Health care financing
Completed Projects
Achieving Equity in Disproportionate Share Payments to Rural Hospitals: An Examination of MedPAC's Revised Disproportionate Share Formula
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Hospitals and clinics,
Legislation and regulation
Analysis of the Financial Conditions of Health Care Institutions in the Appalachian Region and their Economic Impacts
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)
Topics:
Economic development,
Health care financing,
Hospitals and clinics
Analyzing the Relationship Among Critical Access Hospital Financial Status, Organizational Linkages, and Scope of Services
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Health care financing,
Health services,
Networking and collaboration
This project will systematically analyze the relationships among pre- and post-conversion Critical Access Hospital (CAH) financial performance, the organizational linkages in which the hospital participates (e.g., health care systems and/or networks), and the scope of services (i.e., the number and type of services) provided.
Cash Flow of Small Rural Hospitals: The Impact of the Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Hospitals and clinics,
Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS)
Characteristics of Low-volume Communities
Research center:
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Legislation and regulation,
Medicare
Cost of Ambulance Transports for Low-Volume Providers in Rural Areas and Its Implications for Medicare Reimbursement Policy
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Emergency medical services (EMS),
Health care financing,
Health policy,
Medicare
Developing a Financial Performance Measurement System for Critical Access Hospitals
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Health care financing
This project uses research and expert opinion to select dimensions and indicators of financial performance, develop appropriate bases or methods of peer comparison, investigate the relationship between quality of care and financial performance, and identify characteristics of high performing CAHs.
Discrepancies of Financial Data between Medicare Cost Report and Hospital Audited Financial Statement and Its Implication for Measuring Financial Impact of Payment Policy on Rural Hospitals
Research center:
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Health policy,
Hospitals and clinics
Do We Need a Rural Payment Differential Under the Medicare Ambulance Fee Schedule?
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Emergency medical services (EMS),
Health care financing,
Medicare
Estimating the Medicare+Choice Threshold Payment Rate
Research center:
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Medicare
Evaluating the Financial Impact of Critical Access Hospital Conversion Over Time
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Health care financing
Using Medicare cost report data, this project will analyze changes in several key financial and organizational indicators that may be affected by CAH conversion, and produce annual reports describing the financial status of CAHs.
Examining the Magnitudes, Geographic Variations, and Determinants Of Expenditures Due to Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions in Rural Hospitals
Research center:
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Chronic diseases and conditions,
Health care financing,
Hospitals and clinics
This project will document the magnitude of and variation in ambulatory care sensitive condition (ACSC) expenditures of rural hospitals and explore the relationships between rural hospital ACSC expenditure and its key determinants in the areas of population demand, health care system supply, and provider practice style.
Expansion of Managed Care in Rural Areas
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
Topic:
Health care financing
Factors Contributing to Variation in Medicare Inpatient Payment Ratios
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Medicare Payment Advisory Committion
Topics:
Health care financing,
Hospitals and clinics,
Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS)
Factors Shaping Rural Hospital Managed Care Strategies
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Hospitals and clinics
Financial Impact of Outpatient Payment Reform on Rural Hospitals
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Hospitals and clinics,
Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS)
Financial Performance of Critical Access Hospitals, Pre- and Post-Conversion
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Health care financing,
Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS)
Making use of the financial indicators developed by project staff, the focus of this project is a longitudinal analysis of the dimensions and indicators of financial performance. Descriptive analyses are used to capture changes in all dimensions of financial performance pre- and post-conversion.
Financing Rural Public Health Activities in Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Chronic diseases and conditions,
Health care financing,
Health promotion and disease prevention,
Public health
This project describes the federal-state funding streams for selected local public health activities in the area of chronic disease prevention and health promotion, and assesses potential barriers to program implementation in less populated, local areas of a state.
Identifying Stakeholders to Pay for Enhanced Depression Treatment in Rural Populations
Research center:
WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Mental health
The goal of this project is to identify stakeholders who economically benefit when rural patients receive enhanced depression treatment, which will, in turn, encourage health plans to provide enhanced depression treatment to their rural enrollees without raising premiums.
Impact of CAH Conversion on Hospital Costs and Mix of Services
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Health care financing,
Health services
This study examined Medicare Cost Report and claims data for hospitals before and after CAH conversion in order to better understand changes in hospital costs associated with CAH conversion, factors associated with any cost growth, and changes in the mix of services provided by the facility.
Impact of the Proposed Medicare Prospective Payment Reforms on Rural Hospitals in Selected States
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Hospitals and clinics,
Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS)
Medicare Bonus Payments for Physician Care in Health Professional Shortage Areas
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Medicare,
Physicians
Medicare Payment for Post-Acute Care Transfers
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Health policy,
Hospitals and clinics
Monitoring the Transformation of Rural Health Care Delivery and Financing - Phase Two
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
Topic:
Health care financing
National Rural Hospital Flexibility Program Tracking Project: Analysis of the Financial Impact of Conversion on Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and the Medicare Program
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Health care financing
Options for Structuring Disproportionate Share (DSH) Payments to Account for Uncompensated Care: Impact on Rural Hospitals
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Health policy,
Hospitals and clinics
This study will identify options for development of an equitable DSH payment adjustment that accounts for hospital uncompensated care costs and determine the financial impact of each of these proposals on rural hospitals, using simulations with data from Washington, West Virginia, Texas, and Iowa.
Out-of-Pocket Spending by Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Health disparities,
Medicare
Pay-for-Performance and Quality Improvement in Rural Hospitals
Research center:
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality
This project will estimate the impact on rural hospitals in the U.S. of a pay-for-performance (PFP) program similar to the CMS-sponsored Premier, Inc. Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration; synthesize the major factors that will influence the inclusion of rural hospitals in PFP programs; and make recommendations for the design of PFP programs that will appropriately reward rural hospitals for improving quality.
Quality and Financial Status of Critical Access Hospitals: A Preliminary Analysis
Research centers:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center ,
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Health care financing,
Quality
The purpose of this project is to continue to investigate the relationship between CAH financial performance and quality of care. UMN and UNC will jointly develop hypotheses related to the finance-quality link and statistical models suitable for testing hypotheses.
Rapid Response: Elimination of Bad Debt Payments to Rural PPS Hospitals
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Hospitals and clinics,
Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS)
The purpose of this project is to examine: (1) the extent to which elimination of Medicare Bad Debt payments will reduce reimbursement to rural PPS hospitals and (2) how rural hospitals would respond to this reduction in reimbursement.
Recent History of Federal Funding for EMS in the United States
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Emergency medical services (EMS),
Health care financing,
Health services
Rural Response to Medicare+Choice: Change and Its Impact
Research center:
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder:
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Medicare
Rural-Urban Comparison of Mental Health Care Treatment and Costs
Research center:
South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Mental health
What is Causing the Increase in Rural Hospital Costs?
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Hospitals and clinics
