Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
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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Arizona Opioid Action Plan Version 2.0, July 2019 - June 2021
Outlines the Arizona Department of Health Services' goals and recommendations for responding to the state's opioid-related public health emergency declaration. Intended to serve as an action plan and primary data source, containing information on opioid legislation, federal barriers, public education, youth prevention, medical education curriculum, and more. Includes rural-specific information and recommendations.
Date: 07/2019
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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Outlines the Arizona Department of Health Services' goals and recommendations for responding to the state's opioid-related public health emergency declaration. Intended to serve as an action plan and primary data source, containing information on opioid legislation, federal barriers, public education, youth prevention, medical education curriculum, and more. Includes rural-specific information and recommendations.
Date: 07/2019
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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A Flexible Solution: How Critical Access Hospitals Reshaped Rural Health
Brief video overview describing how the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 created the Critical Access Hospital designation to reduce rural hospital closures. Discusses the role of the Senate Finance Committee and Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in developing the related policies, the transition of rural hospitals to critical access status, and the creation and impact of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Program).
Date: 07/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Brief video overview describing how the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 created the Critical Access Hospital designation to reduce rural hospital closures. Discusses the role of the Senate Finance Committee and Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in developing the related policies, the transition of rural hospitals to critical access status, and the creation and impact of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex Program).
Date: 07/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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E-Cigarette Minimum Legal Sale Age Laws and Traditional Cigarette Use among Rural Pregnant Teenagers
Uses 2010-2016 data from 32 states to explore how minimum legal sale age laws for e-cigarettes affects cigarette use among pregnant teenagers in rural areas. Provides data and statistics on smoking before and during pregnancy, underage teen births, and birth outcomes. Includes rural/urban comparisons.
Author(s): Michael Pesko, Janet Currie
Citation: Journal of Health Economics, 66, 71-90
Date: 07/2019
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Uses 2010-2016 data from 32 states to explore how minimum legal sale age laws for e-cigarettes affects cigarette use among pregnant teenagers in rural areas. Provides data and statistics on smoking before and during pregnancy, underage teen births, and birth outcomes. Includes rural/urban comparisons.
Author(s): Michael Pesko, Janet Currie
Citation: Journal of Health Economics, 66, 71-90
Date: 07/2019
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