Curt D. Mueller, PhD

NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis

Phone: 202.295.7869
Email: mueller-curt@norc.org

NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
4350 East West Highway, Suite 700
Bethesda, MD 20814

Current Projects - (1)
Completed Projects - (6)
Publications - (16)

Current Projects - (1)

Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) Risk Scores: Designed to Predict Future Cost and Health Care Resource Use – Do They Also Accurately Reflect Differences in Health Status between Rural and Urban Beneficiaries?
This CMS Hierarchical Condition Category (CMS-HCC) risk score study will investigate differences in underlying health between rural and urban populations using recent data and analyze which factors drive observed differences.
Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Health services, Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA)

Completed Projects - (6)

Advantages and Disadvantages of Hospital-Based Emergency Medical Services in Rural Areas
This project sought to clarify issues surrounding hospital decisions to acquire and maintain ownership of community ambulance services.
Research center: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Topics: Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Hospitals and clinics
Inpatient Treatment Costs Associated with Substance Use Disorders
The purposes of this project were to examine the costs and characteristics of inpatient stays associated with substance use disorders and to examine whether there are systematic differences in these stays and costs for persons residing in rural areas compared to urban areas.
Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Healthcare financing, Mental and behavioral health, Substance use and treatment
Involvement of State Offices of Rural Health in Emergency Preparedness Activities
This project will follow-up with the state offices of rural health (SORH) to identify their current involvement with preparedness in rural areas, particularly in the use of funds earmarked to bioterrorism preparedness.
Research center: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Topic: Emergency preparedness and response
National Rural Hospital Flexibility Program Tracking Project: Perceptions of Community Physicians
Research center: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Topics: Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Physicians, Rural Hospital Flexibility Program
Rural Perspective on Restructuring Medicare
Research center: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Topics: Medicare, Pharmacy and prescription drugs
Volunteer Labor and the Organizational Structure of Rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Providers
Research center: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Topics: Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Workforce

Publications - (16)

2023

Factors Associated With Lengths-of-Stay for Inpatients With Substance Use Disorders
Policy Brief
Rural Health Equity Research Center
Date: 04/2023
This policy brief identifies factors associated with inpatient length-of-stay (LOS) for the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs), and whether there are systematic differences in LOS for rural and urban residents.
Rural and Urban Differences in Factors Associated With Inpatient Hospital Stays for Substance Use Disorder
Policy Brief
Rural Health Equity Research Center
Date: 04/2023
Using 2018 all-payer claims data from seven states, this brief describes the lengths and costs of inpatient hospital stays for substance use disorders and examines whether there were differences between stays for rural and urban residents.

2006

Attention From the Top: Roles of State Offices of Rural Health Policy in Preparing for Bioterrorism and Other Health System Emergencies
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 07/2006
This report presents results from a follow-up survey of directors of state offices of rural health on emergency preparedness in rural communities.

2005

Contracting With Medicare Advantage Plans: A Brief for Critical Access Hospital Administrators
Policy Brief
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 12/2005
This policy brief summarizes the experience of critical access hospital (CAH) administrators with contracts offered by Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Telephone surveys were conducted with CAH administrators across the country to learn about their experiences with MA plans.
Rural Implications of Medicare's Post-Acute-Care Transfer Payment Policy
Journal Article
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 2005
Examines how the initial policy change affected rural and urban hospitals and investigates the likely impact of the FY2004 expansion and other possible future expansions. The authors conclude that rural hospitals are not disproportionately harmed by the post-acute-care transfer policy.

2004

Rural Perspective Regarding Regulations Implementing Titles I and II of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA)
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 08/2004
This policy paper provides, in chart form, sections of the MMA that were identified as having special concern to rural Medicare beneficiaries, medical care providers, and policy makers.
Perspectives of Rural Hospitals on Bioterrorism Preparedness Planning
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 04/2004
Representatives from several rural hospitals met to discuss various aspects of bioterrorist preparedness in terms of workforce and training, physical capacity and supplies, communication, and coordination with other entities.

2002

Capital Needs of Small Rural Hospitals
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 05/2002
This report examines the capital situation of rural hospitals with fewer than 50 beds to determine the total cost of bringing each facility into compliance with current laws, as well as the facilities' cost of borrowing and ability to borrow.
Essential Research Issues in Rural Health: The State Rural Health Directors' Perspective
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 03/2002
This policy brief describes the key issues confronting state rural health directors. Issues repeatedly raised by directors from a wide variety of states included workforce, telemedicine, emergency medical services, mental health, and lack of local data.
How State Rural Health Directors Obtain Policy-Relevant Research Information
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 03/2002
This policy brief summarizes how information pertinent to rural health policy activities of the state offices is obtained.

2001

Establishing a Fair Medicare Reimbursement for Low-Volume Rural Ambulance Providers
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 07/2001
This national study of ambulance transport costs looks at the advantages and disadvantages of several options for Medicare to compensate low-volume rural ambulance providers.

2000

Potential Supply-Side Implications of the BBA Limits on Reimbursement to Provider-Based Rural Health Clinics
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 06/2000
This policy analysis brief examines whether provider-based (typically hospital operated) rural health clinics are likely to close due to the reimbursement cap introduced by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
Medicare Reforms: The Rural Perspective
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 04/2000
This policy analysis brief discusses Medicare reforms considered by the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare (created by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997), including prescription drug coverage, funding graduate medical education, and increasing the eligibility age.

1999

Implementation of the State Children's Health Insurance Program: Outreach, Enrollment, and Provider Participation in Rural Areas (Full Report)
Report
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 11/1999
The State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides states with an important source of funding to help low-income, uninsured children overcome financial barriers to medical care. CHIP may be especially important in covering children living in rural areas. This study qualitatively assesses CHIP outreach, enrollment, and provider issues.
Implementation of the State Children's Health Insurance Program: Outreach, Enrollment, and Provider Participation in Rural Areas (Policy Brief)
Policy Brief
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 11/1999
The State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides states with an important source of funding to help low-income, uninsured children overcome financial barriers to medical care. This policy analysis brief assesses CHIP outreach, enrollment, and provider issues in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

1998

Anticipating the 1997 State Children's Health Insurance Program: What's Current in Five Rural States?
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 01/1998
This study examines aspects of existing children's health insurance or health services for low-income, uninsured children.