This policy brief from the Rural and Underserved Health Research Center investigated geographic disparities and identified the availability of Health and Behavioral Assessments and Intervention (HBAI) for fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries. The findings suggest availability of HBAI services for FFS Medicare members is declining both in rural and urban settings, as fewer physicians are billing for HBAI and those who are bill fewer hours for fewer patients. This decline appears to be occurring more quickly in rural than urban areas. Services are concentrated around cities in the eastern U.S., and they are notably completely absent from several states in the Midwest.
These findings suggest a significant difference between rural and urban availability of health and behavioral assessments and interventions, but they also show a decline in overall availability.
Check out the full policy brief, Rural/Urban Disparities in the Utilization of Health and Behavioral Assessments/Interventions in the Fee-For-Service Medicare Population.
