Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Medicaid
Reconsidering and Measuring Patient Access in Medicaid
Discusses ways to measure patient access and coverage of those enrolled in Medicaid, focusing on their insurance plan quality, reimbursement rates, and clinician networks. Considers policy impacts on rural areas.
Author(s): Benjamin D. Sommers, Renuka Tipirneni
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(4)
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Discusses ways to measure patient access and coverage of those enrolled in Medicaid, focusing on their insurance plan quality, reimbursement rates, and clinician networks. Considers policy impacts on rural areas.
Author(s): Benjamin D. Sommers, Renuka Tipirneni
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(4)
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Transforming Oral Health Care in North Carolina
Makes recommendations for improving oral health access, supporting oral care workforce and providers, and promoting oral health quality and equity in North Carolina. Discusses oral health in rural and underserved areas throughout, including coverage of workforce distribution, dental safety net, and access barriers.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Institute of Medicine
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Makes recommendations for improving oral health access, supporting oral care workforce and providers, and promoting oral health quality and equity in North Carolina. Discusses oral health in rural and underserved areas throughout, including coverage of workforce distribution, dental safety net, and access barriers.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Institute of Medicine
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Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting Final Rule (CMS 3442-F)
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule for minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities. Details three core staffing proposals: 1) minimum nurse staffing standards; 2) a requirement to have an RN onsite 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and 3) enhanced facility assessment requirements. Outlines a staggered implementation approach, including a later implementation date for rural facilities, and hardship exemption qualification requirements. Also describes Medicaid payment transparency reporting provisions for nursing and intermediate care facilities related to the percentage of Medicaid funds spent on compensation to direct care workers and support staff.
Additional links: External FAQs
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule for minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities. Details three core staffing proposals: 1) minimum nurse staffing standards; 2) a requirement to have an RN onsite 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and 3) enhanced facility assessment requirements. Outlines a staggered implementation approach, including a later implementation date for rural facilities, and hardship exemption qualification requirements. Also describes Medicaid payment transparency reporting provisions for nursing and intermediate care facilities related to the percentage of Medicaid funds spent on compensation to direct care workers and support staff.
Additional links: External FAQs
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Protecting, Connecting and Thriving: Rural Public Health and Healthcare
Webinar recording of a panel discussing rural public health topics including rural health disparities, mortality, COVID-19, Medicaid coverage, primary care, graduate medical education, and services for veterans. Transcript is available in the video description.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: The RURAL Study, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
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Webinar recording of a panel discussing rural public health topics including rural health disparities, mortality, COVID-19, Medicaid coverage, primary care, graduate medical education, and services for veterans. Transcript is available in the video description.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: The RURAL Study, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
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Primary Care Spending in Medicare Fee-for-Service: An Illustrative Analysis Using Alternative Definitions of Primary Care
Discusses the importance of primary care to promote positive health outcomes and how reimbursement rates illustrate what healthcare areas are given priority. Utilizes Medicare fee-for-service data to estimate primary care spending and provides data breakdowns according to sex, race, age, insurance status, rural versus urban location, and more.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Discusses the importance of primary care to promote positive health outcomes and how reimbursement rates illustrate what healthcare areas are given priority. Utilizes Medicare fee-for-service data to estimate primary care spending and provides data breakdowns according to sex, race, age, insurance status, rural versus urban location, and more.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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A Lack of Behavioral Health Providers in Medicare and Medicaid Impedes Enrollees' Access to Care
Examines the availability of behavioral health providers who actively serve Medicare or Medicaid enrollees in 20 counties, 10 urban and 10 rural, across 10 states in 2021. Explores the extent to which traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid enrollees received behavioral health services and whether they used telehealth or in-person services. Offers recommendations to encourage more behavioral health providers to serve these enrollees and expand coverage to additional behavioral health provider types. Includes rural and urban comparisons throughout.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Examines the availability of behavioral health providers who actively serve Medicare or Medicaid enrollees in 20 counties, 10 urban and 10 rural, across 10 states in 2021. Explores the extent to which traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid enrollees received behavioral health services and whether they used telehealth or in-person services. Offers recommendations to encourage more behavioral health providers to serve these enrollees and expand coverage to additional behavioral health provider types. Includes rural and urban comparisons throughout.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Identifying Rural Health Clinics Within the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) Analytic Files
Provides an overview and history of the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Program and the services provided to Medicaid recipients. Examines the methodology for locating RHC encounters within Medicaid claims files utilizing the Transformed Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) Analytic Files.
Author(s): Katherine Ahrens, Zachariah Croll, Yvonne Jonk, John Gale, Heidi O'Connor
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Provides an overview and history of the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Program and the services provided to Medicaid recipients. Examines the methodology for locating RHC encounters within Medicaid claims files utilizing the Transformed Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) Analytic Files.
Author(s): Katherine Ahrens, Zachariah Croll, Yvonne Jonk, John Gale, Heidi O'Connor
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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The State of Georgia's Healthcare System
Fact sheet on income-based gaps in healthcare coverage in Georgia. Provides county-level maps and data on areas with the most significant coverage gaps, economic impacts of uninsured population, rural hospital and provider shortages, and more.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Budget & Policy Institute (GBPI)
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Fact sheet on income-based gaps in healthcare coverage in Georgia. Provides county-level maps and data on areas with the most significant coverage gaps, economic impacts of uninsured population, rural hospital and provider shortages, and more.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Budget & Policy Institute (GBPI)
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, March 2024
Reports on three aspects of Medicaid of interest to Congress: 1) improving the Medicaid beneficiary experience through Medical Care Advisory Committees (MCACs) and federal government actions to aid states, 2) increasing the transparency and improving the monitoring of the denials and appeals process in Medicaid managed care, and 3) reviewing hospital payment policy for the nation's safety-net hospitals. Chapter 3 examines the relationship between disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments to states and the number of uninsured individuals, the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs, and the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs. Table 3-1 details DSH spending for urban and rural hospitals and for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Reports on three aspects of Medicaid of interest to Congress: 1) improving the Medicaid beneficiary experience through Medical Care Advisory Committees (MCACs) and federal government actions to aid states, 2) increasing the transparency and improving the monitoring of the denials and appeals process in Medicaid managed care, and 3) reviewing hospital payment policy for the nation's safety-net hospitals. Chapter 3 examines the relationship between disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments to states and the number of uninsured individuals, the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs, and the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs. Table 3-1 details DSH spending for urban and rural hospitals and for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2024
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D. Includes two mandated reports on special needs plans for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D. Includes two mandated reports on special needs plans for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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