The table below shows the number of rural and urban hospitals in the United States as of January 1, 2016. The source of the data is the 2016 Provider of Services file produced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Hospitals are classified as rural by using the definition provided by the Federal Office… Read more »
Tagged: Rural Product
The Financial Importance of Medicare Post-Acute and Hospice Care to Rural Hospitals
The provision of post-acute (PAC) and hospice care by rural hospitals allows patients to receive such care locally, avoiding unnecessary travel and staying close to family and friends. Typically, rural residents discharged from an acute care facility receive PAC either locally or in the urban center where acute care was provided. Policy makers are considering… Read more »
CMS Hospital Quality Star Rating: for 762 Rural Hospitals, No Stars Is the Problem
In April 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their fourth Hospital Quality Star Rating list. Since the first release, stakeholders have been publicly debating the star rating scale’s usefulness in comparing hospital quality, but little focus has been given to the large number of rural hospitals with no rating. In the… Read more »
The Key Role of Sole Community Pharmacists in Their Local Healthcare Delivery Systems
The Key Role of Sole Community Pharmacists in Their Local Healthcare Delivery Systems project overview Sole community independent pharmacists provide essential services to residents of small towns and isolated communities. Anecdotal reports indicate their role within the local health care community is often multi-faceted, extending beyond the provision of prescription and nonprescription medications at their… Read more »
Workforce Issues Among Sole Community Pharmacies
Workforce Issues Among Sole Community Pharmacies overview In just over one thousand small rural communities throughout the United States, pharmacy services are delivered through a single independently owned retail outlet. In recent years this group of pharmacies has been subject to increased financial pressures, while at the same time facing uncertain prospects for the future… Read more »
Medicaid & CHIP Participation Among Rural & Urban Children
Medicaid & CHIP Participation Among Rural & Urban Children overview Public Health Insurance Programs Are Especially Important For Rural Children Compared to urban residents, rural families have less access to job-based coverage and may be less able to afford non-group private plans. Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) can help fill this gap…. Read more »
Characteristics of Rural & Urban Children Who Qualify For Medicaid or CHIP But Are Not Enrolled
Characteristics of Rural & Urban Children Who Qualify For Medicaid or CHIP But Are Not Enrolled overview Substantial Portions of Children Who Are Eligible to Enroll in Medicaid or CHIP Are Uninsured About three-quarters of children who qualify for Medicaid or CHIP are enrolled, with slightly higher rates in rural areas than in urban areas.1… Read more »
Profile of Sole Community Pharmacists’ Prescription Sales and Overall Financial Position
Profile of Sole Community Pharmacists’ Prescription Sales and Overall Financial Position overview Sole community independent pharmacists provide essential services to residents of small towns and isolated communities. In an effort to document the role sole community pharmacies play in their local health care system and to monitor their financial and operational status we conducted a… Read more »
Comparison of Rural Hospitals With Special Medicare Payment Provisions to Hospitals Paid Under Prospective Payment
A Financial Comparison of Rural Hospitals With Special Medicare Payment Provisions to Hospitals Paid Under Prospective Payment overview The financial performance of rural hospitals has long been a concern to federal and state agencies as well as banks, creditors, bond rating firms, and regulators. For these reasons, Federal law makers have created and modified special… Read more »
Pediatric Care in Rural Hospital Emergency Departments
Pediatric Care in Rural Hospital Emergency Departments overview Optimal emergency care for children may be difficult for rural hospitals to provide. Rural hospitals have less access to pediatric and emergency medicine trained physicians and a low volume of pediatric ED patients makes it difficult for staff to maintain pediatric care skills. In addition, rural hospitals… Read more »
States’ Use of Cost-Based Reimbursement for Medicaid Services at Critical Access Hospitals
States’ Use of Cost-Based Reimbursement for Medicaid Services at Critical Access Hospitals overview Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) are reimbursed by Medicare at 101% of allowable cost for both inpatient and outpatient services. State Medicaid agencies, however, are not required to reimburse CAHs on a cost-basis and have flexibility in determining how CAHs are paid for… Read more »
The Effect of Medicare Part D Plan Switching on Sole Community Pharmacies and the Patients
The Effect of Medicare Part D Plan Switching and Formulary Changes on Sole Community Pharmacies and the Patients They Serve overview Sole community independent pharmacies (i.e., those located at least 10 miles from the next closest retail pharmacy) are the primary access point to pharmacy services for residents in just over one thousand small communities… Read more »
Rural Volunteer EMS: Reports from the Field
Rural Volunteer EMS: Reports from the Field overview Prehospital emergency care services (EMS) are an essential component of a comprehensive health care system. Rural residents and visitors to rural areas rely on EMS for treatment and transport in the event of an injury or other health emergency. In many areas where the number of emergency… Read more »
Rural Hospital Support for Emergency Medcial Services
Rural Hospital Support for Emergency Medcial Services overview Prehospital emergency care is an important component of a comprehensive health care system. Rural EMS agencies face continual challenges to ensure a qualified workforce to meet prehospital emergency care needs. While most EMS agencies function as independent entities or are affiliated with fire departments, affiliation with a… Read more »
Prospective Payment Compared to Special Medicare Payment Provisions
Profitability of Rural Hospitals Paid Under Prospective Payment Compared to Rural Hospitals with Special Medicare Payment Provisions overview The Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) was introduced by the federal government in October, 1983. Under PPS, hospitals are paid a pre-determined rate for each Medicare admission. Each patient is classified into a Diagnosis Related Group (DRG)… Read more »