Medicare Advantage (MA)

Current Projects

• A Closer Examination of Rural Hospital Bypass
  This project will estimate the rural hospital bypass rate using all-payer claims data for a set of states and compare patients based on the inpatient treatments and procedures received relative to those routinely provided by rural facilities.
  Research center: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Health reform, Health services, Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA), Private health insurance, Uninsured and underinsured
  
• Evaluating the Impact of Inflation Reduction Act Provisions on Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Costs
  Using Merative MarketScan data, this study will evaluate changes in the affordability of prescription drugs for urban and rural Medicare beneficiaries before and after the recent Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The primary outcome will be an assessment of whether the IRA succeeded in reducing costs and identifying any remaining health disparities.
  Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Topics: Healthcare financing, Medicare Advantage (MA), Pharmacy and prescription drugs
  
• Examining Post-Acute Care Utilization and Outcomes for Rural Medicare FFS and Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries
  This study will describe differences in post-acute care utilization and post-discharge outcomes between rural Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiaries and rural Medicare Advantage beneficiaries overall, by region of the country, and levels of rurality.
  Research center: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Care management, Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Healthcare access, Home health, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA), Post-acute care
  
• Exploring Rural and Urban Medicare Beneficiaries' Use of Home Health Services
  This study maps the geographic distribution of home health services provided to Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) and Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries and assesses how these patterns align with Medicare-approved home health agencies' service areas.
  Research center: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Aging, Chronic diseases and conditions, Home health, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA), Post-acute care
  
• Health Care Spending in Rural vs. Urban U.S. by Health Condition
  Health care spending patterns vary substantially between rural and urban areas in the United States. This project will examine detailed health care spending patterns using insurance claim data in U.S. counties by specific health conditions across the rural-urban continuum.
  Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Health services, Healthcare access, Healthcare financing, Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA), Pharmacy and prescription drugs, Private health insurance, Quality
  
• Rural and Urban Sepsis Outcomes as a Measure of Health Care Quality: A Nationwide Comparative Analysis Using HCUP Data
  This study examines differences in sepsis prevalence, outcomes, costs, and treatment between rural and urban hospitals using the HCUP Nationwide Readmissions Database. It aims to inform policies related to access to timely, high-quality sepsis care and identify strategies to enhance healthcare outcomes across diverse hospital settings.
  Research center: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Care management, Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA), Private health insurance, Quality, Social determinants of health
  
• Rural Implications of Increased Medicare Beneficiary Enrollment in ACOs and MA Plans
  This project will leverage Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data showing the number of Medicare beneficiaries assigned to Accountable Care Organizations, in combination with enrollment in Medicare Advantage in rural counties, to describe implications for rural health care organizations.
  Research center: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
  Topics: Health reform, Healthcare financing, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA)
  
• Rural-Urban Differences in Medicare Advantage Plan Quality Scores
  This project updates previous RUPRI Center publications focused on rural-urban differences in access to, and enrollment in, Medicare Advantage plans with four- and five-star quality ratings.
  Research center: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
  Topics: Health services, Healthcare financing, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA)
  
• The Changing Landscape of Medicare Advantage in Rural America
  The recent rapid growth in Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment, particularly in counties with very little previous activity, has made MA a "hot issue" in rural health policy. This project will provide deeper knowledge of the MA marketplace including the firms offering MA plans and the beneficiaries who are enrolling.
  Research center: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
  Topics: Healthcare financing, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA)