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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

States' Use of Cost-Based Reimbursement for Medicaid Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Explains cost-based reimbursement for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Documents which of the 45 states with CAHs utilize a cost-based reimbursement methodology for Medicaid.
Author(s): Andrea Radford, Mike Hamon, Caitlin Nelligan
Date: 04/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Alternatives to the Outpatient Prospective Payment System: Assessing the Impact on Rural Hospitals
Explores alternatives to Medicare's Outpatient Prospective Payment System and how these options would affect rural hospitals.
Author(s): Janet Pagan-Sutton, Claudia Schur, Katie Merrell
Date: 04/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Why Definitions Matter: Rural Definitions and State Poverty Rankings
Illustrates the importance of understanding the various definitions of rural and examines the differences in state poverty rates when the two definitions of rural are employed.
Author(s): Kathleen Miller
Date: 03/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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Models for Quality Improvement in Critical Access Hospitals: The Role of State Flex Programs
Examines the scope of multi-Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality improvement and performance measurement reporting initiatives supported by the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Program) in 9 states. Addresses how the Flex Program has been instrumental in funding and providing leadership for the development of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) quality improvement initiatives.
Additional links: Policy Brief: The Role of State Flex Programs in Supporting Quality Improvement in Critical Access Hospitals
Author(s): Andrew Coburn, John Gale, Melanie Race, Mark Richards, Anush Hansen
Date: 03/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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The Effect of Medicare Part D Plan Switching and Formulary Changes on Sole Community Pharmacies and the Patients They Serve
Presents findings from a survey of sole community independent pharmacies owned by pharmacists. Focuses on the impact of the Medicare Part D program.
Author(s): Michelle Lampman, Andrea Radford, Anh Nguyen
Date: 03/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2010
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report.
Date: 03/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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February 2010: A Dramatic Shift Away from Private Fee-for-Service Plans in Rural Medicare Advantage Enrollment
Discusses the decline in private fee-for-service (PFFS) enrollment in rural areas and as a result, Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment in those areas, excluding other prepaid plans, fell slightly in early 2010 for the first time in years.
Author(s): Leah Kemper, Timothy D. McBride, M. Katherine Stone, Keith Mueller
Date: 03/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Connecting America: The National Broadband Plan
Includes the executive summary and full text of the National Broadband Plan, which began taking form in April 2009 and was finalized in March 2010. The plan makes recommendations to the FCC, the Executive Branch, Congress and state and local governments. Chapter 10 focuses on healthcare, and includes some information specific to rural health care facilities.
Date: 03/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Includes the entire text of the 2010 healthcare reform law The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed into law in March 2010. The main provisions of the legislation focus on improving healthcare through expanded coverage, reduced costs, and regulatory accountability.
Date: 01/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Congress
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Disseminating Rural Health Research to Community, State and National Audiences: A Communications Toolkit for Health Researchers
Includes approaches for developing various research-related documents and disseminating rural health research results.
Author(s): Wendy Opsahl, Patricia Moulton, Alex McEllistrem-Evenson, Holly Gabriel, Amanda Scurry
Date: 01/2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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