Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Organizational Challenges to Improving Quality of Care in Indian Health Service Hospitals
Identifies organizational issues hindering the Indian Health Service (IHS) from improving the management of IHS hospitals. Discusses concerns related to formal structure, policies and roles; awareness of hospital performance and problems; and IHS officials' confidence in the agency's ability to make sustained improvements. Recommends strategies for improvement.
Author(s): Suzanne Murrin
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Identifies organizational issues hindering the Indian Health Service (IHS) from improving the management of IHS hospitals. Discusses concerns related to formal structure, policies and roles; awareness of hospital performance and problems; and IHS officials' confidence in the agency's ability to make sustained improvements. Recommends strategies for improvement.
Author(s): Suzanne Murrin
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Medi-Cal Telehealth Updated Policy
Summarizes a California Department of Health Care Services telehealth policy update for the Medi-Cal fee-for-service program. Highlights key changes related to the definitions, reimbursable services, e-consults, and more.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Summarizes a California Department of Health Care Services telehealth policy update for the Medi-Cal fee-for-service program. Highlights key changes related to the definitions, reimbursable services, e-consults, and more.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Examining Rural Cancer Prevention and Control Efforts: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of issues related to cancer in rural areas, including barriers to accessing cancer care. Describes federal programs that support and enhance national and rural cancer control efforts, including funding, and offers policy recommendations. Features statistics on average annual percent change in cancer mortality rates from 2006-2015, with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Includes a U.S. map showing locations of cancer centers that received Rural Cancer Control Supplements grants in 2018.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Provides an overview of issues related to cancer in rural areas, including barriers to accessing cancer care. Describes federal programs that support and enhance national and rural cancer control efforts, including funding, and offers policy recommendations. Features statistics on average annual percent change in cancer mortality rates from 2006-2015, with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Includes a U.S. map showing locations of cancer centers that received Rural Cancer Control Supplements grants in 2018.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Supportive Services and Caregiving for Older Rural Adults: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of current supportive services and caregiving policies for rural older adults, in terms of availability, accessibility, and acceptability of services. Explores topics including long-term services and supports, telehealth, care coordination, transportation, stigma, and unpaid caregivers, and describes federal programs for older adults. Offers policy recommendations and considerations.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Provides an overview of current supportive services and caregiving policies for rural older adults, in terms of availability, accessibility, and acceptability of services. Explores topics including long-term services and supports, telehealth, care coordination, transportation, stigma, and unpaid caregivers, and describes federal programs for older adults. Offers policy recommendations and considerations.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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FCC Promoting Telehealth in Rural America: Report and Order
Provides a report and order regarding plans to reform the Rural Health Care Program and promote telehealth, including targeting funding to rural areas. Discusses plans to improve the Telecom Program's efficiency, transparency, and predictability; criteria for prioritizing rural areas for funding; how to increase rural participation in Healthcare Connect Fund Program Consortia and the effectiveness of competitive billing; and how to improve RHC Program administration, the application process, and program oversight. Includes the final rules governing the program and maps showing the rural area tiers for the program.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Provides a report and order regarding plans to reform the Rural Health Care Program and promote telehealth, including targeting funding to rural areas. Discusses plans to improve the Telecom Program's efficiency, transparency, and predictability; criteria for prioritizing rural areas for funding; how to increase rural participation in Healthcare Connect Fund Program Consortia and the effectiveness of competitive billing; and how to improve RHC Program administration, the application process, and program oversight. Includes the final rules governing the program and maps showing the rural area tiers for the program.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Addressing Rural Hospital Closures Through Infrastructure Reform
Provides a historical overview of rural Medicare reimbursement and provider designations and discusses their impact on hospital closures. Supports changing the rural health infrastructure to provide more flexibility for rural hospitals and to emphasize primary care and emergency care access.
Author(s): Eleni Salyers
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Provides a historical overview of rural Medicare reimbursement and provider designations and discusses their impact on hospital closures. Supports changing the rural health infrastructure to provide more flexibility for rural hospitals and to emphasize primary care and emergency care access.
Author(s): Eleni Salyers
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Accelerating Value-Based Payment in California's Federally Qualified Health Centers: Options for Medicaid Health Plans
Highlights examples of value-based payment (VBP) models for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), including a rural Hawaii model and a Colorado model that incorporates rural FQHCs. Covers Accountable Care Organization (ACO) models, state-led Capitated Alternative Payment Models (APMs), state-led quality payment adjustments, and Medicaid shared savings ACO models. Addresses how FQHCs and health plans can overcome challenges when launching new VBP models and offers recommendations for California's health plans.
Author(s): Greg Howe, Tricia McGinnis, Rob Houston
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Highlights examples of value-based payment (VBP) models for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), including a rural Hawaii model and a Colorado model that incorporates rural FQHCs. Covers Accountable Care Organization (ACO) models, state-led Capitated Alternative Payment Models (APMs), state-led quality payment adjustments, and Medicaid shared savings ACO models. Addresses how FQHCs and health plans can overcome challenges when launching new VBP models and offers recommendations for California's health plans.
Author(s): Greg Howe, Tricia McGinnis, Rob Houston
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Understanding the Intersection of Medicaid and Work: What Does the Data Say?
Provides analysis on Medicaid enrollees and work requirements. Examines policy implications of work requirements, and explores barriers to work and reporting requirements. Table 1 includes statistics describing nonelderly adult Medicaid enrollees work status in 2017 by race/ethnicity, education, family type, family work status, and metro/nonmetro residence.
Author(s): Rachel Garfield, Robin Rudowitz, Kendal Orgera, Anthony Damico
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Provides analysis on Medicaid enrollees and work requirements. Examines policy implications of work requirements, and explores barriers to work and reporting requirements. Table 1 includes statistics describing nonelderly adult Medicaid enrollees work status in 2017 by race/ethnicity, education, family type, family work status, and metro/nonmetro residence.
Author(s): Rachel Garfield, Robin Rudowitz, Kendal Orgera, Anthony Damico
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Department of Health Care Services: It Has Not Ensured That Medi-Cal Beneficiaries in Some Rural Counties Have Reasonable Access to Care
Findings from a study to determine whether rural beneficiaries of the Medi-Cal Regional Model health plan were given acceptable access to care and adequate quality of care after the state transitioned into managed care plans in 2013. Includes county-level map showing Medi-Cal Managed Care Models and statistics showing maximum distance required to access care, with breakdowns by provider type.
Author(s): Elaine M. Howle
Citation: California State Auditor Report 2018-122
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Auditor of the State of California
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Findings from a study to determine whether rural beneficiaries of the Medi-Cal Regional Model health plan were given acceptable access to care and adequate quality of care after the state transitioned into managed care plans in 2013. Includes county-level map showing Medi-Cal Managed Care Models and statistics showing maximum distance required to access care, with breakdowns by provider type.
Author(s): Elaine M. Howle
Citation: California State Auditor Report 2018-122
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Auditor of the State of California
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Indigenous Data Governance: Strategies from United States Native Nations
Examines the significance of Indigenous data sovereignty (IDS) as the right of Native nations to govern the collection, ownership, and application of tribal data. Presents tribal case studies demonstrating an increase use of IDS to support their values to empower families and improve the health and wellbeing of tribal communities. Addresses IDS challenges faced by Native nations, and the resources and partnerships necessary to develop Indigenous data systems.
Author(s): Stephanie R. Carroll, Desi Rodriguez-Lonebear, Andrew Martinez
Citation: Data Science Journal, 18(31), 1-15
Date: 07/2019
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Examines the significance of Indigenous data sovereignty (IDS) as the right of Native nations to govern the collection, ownership, and application of tribal data. Presents tribal case studies demonstrating an increase use of IDS to support their values to empower families and improve the health and wellbeing of tribal communities. Addresses IDS challenges faced by Native nations, and the resources and partnerships necessary to develop Indigenous data systems.
Author(s): Stephanie R. Carroll, Desi Rodriguez-Lonebear, Andrew Martinez
Citation: Data Science Journal, 18(31), 1-15
Date: 07/2019
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