Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Medicare
Improving Health in Rural Communities: FY 2021 Year in Review
Provides an overview of Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) programs and activities that have affected rural health and healthcare in fiscal year 2021. Focuses on 10 priority areas: COVID-19, Federally-facilitated and State Marketplaces; Medicare payment and policy; practitioner workforce; Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment, payment, and policy; long-term services and supports; maternal health; mental health and substance use disorders; models and demonstrations, and quality and equity.
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) programs and activities that have affected rural health and healthcare in fiscal year 2021. Focuses on 10 priority areas: COVID-19, Federally-facilitated and State Marketplaces; Medicare payment and policy; practitioner workforce; Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment, payment, and policy; long-term services and supports; maternal health; mental health and substance use disorders; models and demonstrations, and quality and equity.
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Medicare: Information on the Transition to Alternative Payment Models by Providers in Rural, Health Professional Shortage, or Underserved Areas
Describes the participation of providers in rural and health professional shortage areas in Advanced APMs from 2017 through 2019. Discusses challenges providers in rural, shortage, and underserved areas face in transitioning to APMs, as well as actions CMS takes to help these providers transition to APMs. Includes data by practice and provider type.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Describes the participation of providers in rural and health professional shortage areas in Advanced APMs from 2017 through 2019. Discusses challenges providers in rural, shortage, and underserved areas face in transitioning to APMs, as well as actions CMS takes to help these providers transition to APMs. Includes data by practice and provider type.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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MBQIP Quality Measures National Annual Report - 2020
Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2020. Presents data on the four Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: patient safety/inpatient, outpatient, patient engagement, and care transitions.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Nathan Bean, Ira Moscovice
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2020. Presents data on the four Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: patient safety/inpatient, outpatient, patient engagement, and care transitions.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Nathan Bean, Ira Moscovice
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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The Impact of Aging Baby Boomers in Rural America
Policy brief discussing the impact of the increasing proportion of the population turning 65 years old on rural communities. Offers policy recommendations for addressing barriers rural older adults face accessing healthcare and social services.
Author(s): Sarah Huling, Elizabeth Crouch, Whitney Zahnd
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing the impact of the increasing proportion of the population turning 65 years old on rural communities. Offers policy recommendations for addressing barriers rural older adults face accessing healthcare and social services.
Author(s): Sarah Huling, Elizabeth Crouch, Whitney Zahnd
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Caring for America: Legislation to Support Patients, Caregivers, and Providers
Recording of a U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing on legislation related to funding for behavioral and mental health services for the healthcare workforce; a loan repayment program for local, state, and tribal public health professionals; increasing diversity in allied health professions; improving health outcomes in underserved communities through the use of community health workers; and more. Includes testimony from the National Association of County and City Health Officials, Augusta University, Ballad Health, and others.
Additional links: Alan Levine, Ballad Health - Testimony, Brooks A. Keel, Augusta University - Testimony, Lisa Macon Harrison, National Association of County and City Health Officials - Testimony
Date: 10/2021
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 legislation related to funding for behavioral and mental health services for the healthcare workforce; a loan repayment program for local, state, and tribal public health professionals; increasing diversity in allied health professions; improving health outcomes in underserved communities through the use of community health workers; and more. Includes testimony from the National Association of County and City Health Officials, Augusta University, Ballad Health, and others.
Additional links: Alan Levine, Ballad Health - Testimony, Brooks A. Keel, Augusta University - Testimony, Lisa Macon Harrison, National Association of County and City Health Officials - Testimony
Date: 10/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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2021 CMS Hospital Quality Star Ratings of Rural Hospitals
Results of a study comparing the 2021 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Quality Star Rating results for rural and urban hospitals, comparing the 2021 and 2016 results for rural hospitals, and identifying implications for the usefulness of these ratings for rural hospitals. Features statistics including percentages of hospitals by Star Ratings with breakdowns by urban or rural location, and numbers of unrated rural hospitals by Medicare payment classification, net patient revenue, and census region.
