National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 9 of 9 Research Studies DisplayedLoomer L, Rahman M, Mroz TM
Impact of higher payments for rural home health episodes on rehospitalizations.
This article evaluated the impact of higher Medicare payments for rural home health care on rehospitalizations. In 2010, Medicare began paying home health (HH) providers 3% more to serve rural beneficiaries. The authors used Medicare data on postacute HH episodes from 2007 to 2014 to estimate the impact of higher payments on beneficiaries outcomes using difference-in-differences analysis, comparing rehospitalizations between rural and urban postacute HH episodes before and after 2010. Their sample included 5.6 million post acute HH episodes (18% rural). After 2010 30- and 60-day rehospitalization rates declined by 10.08% and 16.49% for urban HH episodes and 9.87% and 16.08% for rural HH episodes, respectively. The difference-in-difference estimate was 0.29 percentage points and 0.57 percentage points for 30- and 60-day rehospitalization, respectively.
AHRQ-funded; HS027054.
Citation: Loomer L, Rahman M, Mroz TM .
Impact of higher payments for rural home health episodes on rehospitalizations.
J Rural Health 2023 Jun; 39(3):604-10. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12725..
Keywords: Payment, Rural Health, Rural/Inner-City Residents, Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization
Werner RM, Konetzka RT, Qi M
The impact of Medicare copayments for skilled nursing facilities on length of stay, outcomes, and costs.
The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of Medicare's skilled nursing facility (SNF) copayment policy, with a large increase in the daily copayment rate on the 20th day of a benefit period, on length of stay, patient outcomes, and costs. The investigators concluded that Medicare's SNF copayment policy was associated with shorter lengths of stay and worse patient outcomes, suggesting the copayment policy had unintended and negative effects on patient outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024266.
Citation: Werner RM, Konetzka RT, Qi M .
The impact of Medicare copayments for skilled nursing facilities on length of stay, outcomes, and costs.
Health Serv Res 2019 Dec;54(6):1184-92. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13227..
Keywords: Medicare, Nursing Homes, Payment, Long-Term Care, Healthcare Costs, Elderly, Hospitalization, Hospital Discharge
Selden TM, Karaca Z, Decker S
AHRQ Author: Selden TM, Karaca Z, Decker S
Has inpatient hospital treatment before and after age 65 changed as the difference between private and Medicare payment rates has widened?
This study examined whether inpatient hospital treatment before and after age 65 changed as the difference between private and Medicare payment rates widened. Using a large discharge dataset covering the period 2001-2011, the investigators tracked changes at age 65 in multiple dimensions of hospital care.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Selden TM, Karaca Z, Decker S .
Has inpatient hospital treatment before and after age 65 changed as the difference between private and Medicare payment rates has widened?
Int J Health Econ Manag 2018 Dec;18(4):409-23. doi: 10.1007/s10754-018-9240-5..
Keywords: Payment, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Hospitalization, Inpatient Care, Medicare
Makam AN, Nguyen OK, Kirby B
Effect of site-neutral payment policy on long-term acute care hospital use.
The purpose of this study was to assess the projected effect of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services new site-neutral payment policy, which aims to decrease unnecessary long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) admissions by reducing reimbursements for less-ill individuals by 2020. The investigators concluded that the site-neutral payment policy may limit LTACH access in existing LTAC-scarce markets, with potential adverse implications for recovery of hospitalized older adults.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Makam AN, Nguyen OK, Kirby B .
Effect of site-neutral payment policy on long-term acute care hospital use.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2018 Nov;66(11):2104-11. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15539..
Keywords: Policy, Hospitalization, Payment, Long-Term Care, Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Elderly, Hospitals
Holmgren AJ, Adler-Milstein J, Chen LM
Participation in a voluntary bundled payment program by organizations providing care after an acute hospitalization
This research letter addresses spending on post–acute care (PAC), or care provided after a stay in an acute care hospital. PAC is the largest driver of variation in total per capita Medicare spending. To address this, Medicare has targeted PAC spending in payment reforms including voluntary bundled payment programs. This letter discusses participation in these voluntary payment programs.
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AHRQ-funded; HS024698
Citation: Holmgren AJ, Adler-Milstein J, Chen LM .
Participation in a voluntary bundled payment program by organizations providing care after an acute hospitalization
JAMA 2018 Jul 24;320(4):402-04. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.8666..
Keywords: Payment, Health Services Research (HSR), Health Services Research (HSR), Hospitalization, Medicare
Nuckols TK, Fingar KR, Barrett M
AHRQ Author: Steiner CA, Stocks C, Owens PL
The shifting landscape in utilization of inpatient, observation, and emergency department services across payers.
Using data from four states from AHRQ’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, this study compared the payer-specific population-based rates of adults using inpatient, observation, and emergency department (ED) services for 10 common medical conditions in 2009 and in 2013. Inpatient admissions declined, and care shifted toward treat-and-release observation stays and ED visits. The percentage of hospitalizations that began with an observation stay increased.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Nuckols TK, Fingar KR, Barrett M .
The shifting landscape in utilization of inpatient, observation, and emergency department services across payers.
J Hosp Med 2017 Jun;12(6):443-46. doi: 10.12788/jhm.2751.
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Keywords: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Healthcare Utilization, Hospitalization, Payment
Erickson KF, Winkelmayer WC, Chertow GM
Hemodialysis hospitalizations and readmissions: the effects of payment reform.
The researchers used a retrospective cohort interrupted time-series study design to examine whether the 2004 nephrologist reimbursement reform led to reduced hospitalizations and rehospitalizations. They found no significant change in all-cause hospitalization or rehospitalization and slight reductions in fluid overload hospitalization and rehospitalization following reimbursement reform.
AHRQ-funded; HS019178.
Citation: Erickson KF, Winkelmayer WC, Chertow GM .
Hemodialysis hospitalizations and readmissions: the effects of payment reform.
Am J Kidney Dis 2017 Feb;69(2):237-46. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2016.08.033.
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Keywords: Hospital Readmissions, Hospitalization, Kidney Disease and Health, Payment, Policy
Rosenthal MB, Landrum MB, Robbins JA
Pay for performance in Medicaid: evidence from three natural experiments.
This study examined the impact of pay for performance in Medicaid on the quality and utilization of care. Primary outcomes of interest were Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS)-like process measures of quality, utilization by service category, and ambulatory care-sensitive admissions and emergency department visits. Its findings were mixed, with no measurable quality improvements across the three states (Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Alabama), but reductions in hospital admissions in two programs.
AHRQ-funded.
Citation: Rosenthal MB, Landrum MB, Robbins JA .
Pay for performance in Medicaid: evidence from three natural experiments.
Health Serv Res 2016 Aug;51(4):1444-66. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12426.
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Keywords: Medicaid, Payment, Provider Performance, Healthcare Utilization, Quality of Care, Hospitalization, Emergency Department
Das A, Norton EC, Miller DC
Association of postdischarge spending and performance on new episode-based spending measure.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently added the Medicare Spending per Beneficiary (MSPB) metric to its Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (HVBP) program. The researchers evaluated whether hospital performance was driven by spending before, during, or after hospitalization. They found that compared with low-cost hospitals, high-cost hospitals had significantly higher preadmission and index admission spending, but the largest differences were in postdischarge spending.
AHRQ-funded; HS020671.
Citation: Das A, Norton EC, Miller DC .
Association of postdischarge spending and performance on new episode-based spending measure.
JAMA Intern Med 2016 Jan;176(1):117-9. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2015.6261.
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Keywords: Healthcare Costs, Medicare, Hospitals, Provider Performance, Hospitalization, Payment, Hospital Discharge