Do Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) Provide Services that Lower Rates of Preventable Hospitalizations?

This project uses 3 years of individual-level Medicare claims data to analyze the relationship between receiving care at a Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and the likelihood of potentially preventable hospitalization and/or potentially preventable emergency department (ED) visits. The project will explore this relationship among both fee-for-service Medicare enrollees and Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles.

Publications

• The Relationship Between Rural Health Clinic Use and Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits Among Medicare Beneficiaries
  Journal Article
  RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
  Date: 07/2017
  Uses 2007-2010 Medicare data to examine the relationship between Rural Health Clinic (RHC) use and potentially preventable hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits. RHC use was associated with an increase in both preventable hospitalizations and ED visits among all Medicare enrollees, regardless of their reason for eligibility.