Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Leveraging Evidence-Based Policies to Improve Health, Control Costs, and Create Health Equity
Explores healthcare access for various populations, including people living in rural communities. Discusses strategies and policies focused on access to healthcare, economic mobility, affordable housing, safe learning environments for young adults and children, and health-promoting excise taxes.
Author(s): Adam Lustig, Marilyn Cabrera
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Explores healthcare access for various populations, including people living in rural communities. Discusses strategies and policies focused on access to healthcare, economic mobility, affordable housing, safe learning environments for young adults and children, and health-promoting excise taxes.
Author(s): Adam Lustig, Marilyn Cabrera
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Telehealth, COVID-19 and Looking Ahead
Discusses COVID-19 telehealth policy flexibilities that may be made permanent through legislation or other state-level action as of July 2021. Offers a map indicating states where legislation seeks to make policy changes permanent, presents an overview of specific policy flexibilities, and discusses state-level approaches, including temporary extensions of policy changes and non-legislative action.
Author(s): Jack Pitsor
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Discusses COVID-19 telehealth policy flexibilities that may be made permanent through legislation or other state-level action as of July 2021. Offers a map indicating states where legislation seeks to make policy changes permanent, presents an overview of specific policy flexibilities, and discusses state-level approaches, including temporary extensions of policy changes and non-legislative action.
Author(s): Jack Pitsor
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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DATA 2000 Waiver Training Payment Program
Recording of a July 29, 2021, webinar providing technical assistance for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) applying for the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) Waiver Training Payment Program. Identifies organizations' eligibility to apply for payments and discusses the application process and requirements. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of a July 29, 2021, webinar providing technical assistance for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) applying for the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) Waiver Training Payment Program. Identifies organizations' eligibility to apply for payments and discusses the application process and requirements. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Medicaid and Housing Partnerships: A Resource for Local Health Departments
Explores how local health departments (LHDs) in rural areas can utilize Medicaid managed care levers to address homelessness and housing security issues. Summarizes results from a gap analysis and readiness assessment which identified key opportunities to help prepare 3 LHDs in rural North Carolina counties for the transition to Medicaid-managed care. Identifies action steps for these counties to strengthen housing supports that can also inform similar initiatives in other states.
Author(s): Matthew Ralls, Kathy Moses, Rob Houston
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Explores how local health departments (LHDs) in rural areas can utilize Medicaid managed care levers to address homelessness and housing security issues. Summarizes results from a gap analysis and readiness assessment which identified key opportunities to help prepare 3 LHDs in rural North Carolina counties for the transition to Medicaid-managed care. Identifies action steps for these counties to strengthen housing supports that can also inform similar initiatives in other states.
Author(s): Matthew Ralls, Kathy Moses, Rob Houston
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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State Medicaid Telehealth Policies Before and During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
Examines state Medicaid telehealth coverage, policies, and utilization before and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Discusses issues and opportunities for optimizing telehealth, including equity considerations for rural and lower-income communities.
Author(s): Rose C. Chu, Christie Peters, Nancy De Lew, Benjamin D. Sommers
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Examines state Medicaid telehealth coverage, policies, and utilization before and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Discusses issues and opportunities for optimizing telehealth, including equity considerations for rural and lower-income communities.
Author(s): Rose C. Chu, Christie Peters, Nancy De Lew, Benjamin D. Sommers
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Leveraging Quality Measurement to Improve Rural Health, Telehealth, and Healthcare System Readiness: Final Environmental Scan Report
Presents the results of an environmental scan of literature related to barriers and facilitators of rural telehealth for healthcare system readiness, as well as a scan of quality measures relevant to rural telehealth during emergencies. Summarizes policies and practices related to telehealth and the healthcare system, with a focus on federal policy changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Presents the results of an environmental scan of literature related to barriers and facilitators of rural telehealth for healthcare system readiness, as well as a scan of quality measures relevant to rural telehealth during emergencies. Summarizes policies and practices related to telehealth and the healthcare system, with a focus on federal policy changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Evolving Roles of Rural Hospitals: Evidence from Pandemic Experiences
Slides presented at the 2021 Southern Legislative Conference annual meeting. Presents data on the spread of COVID-19 in rural communities over time and compares confirmed COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 deaths in urban and rural counties in the southern states. Highlights how state policies can invest in and support rural hospitals.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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Slides presented at the 2021 Southern Legislative Conference annual meeting. Presents data on the spread of COVID-19 in rural communities over time and compares confirmed COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 deaths in urban and rural counties in the southern states. Highlights how state policies can invest in and support rural hospitals.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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COVID-19: Continued Attention Needed to Enhance Federal Preparedness, Response, Service Delivery, and Program Integrity
Discusses the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides an overview of federal actions on healthcare and economic policy areas through mid-June 2021, including data on vaccine administration and COVID-19 relief spending. Offers 15 new recommendations to federal agencies regarding public health, the economy, and program integrity that would improve the federal response.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Discusses the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides an overview of federal actions on healthcare and economic policy areas through mid-June 2021, including data on vaccine administration and COVID-19 relief spending. Offers 15 new recommendations to federal agencies regarding public health, the economy, and program integrity that would improve the federal response.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Opioid Treatment Programs: A Key Treatment System Component
Issue brief examining state and federal-level policies related to opioid treatment programs (OTPs). Offers policy recommendations to increase access to opioid treatment in rural communities and other hard-to-reach settings.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Pew
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Issue brief examining state and federal-level policies related to opioid treatment programs (OTPs). Offers policy recommendations to increase access to opioid treatment in rural communities and other hard-to-reach settings.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Pew
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Access to Affordable Care in Rural America: Current Trends and Key Challenges
Describes geographic and demographic challenges that contribute to healthcare access and health disparities in rural areas. Covers patterns of insurance coverage between rural and urban areas, healthcare provider shortages, and rural hospital vulnerability and closures. Discusses programs and services supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reduce barriers to care in rural communities, including telehealth, healthcare workforce programs, and Rural Health Clinics and Community Health Centers.
Author(s): Gina Turrini, D.Keith Branham, Lucy Chen, et al.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Describes geographic and demographic challenges that contribute to healthcare access and health disparities in rural areas. Covers patterns of insurance coverage between rural and urban areas, healthcare provider shortages, and rural hospital vulnerability and closures. Discusses programs and services supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reduce barriers to care in rural communities, including telehealth, healthcare workforce programs, and Rural Health Clinics and Community Health Centers.
Author(s): Gina Turrini, D.Keith Branham, Lucy Chen, et al.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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