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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

CMS Framework for Health Equity 2022–2032
Report outlines the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services plan for improving health equity across the U.S. for racial and ethnic communities, rural communities, people with disabilities, and those living in poverty. Details a 5 priority framework emphasizing data collections and standardization; language access and health literacy; and reducing health disparities through increasing healthcare capacity and workforce, among others.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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MACPAC Response to CMS Request for Information on Access and Coverage in Medicaid and CHIP
Letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) responding to a request for information on access to coverage and care in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Discusses strategies related to enrolling in and maintaining coverage, accessing services, and ensuring adequate payment rates. Includes information on physical and behavioral health integration, substance use disorder treatment for pregnant and postpartum women, telehealth, and more.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Medicaid Coverage of Community Health Worker Services
Provides an overview of types of community health workers (CHWs) and the services they provide. Summarizes studies examining the effects of CHW programs on health outcomes and costs. Discusses state approaches to covering CHW services through Medicaid, including the services covered, regulatory authorities used to provide Medicaid payment, the populations served, and training and certification requirements.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Health Panel Comment Letter – Access to Coverage and Care in Medicaid & CHIP
Offers comments in response to the Access to Coverage and Care in Medicaid and CHIP Request for Information. Discusses ways the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can support states in addressing barriers to enrollment and retention, minimum access standards, and monitoring care availability and access to care.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Health Panel Comment Letter – Promoting Telehealth in Rural America
Offers comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission's proposed rule for Promoting Telehealth in America. Discusses rural classifications for healthcare providers, defining rural areas for program participation, and an alternative method to determine degrees of rurality.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Assessment of Community-Level Vulnerability and Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
Study examining access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in relation to social vulnerability to disasters based on zip code tabulation data (ZCTA) for 32,434 counties in the continental U.S. Discusses differences in geographic access to MOUD for rural and urban areas and the potential impacts of disasters on that access, highlighting potential interventions to bolster access to treatment.
Author(s): Paul J. Joudrey, Marynia Kolak, Qinyun Lin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 5(4), e227028
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
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Dental Care Utilization Among Adults Aged 18−64: United States, 2019 and 2020
Describes changes in the prevalence of dental visits among adults aged 18-64 between 2019 and 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began and many dental practices limited hours and services. Includes information by location for large metropolitan, large fringe metro, small and medium metro, and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Amy E. Cha, Robin A. Cohen
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Obstetrics: U.S. Rural Hospitals
Infographic presenting statistics on obstetrics care in rural community hospitals in the U.S. Includes data on the number of births in rural hospitals, rural hospitals without obstetrics units, obstetric unit closures, and the number of women of reproductive age who live in maternity care deserts.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Designing a Framework for Remote Cancer Care Through Community Co-Design: Participatory Development Study
Explores the design and implementation of a framework to provide telemedicine cancer care in urban and rural areas of Kentucky. Addresses issues of health disparities and lack of broadband access in geographic areas such as Appalachia. Provides examples of participatory and co-design processes to create telemedicine options and engage communities.
Author(s): Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, Melanie McComsey, Ming-Yuan Chih, et al.
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(4)
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
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2021 340B Health Annual Survey: 340B Continues to Support Essential Programs and Services in the Face of Significant Financial Stress on Hospitals
Summarizes the results of an October - December 2021 survey of 510 hospitals, including small and rural hospitals, that participate in the 340B drug pricing program. Describes how these hospitals utilize their savings from the 340B program to benefit patients. Discusses the importance of the program to Critical Access Hospitals, Disproportionate Share Hospitals, and other safety-net facilities. Explores the potential effects of additional cuts to the 340B program.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: 340B Health
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