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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

Graduate Medical Education Funding
Explores graduate medical education (GME), focusing on types of locations where it is offered and sources of funding available, including Medicare and Medicaid. Describes ways in which states are rethinking GME to better meet the needs of states and communities most impacted by physician workforce shortages, including rural areas. Includes a map with shadings showing levels of Medicare GME-funded residents by state.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2024 Eligibility and Participation Quick Start Guide
Provides an overview of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligibility criteria. Addresses calculation of the low-volume threshold exclusion at the individual and group levels, opt-in and voluntary reporting options, and the impact of special status designations such as rural and small practices.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Medicare COVID-19 Hospitalization Trends Report
Reports cases and hospitalization data for Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2023. Includes data on beneficiary demographics, case and hospitalization trends, and discharge status among beneficiaries hospitalized for COVID-19. Compares COVID-19 case and hospitalization rates by rural and urban status.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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How to Solve New Mexico's Health Care Worker Shortage
Proposes state-level policy and funding changes to address healthcare workforce shortages in New Mexico, covering topics including Medicaid reimbursement, financial incentives for education and practice, credentialing, workforce programs, and more. Highlights the needs of rural and tribal communities, including discussion of rural provider retention, workforce pipelines, the Rural Healthcare Tax Credit (RHTC), and state and federal cooperation with tribal nations.
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Think New Mexico
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340B Discount Drug Program Reform Policy Principles
Policy position paper on the 340B program. Explores ways in which the program benefits rural health systems and patients, and the impact of restrictions by drug manufacturers on rural safety net providers .
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Generating a Profile of the Near Dual Population
Chart pack from a project examining policy approaches to supporting Near Duals, who are adults aged 65+ experiencing financial precarity and not currently dually enrolled in Medicare and full-benefit Medicaid, utilizing Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) and Medicare administrative claims data. Analyzes characteristics of Near Dual population, including data on Near Duals' likelihood of living in rural and medically underserved areas.
Additional links: Project Overview: Defining and Examining the Near Duals
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: NORC at the University of Chicago
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Rural Maternity Innovation Summit Reports
Findings from a March 2024 Clifton, Texas summit that brought together leaders from six innovative and sustainable rural maternity programs. The site report provides case studies, sharing information on maternity services, staffing, financial strategies, and more. The leader report shares strategies and identifies leadership competencies, values, and character traits that support the leaders' abilities to meet the challenges in providing sustainable rural maternity services in rural communities.
Author(s): Erin E. Sullivan, Benjamin Anderson, Mark Deutchman
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Colorado School of Medicine Rural Program
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Expanding Behavioral Health Care Workforce Participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace Plans
Report highlights barriers to obtaining behavioral health treatment on Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace plans. Discusses barriers specific to rural and tribal communities. Details behavioral workforce needs and makes policy recommendations.
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Challenges of EHR "Meaningful Use" in Rural Health Centers
Describes a South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control quality improvement initiative to reduce health disparities for people with hypertension and high blood cholesterol in rural areas. Discusses the extent to which rural health centers were able to disaggregate data and report quality measures using electronic health records (EHRs). Highlights barriers to engaging in meaningful use, including rurality, staffing, and financial challenges.
Author(s): Courtney Brightharp, Kristian Myers, Jennifer Mandelbaum
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 30, S127-S129
Date: 2024
Type: Document
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Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health Strategic Plan, 2024-2027
Three-year plan of action for the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health. Features areas of focus including strengthening of rural health care delivery systems, community and population health, areas of unmet need, advocacy, continuing education, and expansion of infrastructure.
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health
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