Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Medicare
MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2017
Includes chapters on implementing a unified payment system for post-acute care, Part B drug payment policies, the redesign of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and other alternative payment models, drug and device manufacturer payments to physicians and teaching hospitals, stand-alone emergency departments, and skilled nursing facility use. Rural hospitals and rural patient populations are discussed throughout the report.
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Includes chapters on implementing a unified payment system for post-acute care, Part B drug payment policies, the redesign of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and other alternative payment models, drug and device manufacturer payments to physicians and teaching hospitals, stand-alone emergency departments, and skilled nursing facility use. Rural hospitals and rural patient populations are discussed throughout the report.
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Compendium of Unimplemented Recommendations: May 2017
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 May 2017 edition include: Critical Access Hospital (CAH) swing bed reimbursement rates, Medicare payment policies, combating prescription opioid abuse, and quality compliance in Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals.
Date: 05/2017
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 May 2017 edition include: Critical Access Hospital (CAH) swing bed reimbursement rates, Medicare payment policies, combating prescription opioid abuse, and quality compliance in Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals.
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Federal Health Centers: An Overview
Explains the Federal Health Center program, with information relating to the statutory authority, program requirements, funding, location, patient populations, health outcomes, and more. Also discusses the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) designation, and how this designation affects Medicare and Medicaid payment levels.
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Explains the Federal Health Center program, with information relating to the statutory authority, program requirements, funding, location, patient populations, health outcomes, and more. Also discusses the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) designation, and how this designation affects Medicare and Medicaid payment levels.
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Health Care: Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring Use in Medicare and Selected Federal Programs
Examines factors affecting the provision of telehealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM) in Medicare and emerging payment and delivery models that could affect its future use. Analyzes data collected through review of agency documents and regulations, and interviews with officials representing 9 general and medical specialty associations familiar with telehealth. Includes state Medicaid reimbursement examples. Rural-specific implications are discussed throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines factors affecting the provision of telehealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM) in Medicare and emerging payment and delivery models that could affect its future use. Analyzes data collected through review of agency documents and regulations, and interviews with officials representing 9 general and medical specialty associations familiar with telehealth. Includes state Medicaid reimbursement examples. Rural-specific implications are discussed throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Issues Confronting Rural Pharmacies after a Decade of Medicare Part D
Discusses the major challenges facing rural independent pharmacies, focusing on delayed maximum allowable cost (MAC) adjustments, and direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees. Other challenges include competition from mail order pharmacies, being a non-preferred pharmacy, and orderly succession planning. Also examines the implications for rural communities when independent pharmacies close.
Author(s): Abiodun Salako, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Discusses the major challenges facing rural independent pharmacies, focusing on delayed maximum allowable cost (MAC) adjustments, and direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees. Other challenges include competition from mail order pharmacies, being a non-preferred pharmacy, and orderly succession planning. Also examines the implications for rural communities when independent pharmacies close.
Author(s): Abiodun Salako, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Global Budget Process as an Alternative Payment Model
Analyzes the all-payer hospital rate-setting system of McCready Health in rural Maryland. Discusses the Total Patient Revenue (TPR) system and corresponding essential functions such as rate setting, strategic planning, and care coordination.
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Analyzes the all-payer hospital rate-setting system of McCready Health in rural Maryland. Discusses the Total Patient Revenue (TPR) system and corresponding essential functions such as rate setting, strategic planning, and care coordination.
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2017
Provides an annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussions on Medicare payment policies that directly affect rural providers and beneficiaries. Analyses payment adequacy for home health, skilled nursing, long-term care hospitals, hospice, ambulatory surgical centers, and rehabilitation facilities.
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Provides an annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussions on Medicare payment policies that directly affect rural providers and beneficiaries. Analyses payment adequacy for home health, skilled nursing, long-term care hospitals, hospice, ambulatory surgical centers, and rehabilitation facilities.
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Health Care Innovation Awards (HCIA) Meta-Analysis and Evaluators Collaborative: Annual Report Year 2
Highlights key implementation and impact findings across 108 Health Care Innovation Awards (HCIA) grant recipients, based on work by 7 independent evaluators. Includes discussion of project experiences in rural areas.
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Highlights key implementation and impact findings across 108 Health Care Innovation Awards (HCIA) grant recipients, based on work by 7 independent evaluators. Includes discussion of project experiences in rural areas.
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Evaluation of Health Care Innovation Awards (HCIA): Primary Care Redesign Programs, Third Annual Report
Third annual evaluations for the Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects focused on primary care redesign, addressing a range of intervention models, target populations, and organizational settings. Presents findings on program impacts related to quality of care, service use, and medical spending. Includes projects serving rural areas.
Additional links: Addendum, August 2017
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica Policy Research
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Third annual evaluations for the Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects focused on primary care redesign, addressing a range of intervention models, target populations, and organizational settings. Presents findings on program impacts related to quality of care, service use, and medical spending. Includes projects serving rural areas.
Additional links: Addendum, August 2017
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica Policy Research
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Evaluation of the Health Care Innovation Awards: Community Resource Planning, Prevention, and Monitoring: Third Annual Report
Third annual evaluations of 24 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects focused on enhancing care coordination and healthcare access through the use of health information technology, care coordination/patient navigation, and health promotion and prevention services. Discusses awardees' progress and impact over the 3-year funding period from 2012 to 2015. Includes profiles of rural-focused projects, as well as projects serving rural and urban areas.
Additional links: Addendum, August 2017
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Third annual evaluations of 24 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects focused on enhancing care coordination and healthcare access through the use of health information technology, care coordination/patient navigation, and health promotion and prevention services. Discusses awardees' progress and impact over the 3-year funding period from 2012 to 2015. Includes profiles of rural-focused projects, as well as projects serving rural and urban areas.
Additional links: Addendum, August 2017
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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