Author(s): Laura Bozovich, Randall John, Kristie Thompson, George H. Pink
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Results of a study comparing the 2021 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Quality Star Rating results for rural and urban hospitals, comparing the 2021 and 2016 results for rural hospitals, and identifying implications for the usefulness of these ratings for rural hospitals. Features statistics including percentages of hospitals by Star Ratings with breakdowns by urban or rural location, and numbers of unrated rural hospitals by Medicare payment classification, net patient revenue, and census region.
Author(s): Laura Bozovich, Randall John, Kristie Thompson, George H. Pink
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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OIG's Top Unimplemented Recommendations: Solutions To Reduce Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in HHS Programs: October 2021
Annual report identifying the top 25 unimplemented recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) that, in OIG's view, would have the most substantial positive impact on Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Positive impact may refer to cost savings, program efficacy and efficiency, and/or quality improvement. Primary areas of interest in the October 2021 edition include: ensuring nursing homes are protecting residents from the spread of COVID-19; reforming the hospital wage index system; ensuring that Medicaid managed care enrollees have timely access to behavioral health services; and developing and implementing a staffing program for recruiting, retaining, and transitioning staff and leadership to remote Indian Health Service hospitals.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Annual report identifying the top 25 unimplemented recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) that, in OIG's view, would have the most substantial positive impact on Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Positive impact may refer to cost savings, program efficacy and efficiency, and/or quality improvement. Primary areas of interest in the October 2021 edition include: ensuring nursing homes are protecting residents from the spread of COVID-19; reforming the hospital wage index system; ensuring that Medicaid managed care enrollees have timely access to behavioral health services; and developing and implementing a staffing program for recruiting, retaining, and transitioning staff and leadership to remote Indian Health Service hospitals.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Fourth Evaluation Report: Next Generation Accountable Care Organization Model Evaluation
Reports on implementation experiences and outcomes for 41 Next Generation Accountable Care Organizations (NGACOs) that participated in the model in the 2019 performance year. Evaluates findings of the model to date by NGACO cohort. Also presents information on model-wide, cohort-level, and NGACO-level impacts on Medicare spending, utilization, and quality of care. Includes information on the extent to which NGACOs served rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Technical Appendices
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Reports on implementation experiences and outcomes for 41 Next Generation Accountable Care Organizations (NGACOs) that participated in the model in the 2019 performance year. Evaluates findings of the model to date by NGACO cohort. Also presents information on model-wide, cohort-level, and NGACO-level impacts on Medicare spending, utilization, and quality of care. Includes information on the extent to which NGACOs served rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Technical Appendices
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Driving Health System Transformation - A Strategy for the CMS Innovation Center's Second Decade
White paper describing the new vision and strategic objectives for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMS Innovation Center) for the next 10 years that seeks to achieve equitable health outcomes through the provision of high-quality, affordable, person-centered care. Shares beneficiary and healthcare provider goals for each strategic objective in Table 2. Strategic objectives include: driving accountable care, advancing health equity, supporting innovation, addressing affordability, and partnering to achieve healthcare system transformation. Includes discussion on models focused on improving rural health and ways of increasing participation in those models for rural and underserved populations.
Additional links: At a Glance
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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White paper describing the new vision and strategic objectives for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMS Innovation Center) for the next 10 years that seeks to achieve equitable health outcomes through the provision of high-quality, affordable, person-centered care. Shares beneficiary and healthcare provider goals for each strategic objective in Table 2. Strategic objectives include: driving accountable care, advancing health equity, supporting innovation, addressing affordability, and partnering to achieve healthcare system transformation. Includes discussion on models focused on improving rural health and ways of increasing participation in those models for rural and underserved populations.
Additional links: At a Glance
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Medicare: Provider Performance and Experiences Under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System
Examines Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data on Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance category scores, final scores, and payment adjustments from performance years 2017 through 2019. Summarizes interviews with 11 stakeholder groups and identifies strengths and challenges of the MIPS program. Presents data on MIPS performance scores and related payment adjustments by practice size, geographic location, method of participation, and specialty.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data on Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance category scores, final scores, and payment adjustments from performance years 2017 through 2019. Summarizes interviews with 11 stakeholder groups and identifies strengths and challenges of the MIPS program. Presents data on MIPS performance scores and related payment adjustments by practice size, geographic location, method of participation, and specialty.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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