Rural Healthcare Quality – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Healthcare Quality.
Advancing Value-Based Payment Policies Relevant to Rural Areas – Continued Challenges and New Opportunities
Discusses lessons from the recent public health emergency, rising health care costs, improved quality measurement, and innovative technologies on the transition from volume-based payment to value-based payment. Outlines potential policy opportunities for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center model design and CMS program inclusion to expand rural-appropriate opportunities to participate in the transition to value-based care. Builds on the 2020 publication How to Design Value‐based Care Models for Rural Participant Success: A Summit Findings Report.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Discusses lessons from the recent public health emergency, rising health care costs, improved quality measurement, and innovative technologies on the transition from volume-based payment to value-based payment. Outlines potential policy opportunities for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center model design and CMS program inclusion to expand rural-appropriate opportunities to participate in the transition to value-based care. Builds on the 2020 publication How to Design Value‐based Care Models for Rural Participant Success: A Summit Findings Report.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Eligibility and Participation in the 2025 Performance Year
Provides an overview of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligibility criteria. Addresses calculation of the low-volume threshold exclusion at the individual and group levels, opt-in and voluntary reporting options, and the impact of special status designations such as rural and small practices.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligibility criteria. Addresses calculation of the low-volume threshold exclusion at the individual and group levels, opt-in and voluntary reporting options, and the impact of special status designations such as rural and small practices.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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2025 MIPS Eligibility Decision Tree
Presents information to determine if providers are eligible to participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in the 2025 Performance Year. Includes information on the low-volume threshold criteria.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Presents information to determine if providers are eligible to participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in the 2025 Performance Year. Includes information on the low-volume threshold criteria.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2024 Opt-in and Voluntary Reporting Election Process Guide
Discusses the eligibility of clinicians, groups, and Alternative Payment Model (APM) participants that exceed some low-volume threshold criteria to opt-in to the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and the APM Performance Pathway (APP) for the 2024 performance period. Compares opting in and voluntarily reporting MIPS data and provides an overview of the election process.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Discusses the eligibility of clinicians, groups, and Alternative Payment Model (APM) participants that exceed some low-volume threshold criteria to opt-in to the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and the APM Performance Pathway (APP) for the 2024 performance period. Compares opting in and voluntarily reporting MIPS data and provides an overview of the election process.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Consensus-Based Entity 2024 Annual Report to Congress and the Secretary of Health and Human Services
Summarizes the work of Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) to measure healthcare quality in 2024. Includes discussions on exploring the unique challenges experienced in rural and low-volume settings and prioritizing effective measures for rural communities.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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Summarizes the work of Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) to measure healthcare quality in 2024. Includes discussions on exploring the unique challenges experienced in rural and low-volume settings and prioritizing effective measures for rural communities.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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2024-2025 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR): Recommendations Report
Reviews the 41 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2024-2025 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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Reviews the 41 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2024-2025 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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Current Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Measures
Chart outlining the required and optional MBQIP measures. Measures are broken down into two categories, core and additional, and then into five domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. MBQIP is a Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) quality improvement grant program for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Chart outlining the required and optional MBQIP measures. Measures are broken down into two categories, core and additional, and then into five domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. MBQIP is a Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) quality improvement grant program for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Travel Time as an Indicator of Poor Access to Care in Surgical Emergencies
Results of a study to determine how proximity to emergency care impacts disease complexity for patients with acute surgical conditions. Features statistics including sociodemographic and clinical characteristics by travel time, with breakdowns by rural, micropolitan, and metropolitan areas.
Author(s): Nina M. Clark, Alexandra H. Hernandez, Mia S. Bertalan, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(1), e2455258
Date: 01/2025
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Results of a study to determine how proximity to emergency care impacts disease complexity for patients with acute surgical conditions. Features statistics including sociodemographic and clinical characteristics by travel time, with breakdowns by rural, micropolitan, and metropolitan areas.
Author(s): Nina M. Clark, Alexandra H. Hernandez, Mia S. Bertalan, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(1), e2455258
Date: 01/2025
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Shared Savings Program Fast Facts
Provides summary statistics on the Medicare Shared Savings Program as of January 1, 2025. Offers data on the number of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), assigned beneficiaries, total earned shared savings, and quality scores each year since 2012; the number and percent of ACOs in each track; and more. Includes information on ACO participants, including the number of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) participating in the program.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides summary statistics on the Medicare Shared Savings Program as of January 1, 2025. Offers data on the number of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), assigned beneficiaries, total earned shared savings, and quality scores each year since 2012; the number and percent of ACOs in each track; and more. Includes information on ACO participants, including the number of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) participating in the program.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2025 MIPS Quick Start Guide for Small Practices
Provides an overview of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Outlines 6 steps for small practices regarding participation in the 2025 performance year. Includes information on performance category redistribution policies for small practices.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Outlines 6 steps for small practices regarding participation in the 2025 performance year. Includes information on performance category redistribution policies for small practices.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Last Updated: 7/1/2025