Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Rural Hospitals: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Describes the conditions facing rural hospitals and their communities contributing to the high rate of rural hospital closure. Discusses state and federal legislation, policies, and programs developed to support rural hospitals. Provides data for 15 Southern states including their state and rural populations, percentage of population uninsured, Medicaid expansion status, percentage at high financial risk, and number of rural hospital closures.
Author(s): Nick Bowman
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Southern Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments
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Describes the conditions facing rural hospitals and their communities contributing to the high rate of rural hospital closure. Discusses state and federal legislation, policies, and programs developed to support rural hospitals. Provides data for 15 Southern states including their state and rural populations, percentage of population uninsured, Medicaid expansion status, percentage at high financial risk, and number of rural hospital closures.
Author(s): Nick Bowman
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Southern Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments
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Promoting Maternal Health in Rural and Underserved Areas
Examines reasons for the rural obstetrical care crisis and discusses how public policy and technological innovation can improve healthcare quality and access in rural America. Includes sections on scope-of-practice restrictions and policy barriers to telemedicine's broad implementation.
Author(s): Darcy Nikol Bryan
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Mercatus Center, George Mason University
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Examines reasons for the rural obstetrical care crisis and discusses how public policy and technological innovation can improve healthcare quality and access in rural America. Includes sections on scope-of-practice restrictions and policy barriers to telemedicine's broad implementation.
Author(s): Darcy Nikol Bryan
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Mercatus Center, George Mason University
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Strategic Options for the Modernization of the Indian Health Service Health Information Technology: Final Report
Identifies recommended approaches and next steps for modernizing the Indian Health Service use of health information technology (HIT). Addresses the needs of both patients and the health workforce that will use the system, as well as governance and a variety of technological issues. Lists constraints to HIT modernization along with proposed mitigations for those constraints.
Additional links: Roadmap: Executive Summary
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Identifies recommended approaches and next steps for modernizing the Indian Health Service use of health information technology (HIT). Addresses the needs of both patients and the health workforce that will use the system, as well as governance and a variety of technological issues. Lists constraints to HIT modernization along with proposed mitigations for those constraints.
Additional links: Roadmap: Executive Summary
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Telecommunications: FCC Should Take Additional Action to Manage Fraud Risks in Its Program to Support Broadband Service in High-Cost Areas
Examines the funding reforms and fraud controls implemented by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for small, rural telecommunications carriers, identified as "rate-of-return carriers". Includes recommendations to the FCC supporting fraud risk management, regular assessments, and newly designed strategies. Appendix I identifies key elements of a fraud-risk management assessment process.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines the funding reforms and fraud controls implemented by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for small, rural telecommunications carriers, identified as "rate-of-return carriers". Includes recommendations to the FCC supporting fraud risk management, regular assessments, and newly designed strategies. Appendix I identifies key elements of a fraud-risk management assessment process.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Subcommittee on Health Oversight Hearing: Native Veterans' Access to Healthcare
Discusses the current state of healthcare access for Native American veterans. Features testimonies from representatives from the National Indian Health Board, the National Congress of American Indians, and the Alaska Native Health Board, among others.
Additional links: Witness Testimonies
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Discusses the current state of healthcare access for Native American veterans. Features testimonies from representatives from the National Indian Health Board, the National Congress of American Indians, and the Alaska Native Health Board, among others.
Additional links: Witness Testimonies
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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SORH Response to the National Substance Use Disorder Crisis
Looks at the role of State Offices of Rural Health (SORHs) in state-level substance use disorder and opioid use disorder initiatives. Highlights the activities of SORHs in several states as case studies and details the lessons learned in those states.
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Looks at the role of State Offices of Rural Health (SORHs) in state-level substance use disorder and opioid use disorder initiatives. Highlights the activities of SORHs in several states as case studies and details the lessons learned in those states.
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Estimate of Federal Payment Reductions to Hospitals Following the ACA: 2010-2029: Estimates and Methodology
Estimates the reduction in Medicare hospital payments due to sequestration from 2010 to 2029, not including reductions enacted under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Demonstrates how other legislative acts and regulatory changes by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reduced federal payments to hospitals over the same period. Highlights how reductions in Medicare payments for bad debt impacted Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals
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Estimates the reduction in Medicare hospital payments due to sequestration from 2010 to 2029, not including reductions enacted under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Demonstrates how other legislative acts and regulatory changes by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reduced federal payments to hospitals over the same period. Highlights how reductions in Medicare payments for bad debt impacted Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals
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States' Medicaid Fee-for-Service Nursing Facility Payment Policies
Spreadsheet outlining each state's Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) nursing facility payment policy. Lists how each state sets the payment rate and any adjustments and supplemental payments. Includes information on rural/urban aspects of setting or adjustment to the payment in each state.
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Spreadsheet outlining each state's Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) nursing facility payment policy. Lists how each state sets the payment rate and any adjustments and supplemental payments. Includes information on rural/urban aspects of setting or adjustment to the payment in each state.
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Alaska's Community Capacity Review: A Statewide Public Health System Assessment
Assesses the current status of the public health system in Alaska and provides a starting point to improve and strengthen the overall capacity of the system. Highlights the importance of including small and rural Alaskan communities in outreach and collaboration efforts.
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Alaska Department of Health, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Healthy Alaskans 2020
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Assesses the current status of the public health system in Alaska and provides a starting point to improve and strengthen the overall capacity of the system. Highlights the importance of including small and rural Alaskan communities in outreach and collaboration efforts.
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Alaska Department of Health, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Healthy Alaskans 2020
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So You Want to Start a Health Center?
Provides guidance for planning and implementing a new health center that meets Section 330 of the U.S. Public Health Service Act requirements. Includes information on developing a needs assessment, physical space considerations, business planning, developing community governance, human resources, information technology, and more.
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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Provides guidance for planning and implementing a new health center that meets Section 330 of the U.S. Public Health Service Act requirements. Includes information on developing a needs assessment, physical space considerations, business planning, developing community governance, human resources, information technology, and more.
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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