Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Post-acute care
History of the Swing Bed: A Look Through the Rural Rearview Mirror
Reviews the history of the swing bed program, which helps rural hospitals serve patients and the community through provision of post-acute care. Shares insights from experts who describe early implementation and key program elements that have contributed to the program's success.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Reviews the history of the swing bed program, which helps rural hospitals serve patients and the community through provision of post-acute care. Shares insights from experts who describe early implementation and key program elements that have contributed to the program's success.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Understanding the Rural Swing Bed: More than Just a Reimbursement Policy
Provides an overview of the swing bed program and its role as a patient-centric post-acute care solution that helps rural hospitals serve their communities. Discusses the impact of the program, reimbursement, quality measures, and more.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Provides an overview of the swing bed program and its role as a patient-centric post-acute care solution that helps rural hospitals serve their communities. Discusses the impact of the program, reimbursement, quality measures, and more.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Understanding Adaptations in the Veteran Health Administration's Transitions Nurse Program: Refining Methodology and Pragmatic Implications for Scale-up
Highlights a study on adaptations to the rural Transitions Nurse Program (TNP) in Veterans Health Administration facilities. Focuses on TNP sites and discusses the adaptations and lessons learned from each.
Author(s): Michaela S. McCarthy, Lexus L. Ujano-De Motta, Mary A. Nunnery, et al.
Citation: Implementation Science, 16, 71
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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Highlights a study on adaptations to the rural Transitions Nurse Program (TNP) in Veterans Health Administration facilities. Focuses on TNP sites and discusses the adaptations and lessons learned from each.
Author(s): Michaela S. McCarthy, Lexus L. Ujano-De Motta, Mary A. Nunnery, et al.
Citation: Implementation Science, 16, 71
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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Post-Acute Care Trajectories for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries: Planned versus Actual Hospital Discharges to Skilled Nursing Facilities and Home Health Agencies
Examines care transitions among rural fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries following discharge from an acute care hospital. Compares planned and actual discharges to home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities. Discusses implications of these findings on rural healthcare policy and practice.
Author(s): Tracy M. Mroz, Lisa A. Garberson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, et al.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Examines care transitions among rural fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries following discharge from an acute care hospital. Compares planned and actual discharges to home health agencies and skilled nursing facilities. Discusses implications of these findings on rural healthcare policy and practice.
Author(s): Tracy M. Mroz, Lisa A. Garberson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, et al.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2021
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. Contains information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Medicare beneficiary healthcare access, mortality, and service use. Presents an option for Medicare's coverage of telehealth beyond the public health emergency.
Date: 03/2021
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. Contains information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Medicare beneficiary healthcare access, mortality, and service use. Presents an option for Medicare's coverage of telehealth beyond the public health emergency.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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The Effect of Medicare Payment Standardization Methods on the Perceived Cost of Post-Acute Swing Bed Care in Critical Access Hospitals
Discusses the different payment systems the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) uses to reimburse for post-acute care in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), prospective payment system (IPPS) hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Describes how the payment standardization methods may influence post-acute care discharge patterns and access to care for rural residents. Examines the effects of these payment methods on the perceived cost of CAH swing bed care as it relates to the Medicare Spending per Beneficiary performance measure.
Author(s): Tyler Malone, Denise Kirk, Kristin Reiter
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Discusses the different payment systems the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) uses to reimburse for post-acute care in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), prospective payment system (IPPS) hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Describes how the payment standardization methods may influence post-acute care discharge patterns and access to care for rural residents. Examines the effects of these payment methods on the perceived cost of CAH swing bed care as it relates to the Medicare Spending per Beneficiary performance measure.
Author(s): Tyler Malone, Denise Kirk, Kristin Reiter
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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January 2021 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2021 meeting. Features a discussion on the expansion of telehealth in Medicare. Also covers payment adequacy and updates for hospital inpatient and outpatient services and the mandated report expanding the post-acute care transfer policy to hospice, physician and other health professional services, ambulatory surgical center services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, long-term care hospital services, and CMMI's development and implementation of alternative payment models.
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2021 meeting. Features a discussion on the expansion of telehealth in Medicare. Also covers payment adequacy and updates for hospital inpatient and outpatient services and the mandated report expanding the post-acute care transfer policy to hospice, physician and other health professional services, ambulatory surgical center services, outpatient dialysis services, hospice services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, long-term care hospital services, and CMMI's development and implementation of alternative payment models.
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Severe Wound Care: Spending Declines May Reflect Site of Care Changes; Limited Information Is Available on Quality
Reports on an analysis of where Medicare beneficiaries received care for severe wounds in 2018 and Medicare payment for these services. Provides an overview of the implementation of a dual payment system for long-term care hospitals in 2016, and examines how the dual payment system affected the availability and quality of severe wound care for Medicare beneficiaries. Includes data on severe wound care by facility type in addition to Medicare spending by urban and rural location.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Reports on an analysis of where Medicare beneficiaries received care for severe wounds in 2018 and Medicare payment for these services. Provides an overview of the implementation of a dual payment system for long-term care hospitals in 2016, and examines how the dual payment system affected the availability and quality of severe wound care for Medicare beneficiaries. Includes data on severe wound care by facility type in addition to Medicare spending by urban and rural location.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) Demonstration Evaluation: Final Evaluation Report
Presents findings from an evaluation of the Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) Demonstration. Describes the three possible interventions, including their impact, progress and accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned. Identifies commonalities that emerged across the FCHIP interventions that may inform future demonstrations among rural healthcare providers.
Additional links: Findings At-A-Glance
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Presents findings from an evaluation of the Frontier Community Health Integration Project (FCHIP) Demonstration. Describes the three possible interventions, including their impact, progress and accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned. Identifies commonalities that emerged across the FCHIP interventions that may inform future demonstrations among rural healthcare providers.
Additional links: Findings At-A-Glance
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Blue Mountain Strengthens Community Partnerships Amidst the Pandemic
Discusses how Blue Mountain Hospital (BMH), an 11-bed Critical Access Hospital in Blanding, Utah, has worked to build strategic partnerships and increase opportunities to promote staff relationships. Describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the swing bed program and BMH's support of surrounding tribal communities.
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Discusses how Blue Mountain Hospital (BMH), an 11-bed Critical Access Hospital in Blanding, Utah, has worked to build strategic partnerships and increase opportunities to promote staff relationships. Describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the swing bed program and BMH's support of surrounding tribal communities.
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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