Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Taking Stock: Policy Opportunities for Advancing Rural Health
Examines the progress of health system transformation and discusses the challenges that remain for rural people, places, and providers. Organized around seven main topics: Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, insurance coverage and affordability, quality, healthcare finance and system transformation, workforce, and population health. Provides background information on each topic and shares policy suggestions for addressing each topic's most pressing issues.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Charles Alfero, Andrew F. Coburn, et al.
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Examines the progress of health system transformation and discusses the challenges that remain for rural people, places, and providers. Organized around seven main topics: Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, insurance coverage and affordability, quality, healthcare finance and system transformation, workforce, and population health. Provides background information on each topic and shares policy suggestions for addressing each topic's most pressing issues.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Charles Alfero, Andrew F. Coburn, et al.
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Reinventing Rural Health Care: A Case Study of Seven Upper Midwest States
Examines the state of rural healthcare in seven states - Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming - and uses the findings to determine the impact of existing federal policies, understand ongoing healthcare challenges, and identify opportunities for improvement in rural healthcare access and delivery. Addresses rightsizing healthcare services to fit community needs, creating rural funding mechanisms, building and supporting the primary care physician workforce, and expanding telemedicine services. Analysis is based on interviews with over 90 national thought leaders and key stakeholders.
Additional links: Infographic, Summary – Rural Health Care: Lessons Learned
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Examines the state of rural healthcare in seven states - Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming - and uses the findings to determine the impact of existing federal policies, understand ongoing healthcare challenges, and identify opportunities for improvement in rural healthcare access and delivery. Addresses rightsizing healthcare services to fit community needs, creating rural funding mechanisms, building and supporting the primary care physician workforce, and expanding telemedicine services. Analysis is based on interviews with over 90 national thought leaders and key stakeholders.
Additional links: Infographic, Summary – Rural Health Care: Lessons Learned
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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An Interim Evaluation Report of the Innovative Projects Portfolio of the Medicare Flex Grant Program
Provides background on the Flex Program and the Integration of Innovative Health Care Models (Innovative Projects) program area. Evaluates the impact of the Innovative Projects program area across seven participating states, focusing on activities involving the transition to value-based care, telehealth, care coordination, quality improvement, and system delivery in rural communities. Final implementation results are described in Implementation and Early Results of the Flex Program's Innovative Models Program Area: Final Evaluation Report.
Author(s): Sara Kahn-Troster, John Gale, Anush Hansen, Andrew Coburn
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Provides background on the Flex Program and the Integration of Innovative Health Care Models (Innovative Projects) program area. Evaluates the impact of the Innovative Projects program area across seven participating states, focusing on activities involving the transition to value-based care, telehealth, care coordination, quality improvement, and system delivery in rural communities. Final implementation results are described in Implementation and Early Results of the Flex Program's Innovative Models Program Area: Final Evaluation Report.
Author(s): Sara Kahn-Troster, John Gale, Anush Hansen, Andrew Coburn
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Review of the 340B Drug Pricing Program
Provides extensive background information about the 340B Program, explains the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) oversight functions, and details requirements for the various covered entities, including rural hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Also makes recommendations for clarifying the 340B Program's scope and ensuring program integrity is maintained.
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Energy and Commerce
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Provides extensive background information about the 340B Program, explains the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) oversight functions, and details requirements for the various covered entities, including rural hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Also makes recommendations for clarifying the 340B Program's scope and ensuring program integrity is maintained.
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Energy and Commerce
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The Opioid Crisis: An Examination of How We Got Here and How We Move Forward
Presents the full U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing on the opioid crisis, featuring a testimony from Sam Quinones, journalist and author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opioid Epidemic.
Additional links: Written Testimony
Date: 01/2018
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Presents the full U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing on the opioid crisis, featuring a testimony from Sam Quinones, journalist and author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opioid Epidemic.
Additional links: Written Testimony
Date: 01/2018
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Range Matters: Rural Averages Can Conceal Important Information
Findings brief showing how research focusing on averages without considering data range can conceal important information about average rural hospital profitability, distance between hospitals, and HIV prevalence by county.
Author(s): