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Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

Characteristics of the Remaining Uninsured: An Update
Compares characteristics of people who lacked health insurance in March 2015 with those of people who remained uninsured as of March 2017. Uses data from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements, including socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and insurance eligibility, with breakdowns by urban and rural locations.
Author(s): Linea J. Blumberg, John Holahan, Michael Karpman, Caroline Elmendorf
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Urban Institute
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Drug Discount Program: Improvements Needed in Federal Oversight of Compliance at 340B Contract Pharmacies
Details an evaluation of HRSA's oversight of contract pharmacies participating in the 340B Drug Pricing Program. Discusses rates of compliance by contract pharmacies and HRSA's enforcement efforts.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Strengthening the Workforce to Improve Pregnancy Outcomes in Rural Areas
Highlights rural workforce initiatives related to maternity and childbirth services and discusses strategies to improve rural pregnancy outcomes. Features a training program at a Critical Access Hospital in Alaska and a rural OB-GYN residency program in Wisconsin.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
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Average Beneficiary CMS Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) Risk Scores for Rural and Urban Providers
Findings brief investigating potential differences in urban and rural CMS-HCC risk scores at the provider's patient panel level. Features statistics from the 2015 Medicare Physician and Other Supplier Public Use File to compare patient panel CMS-HCC risk scores with breakdowns by urban and rural providers across provider specialties, census divisions, and Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) participation requirements.
Author(s): Abby F. Hoffman, Kristin L. Reiter, Randy K. Randolph
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Quality Peer Group Indicators for Critical Access Hospitals
Describes the results of a study to identify Critical Access Hospital (CAH) peer groups for the purposes of analyzing quality performance indicators.
Author(s): Michelle Casey, Ira Moscovice, Peiyin Hung
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Much More Than Money — The Impact of Small Rural Foundations
Blog post describing 5 ways in which small foundations in rural areas leverage non-financial assets to improve their communities.
Author(s): Allen Smart
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Exponent Philanthropy
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Interim Final Rule on Durable Medical Equipment Fee Schedule Adjustments
Describes Medicare's method of setting payment rates for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies, and explains the reinstitution of 50/50 blended payment rates for rural and non-contiguous areas from June 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018.
Author(s): Francis J. Crosson
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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At Presentation Medical Center: Culture Impacts Success
Describes Presentation Medical Center's (PMC) progress as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project, completed in 2017, focused on assessing PMC's finances and operations. PMC is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital (CAH) located in Rolla, North Dakota.
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Child Poverty Heavily Concentrated in Rural Mississippi, Even More So Than Before the Great Recession
Explores child poverty in rural areas, especially in the South and Southwest in counties with high concentrations of Native Americans and along the Mississippi Delta. Includes statistics comparing rates in 2007 and 2016, with breakdowns by metro and nonmetro areas and by geographic area, and county-level maps showing high child poverty rates and persistent rural child poverty rates.
Author(s): Tracey Farrigan
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Small and Rural Practices' Experiences in Previous Programs and Expected Performance in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System
Examines how small and rural physician practices fared in legacy Medicare programs and reviews the projected effect of Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Discusses Medicare legacy program challenges small and rural physician practices experience including technology, financial and staff resources, and legacy program requirements. Covers efforts to assist small and rural physician practices participate in MIPS. Includes 2014 and 2015 data on Medicare legacy payment incentive programs by rural and urban status.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 07/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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