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Rural Hospital Flexibility Program

Research Products & Journal Articles

Browse the full list of research publications on this topic completed by the Rural Health Research Centers.

Products – Freely accessible products include policy briefs, fact sheets, full reports, chartbooks, and interactive data websites.

Journal Articles – Articles in peer-reviewed journals may require a subscription or affiliation with a subscribing library. For these publications, Gateway lists the article citation, a brief summary, a link to additional information and access to the full-text of the article, if available.

2022

  • The Evolution of Hospital Designations and Payment in the U.S.: Implications for Rural Hospitals
    Report
    RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, RUPRI Health Panel: Rural Policy Analysis and Applications
    Date: 12/2022
    Medicare hospital payment policies affecting rural hospitals play a significant role in the financial viability of rural hospitals. This report provides an overview of historic and current Medicare rural hospital payment policies and alternative payment models to understand their impact on rural hospitals and the communities they serve.

2016

2008

  • Impact of CAH Conversion on Hospital Finances and Mix of Inpatient Services (Final Report)
    NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
    Date: 08/2008
    This study examined Medicare Cost Report and claims data for hospitals before and after critical access hospital (CAH) conversion in order to better understand changes in hospital costs associated with CAH conversion, factors associated with any cost growth, and changes in the mix of services provided by the facility.

2006

  • Quality and Performance Improvement Grant Activities Under the Flex Program
    Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 08/2006
    This paper describes quality and performance improvement activities proposed by states during the 2005 grant year under the Medicare Rural Health Flexibility Program.
  • Creating Program Logic Models: A Toolkit for State Flex Programs
    Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 04/2006
    This is a tool for planning, managing, reporting on, and assessing Flex Program goals, activities, and accomplishments; assistance in identifying/defining measurable outcomes; information linking state-level Flex Program strategies to measurable outcomes; and a consistent program-reporting framework to share results internally and externally.

2003

2001

  • Rural Hospital Flexibility Program: The Tracking Project Reports First-Year Findings
    Journal Article
    WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 2001
    In 1999, the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program National Tracking Team made site visits to 24 critical access hospitals (CAHs) in order to determine the extent of program implementation in the states and the approaches that states, hospitals, and communities are taking in using the Flex Program to achieve improvements in rural healthcare.