Post-acute care

Completed Projects

Listed by project completion date. You can also view these projects alphabetically.

2024

• Examining the Potential Impact of Multiple Payment Policies on Rural Versus Urban Home Health Agencies
  This study estimated the impact of three recent and upcoming Medicare home health payment policies (revised rural add-on payments, new prospective payment system, and value-based purchasing demonstration) on reimbursement for home health agencies based on rural-urban status, community factors, and home health agency characteristics.
  Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Health services, Healthcare access, Healthcare financing, Home health, Medicare, Post-acute care
  

2022

• Post-acute Care Quality for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
  This study examined rural post-acute care quality for rural Medicare beneficiaries and potential disparities in post-acute care between urban and rural providers. Publicly reported quality measures for rural skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies were compared with state and national averages as well as urban providers.
  Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Home health, Post-acute care
  

2021

• How Do Costs for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries Using Swing Beds Compare to Those Using Skilled Nursing Facilities?
  This study estimated and compared total Medicare expenditures for episodes of care that include post-acute stays in either swing beds or skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Results informed federal and state agencies, rural providers and communities as to how post-acute care in swing bed versus a SNF affects the trajectory of costs and utilization for rural Medicare beneficiaries.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Long-term care, Medicare, Post-acute care
  
• How Medicare Payment Standardization Affects the Perceived "Cost" of Post-Acute Care Provided in Critical Access Hospital Swing Beds
  Medicare-allowed charges are adjusted for geographic cost differences and payments that support larger Medicare program goals. This study aimed to identify the effects of the payment standardization method on the perceived "cost" of post-acute care provided in Critical Access Hospital swing beds.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Hospitals and clinics, Medicare, Post-acute care
  
• Post-acute Care Trajectories for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
  Utilization and costs of post-acute care for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries have grown rapidly during the last decade. This study examined post-acute care utilization for rural Medicare beneficiaries following acute hospitalization, describing use of home health and skilled nursing care and trajectories of care across settings.
  Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Aging, Allied health professionals, Health services, Home health, Hospitals and clinics, Medicare, Nurses and nurse practitioners, Post-acute care
  

2020

• Assessing Potential Unmet Need for Home Healthcare in Rural Areas
  This study estimated potential unmet need for home healthcare in rural areas for fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries. We compared rates of home healthcare utilization in rural areas with urban areas, accounting for acute hospital discharges and utilization of inpatient rehabilitation facilities and skilled nursing facilities.
  Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Health services, Home health, Hospitals and clinics, Medicare, Post-acute care
  

2019

• Diverging Populations Served by the Medicare Home Health Benefit: Comparison of Post-acute vs. Community-entry Home Health in Rural Areas
  This study examined differences between rural, fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries who were admitted to home health from the community (community-entry) and those who were admitted to home health following an inpatient stay (post-acute) in terms of their clinical and non-clinical characteristics as well as the communities in which they live.
  Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Health services, Home health, Medicare, Post-acute care
  
• Financial Impact of Reimbursing CAH Swing Bed Days at the SNF PPS Rate
  This study assessed the financial impact of changing Critical Access Hospital (CAH) swing bed reimbursement from the cost-based system to the skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system (PPS).
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Healthcare financing, Long-term care, Medicare, Post-acute care
  

2018

• Post-Acute Care for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
  This project described the variation in the volume, mix and financial importance of post-acute services to rural hospitals; identified hospital and community characteristics associated with variation in post-acute services provided by rural hospitals; and determined where rural Medicare beneficiaries receive post-acute services.
  Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Topics: Hospitals and clinics, Long-term care, Post-acute care
  
• Use of Home Health Services Among High Risk Rural Medicare Patients: Patient, Service, and Community Factors Associated with Outcomes of Care
  This study examined outcomes of care for rural Medicare patients who were discharged from hospitals and admitted to home healthcare for post-acute services. Outcomes included emergent care use and re-hospitalization during the home health admission and community discharge.
  Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Health services, Home health, Medicare, Post-acute care
  

2017

• Examination of Rural and Frontier Home Health Services
  This mixed-method study is an in-depth examination of access to and utilization of home health services provided in rural and frontier areas. The study begins to explore how influential patient-centered decision-making is in determining the type of post-acute care services used by rural and frontier Medicare beneficiaries.
  Research center: North Dakota and NORC Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
  Topics: Frontier health, Home health, Post-acute care
  

2016

• Use of Home Health Services Among High Risk Rural Medicare Patients: Patient, Service, and Community Factors Associated with Hospital Readmission
  This study will examine the 60-day post-acute care outcomes of rural Medicare patients who were discharged from hospitals and admitted to home healthcare services. Key predictors include home health services provided, type of Medicare home health reimbursement, and available community healthcare resources.
  Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Home health, Hospitals and clinics, Medicare, Post-acute care
  

2012

• Effect of Type and Timeliness of Post-Acute Care on Preventable Hospital Readmissions for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
  The purpose of this project is to: 1) determine how location of hospitals used for initial admissions by rural patients affects readmission rates; 2) assess how the use of swing beds affects rural patients' readmissions; and 3) examine the impact of the type and timeliness of post-acute care, including home health care, skilled nursing, and physician visits, on readmissions for rural patients.
  Research center: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Hospitals and clinics, Medicare, Post-acute care
  

2008

• Rural Dimensions of Medicare Payment Policies
  This project examines major Medicare fee-for-service payment policies from the rural perspective.
  Research center: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
  Topics: Medicare, Post-acute care
  

2005

• Post-Acute Care: A Rural and Urban Comparison
  This multi-phase analysis examines whether discharge patterns for and use of post-acute care services by rural and urban hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries differ and, if they do, what are the sources of these different patterns.
  Research center: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
  Topics: Home health, Long-term care, Medicare, Post-acute care
  

2003

• Medicare Payment for Post-Acute Care Transfers
  Research center: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
  Topics: Healthcare financing, Hospitals and clinics, Post-acute care
  

Unknown

• Acute and Post-Acute Care Bundled Payments and Care Coordination in Rural Environments
  The purpose of this project is to: 1) Identify opportunities and potential unintended consequences for rural providers of current proposals for implementing bundled payments for acute and post-acute care episodes; 2) Describe modifications to current bundling proposals that will address rural-specific issues; and 3) Identify quality measures related to care coordination that are relevant for rural patients whose services are reimbursed by a bundled payment.
  Research center: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Health services, Post-acute care, Quality