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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Reimbursement and payment models

The Future of Rural Health
Describes the state of the rural healthcare system and the opportunities for improvement with the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Discusses core concepts of providing primary care, basic mental health and oral health services, surgery and obstetric, pharmacy, eye and audiology services, public health, new models of care, workforce issues, and more.
Author(s): Charlie Alfero, Tommy Barnhart, Darrold Bertsch, et al.
Date: 02/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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State Health Insurance Exchanges: Assessing Rural Implications of Statutes
Assesses state-based health insurance exchange programs established as a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Covers how exchanges affected rural marketplaces and focuses on market function, governance, enrollment, access standards, and certifying Qualified Health Plans (QHPs).
Author(s): Anthony R. Eves, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 02/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Options for Rural Health Care System Reform and Redesign
Examines options for rural healthcare infrastructure in a changing health care environment and reflects on previous work around the Affordable Care Act. Includes a discussion of the Frontier Extended Stay Clinic (FESC) and Frontier Community Health Integration Project (F-CHIP).
Date: 12/2012
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Implications of Proposed Changes to Rural Hospital Payment Designations
Discusses the short-term policy implications of proposed changes to the designation and payment guidelines for small rural hospitals. Focuses on proposed changes to rural Medicare payments for hospitals and physicians, as well as a proposal to change the CAH distance requirements.
Date: 12/2012
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Electronic Health Records: Number and Characteristics of Providers Awarded Medicare Incentive Payments for 2011
Reports on Medicare electronic health record incentive payments for 2011 to hospitals and healthcare providers. Compares incentive payments by geographic location including rural/urban breakdowns, hospital type including Critical Access Hospitals, and healthcare provider specialty.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 07/2012
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Rural Implications of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation
One of a series of policy briefs that focus on the rural implications of key provisions from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Includes policy recommendations that will be sent to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Date: 06/2012
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Serving Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Chapter five of MedPAC's Report to Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System. Covers rural Medicare beneficiaries, access to health services, rural vs urban coverage of care, health care quality in rural areas, and rural payment adjustments.
Date: 06/2012
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Anticipating the Rural Impact of Medicare Value-Based Purchasing
Describes the design and implementation of Medicare value-based purchasing (VBP) programs. Addresses the potential impact of these programs on rural healthcare providers. Includes discussion on the five provider types: Prospective Payment system (PPS) hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs), home health agencies, and physician office practices.
Author(s): A. Clinton MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller, Nicholas P. Lillios, et al.
Date: 04/2012
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2012
Reviews Medicare payment policies and covers policy recommendations to Congress. Discusses rural aspects of Medicare payment policies.
Date: 03/2012
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Pursuing High Performance in Rural Health Care
Addresses the state of rural healthcare and offers a vision for a high performance rural healthcare system that is affordable, accessible, community-focused, high quality, and patient-centered. Covers models of care, value-based payments, healthy communities, and more.
Author(s): A. Clinton MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller, Andrew F. Coburn, et al.
Date: 01/2012
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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