This project examines major Medicare fee-for-service payment policies from the rural perspective. Results will be summarized in a report that will serve as a reference for policy makers and rural researchers. The report summarizes major payment policies with explicit rural dimensions that directly affect physicians and hospitals, existing evidence on whether there are direct rural impacts of the rural policy, and whether direct rural impacts are consistent with legislative and regulatory intent. Finally, the report identifies and summarizes recent policies and policy proposals for which additional monitoring from the rural perspective may be appropriate. Topics to be addressed include:

• inpatient services provided in short-term acute care hospitals, sole community hospitals, rural referral centers, Medicare- dependent hospitals, and critical access hospitals;
• outpatient and ambulatory care services provided in physician offices, Federally qualified rural health centers, hospital outpatient departments, and ambulatory surgical centers;
• and post-acute care services provided in skilled nursing facilities and by home health agencies.

There may be products related to this project; please contact the lead researcher for more information.