Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Rural Challenges, Strategies, and Recommendations to Advance Value-Based Payment and Care During and Beyond the COVID-19 Crisis
Describes the key challenges rural primary care and behavioral health providers have faced in delivering care since COVID-19, in addition to the policy changes implemented in response to those challenges. Offers state-level policy recommendations for improving rural primary care and behavioral health services.
Author(s): Angel Bourgoin, Jim Maxwell, Yvette Cho, Rachel Tobey
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Delta Center for a Thriving Safety Net
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Describes the key challenges rural primary care and behavioral health providers have faced in delivering care since COVID-19, in addition to the policy changes implemented in response to those challenges. Offers state-level policy recommendations for improving rural primary care and behavioral health services.
Author(s): Angel Bourgoin, Jim Maxwell, Yvette Cho, Rachel Tobey
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Delta Center for a Thriving Safety Net
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The Future of State Telehealth Policy
Provides an overview of state and federal telehealth flexibilities implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses long-term considerations for governors regarding the impact of these flexibilities on healthcare delivery and payment and the appropriateness of these policies in the future.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Governors Association
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Provides an overview of state and federal telehealth flexibilities implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses long-term considerations for governors regarding the impact of these flexibilities on healthcare delivery and payment and the appropriateness of these policies in the future.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Governors Association
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The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' Ethical Principles for Allocating Initial Supplies of COVID-19 Vaccine — United States, 2020
Discusses four ethical principles that will inform the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations for the initial allocation of COVID-19 vaccine: maximizing benefits and minimizing harms; promoting justice; mitigating health inequities; and promoting transparency. The section on health inequities includes discussion of concerns for rural residents.
Author(s): Nancy McClung, Mary Chamberland, Kathy Kinlaw, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(47), 1782-1786
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Discusses four ethical principles that will inform the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations for the initial allocation of COVID-19 vaccine: maximizing benefits and minimizing harms; promoting justice; mitigating health inequities; and promoting transparency. The section on health inequities includes discussion of concerns for rural residents.
Author(s): Nancy McClung, Mary Chamberland, Kathy Kinlaw, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(47), 1782-1786
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Maintaining Flexible Telehealth Policies After COVID-19
Provides an overview of the views of stakeholder organizations on topics for federal policymakers to consider regarding Medicare telehealth flexibilities after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Covers payment policy, telehealth services, and provider and patient location, among other topics.
Author(s): Sue Felt-Lisk
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Mathematica Policy Research
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Provides an overview of the views of stakeholder organizations on topics for federal policymakers to consider regarding Medicare telehealth flexibilities after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Covers payment policy, telehealth services, and provider and patient location, among other topics.
Author(s): Sue Felt-Lisk
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Mathematica Policy Research
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Informing Health Care Workforce Policy by Leveraging Data: A Toolkit for States
Describes how healthcare workforce data can be used to address questions regarding access to care. Discusses three key considerations for states to improve their healthcare workforce data collection practices. Includes examples from states that utilized data to inform policy.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Governors Association
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Describes how healthcare workforce data can be used to address questions regarding access to care. Discusses three key considerations for states to improve their healthcare workforce data collection practices. Includes examples from states that utilized data to inform policy.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Governors Association
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Ensuring Health Across Rural Minnesota in 2030
Offers recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders on how to expand access to high-quality and inexpensive healthcare for rural communities in Minnesota. Covers trends in factors that may affect rural health, such as increased diversity, older populations, higher healthcare costs, lack of broadband, closures of healthcare facilities, and more. Discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated issues in rural communities.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Offers recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders on how to expand access to high-quality and inexpensive healthcare for rural communities in Minnesota. Covers trends in factors that may affect rural health, such as increased diversity, older populations, higher healthcare costs, lack of broadband, closures of healthcare facilities, and more. Discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated issues in rural communities.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Health Care Delivery System Reform: Six Policy Imperatives
Presents six recommendations for healthcare delivery system reform in order to improve quality, advance equity, and increase the affordability of healthcare in the United States. Includes specific policy recommendations for small and rural providers throughout.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Presents six recommendations for healthcare delivery system reform in order to improve quality, advance equity, and increase the affordability of healthcare in the United States. Includes specific policy recommendations for small and rural providers throughout.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Rethinking Rural Health: FY 2020 Year in Review
Provides an overview of Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) programs and activities that have affected rural health and healthcare in fiscal year 2020. Focuses on nine priority areas: COVID-19, maternal health, Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM), quality improvement, practitioner engagement, patient empowerment and person-centered care, Medicare and Medicaid payment and policy, models and demonstrations, and telehealth.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) programs and activities that have affected rural health and healthcare in fiscal year 2020. Focuses on nine priority areas: COVID-19, maternal health, Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM), quality improvement, practitioner engagement, patient empowerment and person-centered care, Medicare and Medicaid payment and policy, models and demonstrations, and telehealth.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Comment Letter on HHS Report to Congress on Telehealth for Pediatric SUD
Reviews the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report, Reducing Barriers to Furnishing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Services Using Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring for Pediatric Populations Under Medicaid: Final Report. Covers the role of telehealth in mitigating the shortage of behavioral health providers and expanding behavioral health services to children covered by Medicaid. Discusses the need for additional research on telehealth in Medicaid, information sharing between states, and addressing barriers to technology.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Reviews the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report, Reducing Barriers to Furnishing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Services Using Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring for Pediatric Populations Under Medicaid: Final Report. Covers the role of telehealth in mitigating the shortage of behavioral health providers and expanding behavioral health services to children covered by Medicaid. Discusses the need for additional research on telehealth in Medicaid, information sharing between states, and addressing barriers to technology.
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Indian Health Service: Actions Needed to Improve Oversight of Federal Facilities' Decision-Making About the Use of Funds
Reports on how the Indian Health Service (IHS) oversees federally operated healthcare facilities' decision-making process regarding the use of funds. Discusses the degree to which IHS officials consider the needs of the communities in reviewing facilities' scope of services. Includes recommendations to improve IHS's oversight to ensure that spending targets patient needs.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Reports on how the Indian Health Service (IHS) oversees federally operated healthcare facilities' decision-making process regarding the use of funds. Discusses the degree to which IHS officials consider the needs of the communities in reviewing facilities' scope of services. Includes recommendations to improve IHS's oversight to ensure that spending targets patient needs.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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