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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Hospitals – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Hospitals.

National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) Hospital Cost Tool
Interactive tool providing information on how much hospitals spend on patient care services, how costs relate to the hospital charges, and actual prices paid by health plans. Presents data on a range of measures for hospital revenue, costs, profitability, and break-even points for over 5,000 hospitals nationwide between 2011 and 2022. Includes the ability to view and compare hospital financial metrics at the hospital, state, and health system levels.
Additional links: Hospital Cost Tool and Resources
Date: 12/2023
Type: Tool
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Medicare Advantage in Rural Areas: Implications for Hospital Sustainability
Explores the relationship between Medicare Advantage (MA) penetration levels in rural areas and acute care hospital financial distress and closure between 2008 and 2019. Analyzes data from Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) State Inpatient Databases from 14 states to describe rural acute care hospitals with low and high MA penetration.
Author(s): Rachel Mosher Henke, Kathryn R. Fingar, Lan Liang, H. Joanna Jiang
Citation: American Journal of Managed Care, 29(11), 594–600
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
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A Comparison of Non-Operating Revenue between Rural and Urban Hospitals
Compares the relative percentage and composition of non-operating revenue (NOR) among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), rural Prospective Payment System (R-PPS) hospitals, and urban Prospective Payment System (U-PPS) hospitals from 2011-2019. Describes how hospitals can use NOR to offset negative operating incomes. Presents data on the composition of NOR by hospital type and ownership.
Author(s): Ariana Pitcher, Ruoyu Zhang, Susie Gurzenda, George Pink, Kristin L. Reiter
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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The Future of Rural Hospitals and Health Systems
Podcast episode featuring a discussion with Joanne Conroy, M.D., Dartmouth Health president and CEO and the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees' chair-elect. Explores the future of rural hospitals and health systems and possible solutions to providing quality, cost-efficient care in rural communities.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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First-Ever Rural Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Compensation Survey
Recording of an October 11, 2023, webinar discussing results of a January 2023 survey of rural hospitals regarding physician and advanced-practice provider compensation. Presents results for primary care and specialty care providers by provider type, hospital system affiliation, and region. Highlights factors that influence compensation and nurse practitioner practice environments by state. Transcript available in the video description.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 10/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Association, Stroudwater Associates
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Tax-Exempt Hospitals Provided Nearly $130 Billion in Total Benefits to Their Communities: Results from 2020 Tax-Exempt Hospitals' Schedule H Community Benefit Reports
Summarizes the benefits nonprofit hospitals provide their communities based on an analysis of IRS Form 990 Schedule H. Addresses the percent spent on financial assistance, health professions education, community building activities, and other categories included on Schedule H. Includes data for rural and Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2021 Emergency Department Summary Tables
Provides data on ambulatory care emergency department (ED) hospital visits. Table 1 provides metropolitan/nonmetropolitan ED visit data based on hospital location.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Medicare Payment Basics: Outpatient Hospital Services Payment System
Outlines Medicare's payments for outpatient hospital services, including considerations for rural sole community hospitals.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Hospital Acute Inpatient Services Payment System
Overview of Medicare payments to hospitals for acute inpatient care. Includes information on rate setting, Medicare payments for medical education, payments to Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH), new technology payments special payments for rural hospitals, quality incentive payments and penalties, and payment rate updates.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Characteristics of 30-Day All-cause Hospital Readmissions, 2016–2020
Examines trends in 30-day all-cause hospital readmissions among patients 1 year old and older in the United States between 2016 and 2020. Explores changes in readmission rates from the pre-pandemic period (2016-2019) to 2020. Presents data by primary payer, patient location, and race and ethnicity.
Author(s): H. Joanna Jiang, Molly Hensche
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Last Updated: 5/10/2024