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Resources by Topic: Policy

Report to Congress: Current State of Technology-Enabled Collaborative Learning and Capacity Building Models
Reports on the impact of technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models as required by the Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes (ECHO) Act. Examines how such models are being used to improve healthcare quality and address health workforce capacity, particularly in rural areas, the evidence behind model effectiveness, and evidence gaps. Provides recommendations on expanding model adoption and its use in continuing medical education. Appendix includes an inventory of Project ECHO models and other similar models by state and in several other countries.
Additional links: Appendix F: Evaluation of Technology-Enabled Collaborative Learning and Capacity Building Models
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Evaluation of the Million HeartsĀ® Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model: First Annual Report
Evaluates the first year of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Million Hearts Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model to determine whether, and how, it reduces first-time strokes, heart attacks, and Medicare spending. Covers participant characteristics, including rural or urban status and organization type; approaches used to implement the model; preventative care efforts; experiences with CMS support tools for the project; and reasons for joining and leaving the model.
Author(s): Leslie Conwell, Linda Barterian, Adam Rose, et al.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica Policy Research
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Case Studies of 6 Safety Net Organizations That Integrate Oral and Mental/Behavioral Health With Primary Care Services
Features an analysis of 6 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) integrating oral health and behavioral health with primary care across the country. Features one rural example.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): M. Langelier, S. Surdu, N. Goodwin
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Oral Health Workforce Research Center
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Leveraging Private Capital For Underserved Communities and Individuals: A Look Into Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)
Recording of a U.S. House hearing on the role of private community development financial institutions in rural and underserved communities. Addresses how they support economic development, health facility expansions, access to healthy foods, and more. Includes testimony from United Bank, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs, the Center for Community Investment, and IFF. Transcript available in the video description.
Additional links: Annie Donovan Testimony, Joe Neri Testimony
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Appropriations
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Promoting Health and Cost Control in States: How States Can Improve Community Health & Well-Being Through Policy Change
Focuses on how states can support health at a population level through evidence-based policies and collaboration. Covers healthy and affordable housing, how to foster healthy behaviors, promoting healthy living through built environments, economic opportunities, and the connection between health and learning. Summarizes the evidence for each policy recommendation and offers case examples. Addresses rural throughout.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Training Tomorrow's Physicians: Recommendations for Expanding Graduate Medical Education Funding in California
Provides recommendations and action steps for expanding graduate medical education (GME) in California, including in rural and underserved areas. Supports creating a centralized state planning organization to coordinate GME efforts and reviews potential GME funding sources from federal, state, and private sources. Highlights successful examples from other states.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: California Health Care Foundation
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Market Concentration and Potential Competition in Medicare Advantage
Examines competition among Medicare Advantage plans using county-level data on plans offered and enrollment for 2009-2017. Addresses market concentration in rural areas. Discusses the importance of plan competition to keep insurance prices down.
Author(s): Richard G. Frank, Thomas G. McGuire
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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American Broadband Initiative Milestones Report
Highlights steps for the federal government to take to increase broadband access and increase private-sector investments in broadband. Discusses broadband and mobile broadband deployment and adoption in the U.S. and offers statistics by urban, rural, and tribal lands. Provides recommendations discussing strategies, objectives, and overcoming barriers to increase broadband in urban and rural areas and tribal lands.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture
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Potential Effects of Work Requirements in Montana's Medicaid Program
Explores the potential impacts of Montana's proposed Medicaid reform legislation, Medicaid Reform and Integrity Act (MeRIA). Reports on Montana residents most likely to be affected by MeRIA's work requirements, and the potential loss of Medicaid coverage and resulting effects. Includes statistics describing the characteristics of Montana Medicaid expansion beneficiaries mostly likely to be impacted by the proposed work requirements by age, race/ethnicity, education, barriers to employment, and rurality.
Author(s): Leighton Ku, Erin Brantley
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health Center for Health Policy Research
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The Market Mechanism and Health Insurance in Rural Places: Lessons Learned from an Economics and Policy Perspective
Examines rural health insurance market challenges and related policy considerations. Outlines historical and economic reasons for rural "market failures," such as low population density and economies of scale. Reviews the success of previous policy interventions targeting rural health insurance markets and offers recommendations for future action.
Author(s): Abigail R. Barker, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller, Kelsey A. Huntzberry
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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