Germano Testimony, Diana Autin Testimony, Fred Riccardi Testimony, Michael Waldrum Testimony, Thomas Barker Testimony
Date: 06/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Infectious Diseases Society of America Position Statement on Telehealth and Telemedicine as Applied to the Practice of Infectious Diseases
Position statement to educate members of the Infectious Diseases Society of America on telehealth and to promote use of this technology in clinical care, research, and education. Explores the potential to increase access to subspecialist care in rural areas, and describes reimbursement policies of private insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid, for telehealth services provided to patients in rural areas. Also describes HIPAA requirements for telehealth interactions and protected health information.
Author(s): Jeremy D. Young, Rima Abdel-Massih, Thomas Herchline, et al.
Citation: Clinical Infectious Diseases, 68(9), 1437-1443
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
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Position statement to educate members of the Infectious Diseases Society of America on telehealth and to promote use of this technology in clinical care, research, and education. Explores the potential to increase access to subspecialist care in rural areas, and describes reimbursement policies of private insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid, for telehealth services provided to patients in rural areas. Also describes HIPAA requirements for telehealth interactions and protected health information.
Author(s): Jeremy D. Young, Rima Abdel-Massih, Thomas Herchline, et al.
Citation: Clinical Infectious Diseases, 68(9), 1437-1443
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
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A Tale of Two Public Dental Benefit Programs: Iowa Dentist Participation in Traditional Medicaid Versus a Medicaid Expansion Program
Examines differences in dentist participation in Iowa's Dental Wellness Plan and Medicaid programs and discusses the policy implications for oral health access. Addresses differences in rural and urban participation in both programs.
Author(s): Julie C. Reynolds, Susan C. McKernan, Peter C. Damiano, Raymond A. Kuthy
Citation: BMC Oral Health, 19, 89
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
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Examines differences in dentist participation in Iowa's Dental Wellness Plan and Medicaid programs and discusses the policy implications for oral health access. Addresses differences in rural and urban participation in both programs.
Author(s): Julie C. Reynolds, Susan C. McKernan, Peter C. Damiano, Raymond A. Kuthy
Citation: BMC Oral Health, 19, 89
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
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