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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Medicare

MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2020
Evaluates Medicare payment issues and offers recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Includes chapters on value-based payment in Medicare, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), the Medicare Advantage quality bonus program, the impact of changes in the 21st Century Cures Act to risk adjustment for Medicare Advantage enrollees, Medicare Part D, separately payable drugs in the hospital outpatient prospective payment system, and the Medicare end-stage renal disease prospective payment system. Examines the current payment policy for low-volume and rural dialysis facilities and proposes changes.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, June 2020
Semi-annual report to Congress from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Discusses care integration for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare, recommendations for increasing enrollment in Medicare Shared Savings Programs, the role of Medicaid in relation to TRICARE, how to address increasing mortality and morbidity among pregnant and postpartum women, and the effects of substance use disorder on pregnant and postpartum women and their infants. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Rural/Urban Disparities in Utilization of Diabetes Self-Management Training to the Fee-for-Service Medicare Population
Compares the utilization of Diabetes Self-Management Training (DSMT) services of Medicare recipients in rural and urban areas in 2016. Includes data on DSMT providers, service units, beneficiaries, and average utilization rate in rural and urban counties.
Author(s): Christian Rhudy, Aric Schadler, Jeffery C. Talbert
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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Rural/Urban Disparities in Utilization of Medical Nutrition Therapy to the Fee-for-Service Medicare Population
Compares the utilization of Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) services by Medicare recipients in rural and urban areas in 2016. Includes data on MNT providers, service units, beneficiaries, and average utilization rate in rural and urban counties.
Author(s): Christian Rhudy, Eugene Shin, Jeffery Talbert
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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Rural/Urban Disparities in the Utilization of Health and Behavioral Assessments/Interventions in the Fee-for-Service Medicare Population
Compares the utilization of Health and Behavioral Assessments and Interventions (HBAI) services by Medicare recipients in rural and urban areas. Includes data on HBAI providers, service units, beneficiaries, and average utilization rate in rural and urban counties.
Author(s): Christian Rhudy, Eugene Shin, Jeffery C. Talbert
Citation: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center Publications
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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CMS Roadmap: Strategy to Fight the Opioid Crisis
An overview of the efforts the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is undertaking to address the opioid epidemic. Highlights a three-pronged approach focusing on prevention, treatment, and data utilization to target prevention and treatment activities.
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Health Panel Comment Letter – Maternal and Infant Health Care in Rural Communities
Offers comments in response to the CMS Maternal and Infant Health Care in Rural Communities Request for Information. Describes Medicare cost reporting challenges for obstetric services at Critical Access Hospitals and possible changes to maternal health coverage under Medicaid.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Fact Sheet: Rural Community Hospital (RCH) Demonstration
Provides an overview of the Rural Community Hospital demonstration program. Describes reimbursement challenges that rural hospitals face and the early results of the program.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Access to Medicare Part D Plans: A Comparison of Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas
Policy brief focusing on the types of Medicare Part D plans offered in metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore locations. Offers comparisons between stand-alone plans and Medicare Advantage plans, in terms of premiums, benefits, and the manner in which these plans are offered.
Author(s): Mochamad Nataliansyah, Abiodun Salako, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller,
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility PPS for FY 2021
Comments on an April 21, 2020, Federal Register proposed rule addressing updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2021. Includes comments on the adoption of the Office of Management and Budget's geographic area delineations to determine wage index values.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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