Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Substance Use Disorder Treatment Policy Recommendations for the State of Indiana: Final Report - September 2018
Assessment of Indiana's treatment system for substance use disorders (SUDs), based on interviews with stakeholder groups, consultation with national experts, focus groups, and a review of public data sets. Includes 6 recommendations in the categories of treatment system transformation, SUD workforce, and underserved populations. Discusses barriers to treatment in rural areas.
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Pew Charitable Trusts
view details
Assessment of Indiana's treatment system for substance use disorders (SUDs), based on interviews with stakeholder groups, consultation with national experts, focus groups, and a review of public data sets. Includes 6 recommendations in the categories of treatment system transformation, SUD workforce, and underserved populations. Discusses barriers to treatment in rural areas.
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Pew Charitable Trusts
view details
Promising Practice: Team Effort in Idaho Achieves New Funding for Physician Repayment Program
Presents a promising practice from the Idaho State Office of Rural Health who worked with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to establish the state's first loan repayment program for physicians.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
view details
Presents a promising practice from the Idaho State Office of Rural Health who worked with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to establish the state's first loan repayment program for physicians.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
view details
National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting Minutes, Charlotte, North Carolina, September 10-12, 2018
Summarizes the 84th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, and focused on rural Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and oral healthcare access. Offers perspectives from a national level and from North and South Carolina, including the work of the Duke Endowment, and summarizes potential policy recommendations.
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details
Summarizes the 84th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, and focused on rural Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and oral healthcare access. Offers perspectives from a national level and from North and South Carolina, including the work of the Duke Endowment, and summarizes potential policy recommendations.
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details
California's Physician Assistants: How Scope of Practice Laws Impact Care
Provides an overview of physician assistants (PAs), focusing on scope of practice regulations in California and evidence for expanding their scope of practice. Discusses how PAs increase access to care, particularly in rural areas, and summarizes studies on the quality and cost-effectiveness of the care they provide. Appendix A includes data on California's PAs, such as their distribution, demographics, and practice setting. Appendix B identifies physician assistant scope of practice elements for each state.
Author(s): Timothy Bates, Joanne Spetz, Miranda Werts
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Healthforce Center at UCSF
view details
Provides an overview of physician assistants (PAs), focusing on scope of practice regulations in California and evidence for expanding their scope of practice. Discusses how PAs increase access to care, particularly in rural areas, and summarizes studies on the quality and cost-effectiveness of the care they provide. Appendix A includes data on California's PAs, such as their distribution, demographics, and practice setting. Appendix B identifies physician assistant scope of practice elements for each state.
Author(s): Timothy Bates, Joanne Spetz, Miranda Werts
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Healthforce Center at UCSF
view details
Veterans Choice Program: Further Improvements Needed to Help Ensure Timely Payments to Community Providers
Examines how long payments took for healthcare providers enrolled in the Veterans Choice Program and actions the Veterans Administration has taken to address these issues. The Veterans Choice Program was created to help increase veterans access to healthcare, particularly in rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Examines how long payments took for healthcare providers enrolled in the Veterans Choice Program and actions the Veterans Administration has taken to address these issues. The Veterans Choice Program was created to help increase veterans access to healthcare, particularly in rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Tribal Broadband: Few Partnerships Exist and the Rural Utilities Service Needs to Identify and Address Any Funding Barriers Tribes Face
Examines tribal broadband access, federal funding to tribal entities for improving broadband access, and barriers to obtaining such federal funding. Identifies tribal partnership agreements that have increased broadband access and discusses the outcomes. Addresses challenges specific to rural areas and the healthcare benefits of broadband access.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Examines tribal broadband access, federal funding to tribal entities for improving broadband access, and barriers to obtaining such federal funding. Identifies tribal partnership agreements that have increased broadband access and discusses the outcomes. Addresses challenges specific to rural areas and the healthcare benefits of broadband access.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Rural Hospital Closures: Number and Characteristics of Affected Hospitals and Contributing Factors
Examines rural hospital closures from 2013-2017, including their financial health, hospital characteristics, and the impact on healthcare access. Compares data to 2008-2012 closures and discusses the implications for federal healthcare policies. Addresses the role of Medicare rural hospital designations, new healthcare delivery and payment models, and other rural Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Identifies the number of rural hospitals that closed for each state.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Examines rural hospital closures from 2013-2017, including their financial health, hospital characteristics, and the impact on healthcare access. Compares data to 2008-2012 closures and discusses the implications for federal healthcare policies. Addresses the role of Medicare rural hospital designations, new healthcare delivery and payment models, and other rural Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Identifies the number of rural hospitals that closed for each state.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
America's Eating Habits: Food Away From Home
Examines how eating out and the availability of food options affect U.S. diets. Addresses rural/urban differences, socioeconomic factors, and relevant federal programs. Covers school lunch programs, quick-service restaurants, and full-service restaurants, including maps showing restaurant availability and growth by county.
Author(s): Michelle J. Saksena, Abigail M. Okrent, Tobenna D. Anekwe, et al.
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Examines how eating out and the availability of food options affect U.S. diets. Addresses rural/urban differences, socioeconomic factors, and relevant federal programs. Covers school lunch programs, quick-service restaurants, and full-service restaurants, including maps showing restaurant availability and growth by county.
Author(s): Michelle J. Saksena, Abigail M. Okrent, Tobenna D. Anekwe, et al.
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Uninsurance and Medicaid/CHIP Participation among Children and Parents: Variation in 2016 and Recent Trends
Examines insurance coverage for children and parents following state Medicaid expansions, with a focus on Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) participation. Includes metropolitan/nonmetropolitan comparisons. Discusses potential future policy impacts and the need for outreach and enrollment programs.
Author(s): Jennifer Haley, Genevieve M Kenney, Robin Wang, et al.
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
view details
Examines insurance coverage for children and parents following state Medicaid expansions, with a focus on Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) participation. Includes metropolitan/nonmetropolitan comparisons. Discusses potential future policy impacts and the need for outreach and enrollment programs.
Author(s): Jennifer Haley, Genevieve M Kenney, Robin Wang, et al.
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
view details
Oversight Hearing on "Justice for Native Youth: The GAO Report on 'Native American Youth Involvement in Justice Systems and Information on Grants to Help Address Juvenile Delinquency'"
Provides a recording and related documents from a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing focused on factors that can increase justice system involvement by Native American youth, such as substance abuse, poverty, and limited funding for mental health services. Focuses on federal grants that could help address underlying issues. Additional links include the report under discussion from the Government Accountability Office.
Additional links: Native American Youth: Information on Involvement in Justice Systems and Grant Programs to Help Address Juvenile Delinquency
Date: 09/2018
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
view details
Provides a recording and related documents from a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing focused on factors that can increase justice system involvement by Native American youth, such as substance abuse, poverty, and limited funding for mental health services. Focuses on federal grants that could help address underlying issues. Additional links include the report under discussion from the Government Accountability Office.
Additional links: Native American Youth: Information on Involvement in Justice Systems and Grant Programs to Help Address Juvenile Delinquency
Date: 09/2018
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
view details