Examined changes in resident acuity and registered nurse staffing in all nursing homes in Pennsylvania before and after introduction of Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) in 1983. Found that acuity of nursing home residents increased significantly since introduction of PPS, full-time registered nurse staffing remained unchanged, and…

The typical family practice residency program has been fiscally solvent as a result of receiving approximately one-third of its income from state and federal appropriations. Declining Medicare payments to hospitals threaten hospitals' contributions to family practice residency programs. (Author/MLW)

Lower costs, new technology, and expanded Medicare benefits are some of the reasons for the rapid increase in employment in home health services. Employment in the drugs manufacturing industry has increased despite recessions and structural changes in the economy. (Author/JOW)

The funding of postgraduate medical education through the "approved educational activities" of teaching hospitals needs to reevaluated. Since it is considered impossible to separate patient case and educational activities, drawing the line for financial purposes between these activities will be controversial and critical for teaching…

The political and social development of the Medicare Hospice Benefit combines humanitarian and cost-saving strategies. Although it mainstreamed care of the terminally ill and provided multiple services, four major constraints of the benefit package are identified and explored. It is important that we analyze this policy before we devise new ways…

Context: Although research shows higher uninsured rates among rural versus urban individuals, prior studies are limited because they do not examine coverage across entire rural families. Purpose: This study uses the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to compare rural and urban insurance coverage within families, to inform the design of…

Purpose: The study examined factors associated with state variations in the use of federal and state civil money penalties (CMPs) for nursing homes. Design and Methods: We collected federal and state CMP data from state survey and certification agencies for 2004. We also used federal CMP data from the federal enforcement action database for…

Reviews and defines continuity of care, or long term care, as a potential economic catastrophe which requires strategic planning. Proposes a Medicare revision that provides integrated funding for acute, sub-acute, and long-term care as elements of continuity of care. (Author/ABB)

Discusses problems and needs of the Black elderly in terms of social security, medicare and social services, and nursing homes. Also discusses the need for qualified Black personnel in programs designed for the Black elderly, and offers suggestions for legislation and funding. (CMG)

Medicare funding of graduate medical education should be expanded from payments to hospitals to include graduate nursing education. Strategies include capped entitlement, eligibility tied to full-time status, reimbursement of actual versus average costs, and limitation to the clinical training component. (JOW)

This report was written by the General Accounting Office (GAO) in response to a request by Senator John Melcher that the GAO provide information about prescription drugs as they relate to the needs of the elderly. The information in the report is based on results of an ongoing GAO study of catastrophic illness insurance and is derived from…

Rural health policy is the laws, regulations, rules, and interpretations that benefit or affect health and health care for rural populations. This paper examines how rural health policy is viewed in the broader field of public policy, discusses the role of advocacy in developing rural health policy, and suggests ways to make that advocacy more…

New Medicare regulations will soon mandate upgrading of laboratory technicians' knowledge and skills; a Colorado demonstration project responded successfully to the needs of small-town and rural technicians with a creative approach (now being bought and used by others) and circuit-flying instructors. (AJ)

This issue deals with the future of an age-based public policy. Articles discuss the history of age-based public policy; the competing bases for benefits; population dynamics; Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare; employer policies; and local and state policies. Describes California's Linkages Program. (JOW)

Describes two points of view regarding age-related public programs (Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security): that of devolutionists who would curtail them and safety netters who maintain the government's role is indispensable. Uses Relative Deprivation theory as a framework for teaching public policy about aging. (SK)