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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Midwives: Information on Births, Workforce, and Midwifery Education
Presents data on midwife-attended births, the midwifery workforce, and challenges to obtaining midwifery care. Discusses midwifery education programs, the number of students in these programs, midwifery educational challenges, and available federal financial support through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS). Describes challenges to measuring the quality of maternal healthcare, including midwifery care.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Addressing the Oral Health Needs of Hispanics in the U.S. – An Exploration of Oral Health Status, Dental Needs, Utilization of Dental Services, and Workforce
Report highlights the factors affecting the oral health of Hispanic and Latino populations in the U.S. Explores access, healthcare utilization, and workforce issues, among others. Discusses the use of emergency departments for oral health issues in rural areas, as well as access issues faced by migrants.
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
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More than One in Five Adults with Limited Public Transit Access Forgo Health Care Because of Transportation Barriers
Provides information on adults who have foregone healthcare due to lack of transportation. Analyzes June 2022 data from the Urban Institute's Health Reform Monitoring Survey (HRMS) on healthcare access, missed appointments, and access to vehicles, with data broken down by race/ethnicity, disability status, health insurance coverage, and rural versus urban residence.
Author(s): Laura Barrie Smith, Michael Karpman, Dulce Gonzalez, Sarah Morriss
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Urban Institute
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The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC) Data Report 2023
Reports on 2022 activities of clinics and pharmacies that are members of the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC). Includes information on patient demand and demographics, workforce, services offered, financial data, social determinants of health (SDOH) screenings, and more. Provides rural-specific data on patient usage, type and location of facilities, and government-funded special groups.
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
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Patients of Free & Charitable Clinics & Pharmacies: 2023
An infographic that provides an overview on the patients who utilize The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) member clinics and pharmacies in the U.S. Includes data on patient demographics, illness/disease, and location by rural, urban, or suburban.
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
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A Look at U.S. Free & Charitable Clinics & Pharmacies: 2023
An infographic that provides an overview on healthcare organization type, services provided by, and location of The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) member clinics and pharmacies by rural, urban, or suburban.
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
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Broadband Speed: FCC Should Improve Its Communication of Advanced Telecommunications Capability Assessments
Examines the extent to which Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has communicated how it reviews, and determines whether to update, the broadband upload and download speed benchmark. Describes how the minimum speed requirements of selected federal and state broadband programs differ from FCC's benchmark and stakeholders' views on the implications of these differences.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Disparities in Health and Health Care: 5 Key Questions and Answers
Defines health and healthcare disparities and discusses the social and economic inequities that drive them. Provides details on the current status of health disparities in the U.S., the importance of addressing them, and what the federal government is doing to alleviate health disparities. Includes discussion of rural health disparities.
Author(s): Nambi Ndugga, Samantha Artiga
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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April 2023 MACPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) April 2023 meeting. Covers automatic adjustments to Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) allotments, DSH third-party payer policy, integrating care for dually eligible beneficiaries, access to Medicaid coverage and care for adults leaving incarceration, adult access to covered dental benefits, access to home- and community-based services, and an update on the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) unwinding. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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April 2023 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) April 2023 meeting. Covers high prices of drugs covered under Medicare Part B, draft recommendations for reforming Medicare's wage index systems, aligning fee-for-service payment rates across ambulatory settings, leveraging Medicare policies to address social determinants of health, assessing post-sale rebates for prescription drugs in Medicare Part D, and assessing the need for Medicare safety net payments for skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies. Features discussions on draft reports regarding a prototype design for a post-acute care prospective payment system, telehealth in Medicare, and behavioral health in Medicare. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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