Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Healthcare: A Key Challenge in Alabama's Black Belt
Issue brief examining healthcare access in Alabama's Black Belt region compared to national trends. Covers hospital beds in relation to population, rural hospital closures, COVID-19 strain, and policy impacts.
Author(s): Emily Jacobs, Hunter Whann, Emily Grace Corley, Jonathan Bowen, Noel Keeney
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Alabama Education Policy Center
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Issue brief examining healthcare access in Alabama's Black Belt region compared to national trends. Covers hospital beds in relation to population, rural hospital closures, COVID-19 strain, and policy impacts.
Author(s): Emily Jacobs, Hunter Whann, Emily Grace Corley, Jonathan Bowen, Noel Keeney
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Alabama Education Policy Center
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Innovations in Primary Care Education and Training: Developing Community Partnerships to Improve Population Health - Seventeenth Annual Report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and to Congress
Offers policy and program development recommendations to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding primary care training and education. Recommendations cover longitudinal community-based training programs, chronic disease prevention and management, population health education and training, and telehealth education and training. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry
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Offers policy and program development recommendations to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding primary care training and education. Recommendations cover longitudinal community-based training programs, chronic disease prevention and management, population health education and training, and telehealth education and training. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry
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October 2020 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) October 2020 meeting. Covers an alternative value incentive program that corrects current shortcomings for the skilled nursing facility value-based purchasing program; future research directions in hospice payment policy; balancing financial pressure and equity in Medicare Advantage benchmark policy; and current Medicare indirect medical education policy, concerns, and principles for revising. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) October 2020 meeting. Covers an alternative value incentive program that corrects current shortcomings for the skilled nursing facility value-based purchasing program; future research directions in hospice payment policy; balancing financial pressure and equity in Medicare Advantage benchmark policy; and current Medicare indirect medical education policy, concerns, and principles for revising. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Bringing Lawyers onto the Health Center Care Team to Promote Patient & Community Health
Discusses the role of health center medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) to address social determinants of health. Offers information and tools for health centers, primary care associations, and other organizations to start, strengthen, and sustain an MLP. Describes how to develop screening, referral, and service delivery workflows; how integrating legal services can support health center workforce development; and types of projects MLPs can engage in to help health centers address social determinants of health and health equity at a policy level.
Author(s): Kate Marple. Mallory Curran, Ellen Lawton, Danielle Rahajason
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership
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Discusses the role of health center medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) to address social determinants of health. Offers information and tools for health centers, primary care associations, and other organizations to start, strengthen, and sustain an MLP. Describes how to develop screening, referral, and service delivery workflows; how integrating legal services can support health center workforce development; and types of projects MLPs can engage in to help health centers address social determinants of health and health equity at a policy level.
Author(s): Kate Marple. Mallory Curran, Ellen Lawton, Danielle Rahajason
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership
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Billing & Coding Telehealth
Recording of a webinar presented in October at the NARHC 2020 Virtual Fall Institute covering telehealth billing requirements relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses changes that may occur once the public health emergency end, and the posting and coding of telehealth services on a cost report.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 10/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of a webinar presented in October at the NARHC 2020 Virtual Fall Institute covering telehealth billing requirements relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses changes that may occur once the public health emergency end, and the posting and coding of telehealth services on a cost report.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 10/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Navigating RHC COVID-19 Testing Fund Reporting Requirements
Recording of an October 7, 2020, webinar providing detailed information about the reporting requirements for the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) COVID-19 Testing Relief Fund. Discusses the importance of reporting data and the type of data that should be documented. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 10/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of an October 7, 2020, webinar providing detailed information about the reporting requirements for the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) COVID-19 Testing Relief Fund. Discusses the importance of reporting data and the type of data that should be documented. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 10/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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SHIP Pricing Transparency Guide
Supports Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) coordinators as they work to meet hospital price transparency rules. Provides an overview of the basics and history of price transparency regulations, key terms, eligibility, exemptions, and key components of the final rule. Includes resources, a list of shoppable services, and a template for work plan implementation.
Additional links: Price Transparency Webinar, Sample Price Transparency Work Plan
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Eide Bailly LLP, National Rural Health Resource Center
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Supports Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) coordinators as they work to meet hospital price transparency rules. Provides an overview of the basics and history of price transparency regulations, key terms, eligibility, exemptions, and key components of the final rule. Includes resources, a list of shoppable services, and a template for work plan implementation.
Additional links: Price Transparency Webinar, Sample Price Transparency Work Plan
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Eide Bailly LLP, National Rural Health Resource Center
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Telecommunications: FCC Should Enhance Performance Goals and Measures for Its Program to Support Broadband Service in High-Cost Areas
Examines the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) high-cost program's performance goals and measures and how they align with leading practices to enable the effective use of performance information. The high-cost program is designed to promote broadband deployment in areas that are not currently served by broadband. Discusses three key challenges the program faces in meeting its goals. Provides recommendations to the Chairman of the FCC to improve performance goals and measures and increase transparency.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) high-cost program's performance goals and measures and how they align with leading practices to enable the effective use of performance information. The high-cost program is designed to promote broadband deployment in areas that are not currently served by broadband. Discusses three key challenges the program faces in meeting its goals. Provides recommendations to the Chairman of the FCC to improve performance goals and measures and increase transparency.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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The American Opioid Epidemic in Special Populations: Five Examples
Report on the disproportionate impacts of the opioid crisis on populations, in the criminal justice system, rural residents, veterans, young adults, and individuals who inject drugs. Offers statistical data for each group and discussion of opioid use disorder and mortality, barriers to treatment, promising strategies to address treatment issues, and research and policy priorities. Section on rural populations offers data on drug overdose deaths, rates of opioid prescription, and the association between economic distress and opioid-involved deaths.
Author(s): Carlos Blanco, Mir M. Ali, Aaron Beswick, et al.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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Report on the disproportionate impacts of the opioid crisis on populations, in the criminal justice system, rural residents, veterans, young adults, and individuals who inject drugs. Offers statistical data for each group and discussion of opioid use disorder and mortality, barriers to treatment, promising strategies to address treatment issues, and research and policy priorities. Section on rural populations offers data on drug overdose deaths, rates of opioid prescription, and the association between economic distress and opioid-involved deaths.
Author(s): Carlos Blanco, Mir M. Ali, Aaron Beswick, et al.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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Medicare and Home Health: Taking Stock in the COVID-19 Era
Provides an overview of the Medicare home health benefit including Medicare financing, demographics of beneficiaries, and the home health workforce. Describes the impact of COVID-19 on the utilization home health services and regulatory changes taken in response to the pandemic. Offers policy recommendations to increase the value of home health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author(s): Courtney Harold Van Houtven, Walter D. Dawson
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Provides an overview of the Medicare home health benefit including Medicare financing, demographics of beneficiaries, and the home health workforce. Describes the impact of COVID-19 on the utilization home health services and regulatory changes taken in response to the pandemic. Offers policy recommendations to increase the value of home health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author(s): Courtney Harold Van Houtven, Walter D. Dawson
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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