Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Medicare
March 2022 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2022 meeting. Covers findings from MedPAC's annual beneficiary and clinician focus groups, Medicare payment policies to support safety-net providers, opportunities to strengthen the geriatric workforce, integrating episode-based payment with population-based payment, and improving Medicare Advantage risk adjustment. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2022 meeting. Covers findings from MedPAC's annual beneficiary and clinician focus groups, Medicare payment policies to support safety-net providers, opportunities to strengthen the geriatric workforce, integrating episode-based payment with population-based payment, and improving Medicare Advantage risk adjustment. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Environmental Scan on Issues Related to the Development of Population-Based Total Cost of Care (TCOC) Models in the Broader Context of Alternative Payment Models (APMs) and Physician-Focused Payment Models (PFPMs)
Presents results of an environmental scan regarding population-based total cost of care (TCOC) payment models and the role these models can play in optimizing health care delivery and value-based transformation in the context of alternative payment models (APMs) and physician-focused payment models (PFPMs). Provides an overview of TCOC payment models, relevant performance and outcome measures used in reporting and evaluation, findings from research related to population-based models and programs that seek to reduce TCOC, barriers and challenges related to implementing population-based TCOC models, and opportunities for improving and optimizing efforts to develop and implement these models. Highlights rural considerations and examples throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Presents results of an environmental scan regarding population-based total cost of care (TCOC) payment models and the role these models can play in optimizing health care delivery and value-based transformation in the context of alternative payment models (APMs) and physician-focused payment models (PFPMs). Provides an overview of TCOC payment models, relevant performance and outcome measures used in reporting and evaluation, findings from research related to population-based models and programs that seek to reduce TCOC, barriers and challenges related to implementing population-based TCOC models, and opportunities for improving and optimizing efforts to develop and implement these models. Highlights rural considerations and examples throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2022
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 healthcare facilities and services, improving Medicare payment for post-acute care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and the impact of healthcare provider consolidation.
Date: 03/2022
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 healthcare facilities and services, improving Medicare payment for post-acute care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and the impact of healthcare provider consolidation.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Telehealth Has Played an Outsized Role Meeting Mental Health Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Explores usage of telehealth for physical and mental health outpatient visits between March 2019 and August 2021. Figure 3 shows use of mental health and substance use telehealth visits versus other outpatient telehealth visits, with rural versus urban comparisons. Includes a discussion about payment models for telehealth via private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Author(s): Justin Lo, Matthew Rae, Krutika Amin, et al.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Explores usage of telehealth for physical and mental health outpatient visits between March 2019 and August 2021. Figure 3 shows use of mental health and substance use telehealth visits versus other outpatient telehealth visits, with rural versus urban comparisons. Includes a discussion about payment models for telehealth via private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Author(s): Justin Lo, Matthew Rae, Krutika Amin, et al.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Measure Applications Partnership 2021-2022 Considerations for Implementing Measures in Federal Programs: Clinician, Hospital, and Post-Acute Care Long-Term Care
Reviews the 44 pre-rulemaking quality measures the National Quality Forum's Measure Applications Partnership (MAP) considered during the 2021-2022 cycle. Discusses measures for clinician programs, hospital and setting-specific programs, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Highlights the MAP Rural Health Workgroup's support or determination of the suitability of each measure for rural providers.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Reviews the 44 pre-rulemaking quality measures the National Quality Forum's Measure Applications Partnership (MAP) considered during the 2021-2022 cycle. Discusses measures for clinician programs, hospital and setting-specific programs, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Highlights the MAP Rural Health Workgroup's support or determination of the suitability of each measure for rural providers.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Evaluation of the Million Hearts® Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model: Fourth Annual Report
Evaluates the first four years of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Million Hearts Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model to determine whether, and how, it reduces first-time strokes, heart attacks, and Medicare spending. Covers participant characteristics, including rural or urban status and organization type; implementation of the model; changes in cardiovascular disease risk scores among high-risk beneficiaries; intermediate- and long-term impacts on beneficiaries; and the relevance of these findings to other research on cardiovascular disease prevention.
Author(s): Greg Peterson, Alli Steiner, Rhea Powell, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Evaluates the first four years of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Million Hearts Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model to determine whether, and how, it reduces first-time strokes, heart attacks, and Medicare spending. Covers participant characteristics, including rural or urban status and organization type; implementation of the model; changes in cardiovascular disease risk scores among high-risk beneficiaries; intermediate- and long-term impacts on beneficiaries; and the relevance of these findings to other research on cardiovascular disease prevention.
Author(s): Greg Peterson, Alli Steiner, Rhea Powell, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Medicare: Information on Geographic Adjustments to Physician Payments for Physicians' Time, Skills, and Effort
Provides an overview of the work geographic practice cost indices (GPCI), which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services uses to adjust Medicare physician payments to account for differences in the costs of providing care across various geographic locations. Examines the extent to which the work GPCI accounts for geographic variation in physician earnings and how Medicare payments could change under potential modifications to the work GPCI.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of the work geographic practice cost indices (GPCI), which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services uses to adjust Medicare physician payments to account for differences in the costs of providing care across various geographic locations. Examines the extent to which the work GPCI accounts for geographic variation in physician earnings and how Medicare payments could change under potential modifications to the work GPCI.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Quality of Home Health Agencies Serving Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Describes a study examining the quality of home health agencies (HHAs) that serve rural beneficiaries, based on ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services star rating system. Features statistics including characteristics of HHAs, patient care ratings, and patient experience ratings in 2018 by rural-serving status.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Describes a study examining the quality of home health agencies (HHAs) that serve rural beneficiaries, based on ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services star rating system. Features statistics including characteristics of HHAs, patient care ratings, and patient experience ratings in 2018 by rural-serving status.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Quality of Skilled Nursing Facilities Serving Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Policy paper describing a study examining the quality of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) that serve rural beneficiaries, based on ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services star rating system. Features statistics including characteristics of SNFs, overall star ratings, and staff star ratings in 2018 by rural-serving status.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Policy paper describing a study examining the quality of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) that serve rural beneficiaries, based on ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services star rating system. Features statistics including characteristics of SNFs, overall star ratings, and staff star ratings in 2018 by rural-serving status.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Meeting the Behavioral Health Needs of Farm Families in Times of Economic Distress
Offers strategies to support development and integration of behavioral health services across healthcare and community-based organizations, including leveraging payment systems to support coordinated care for farm families and aligning federal grant programs to address mental health and substance use disorders. Features recommendations including integrating primary and behavioral care for initial treatment of mental health and substance abuse concerns, expanding the workforce to improve rural behavioral health services capacity, increasing telehealth services, and expanding private and public insurance coverage.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Offers strategies to support development and integration of behavioral health services across healthcare and community-based organizations, including leveraging payment systems to support coordinated care for farm families and aligning federal grant programs to address mental health and substance use disorders. Features recommendations including integrating primary and behavioral care for initial treatment of mental health and substance abuse concerns, expanding the workforce to improve rural behavioral health services capacity, increasing telehealth services, and expanding private and public insurance coverage.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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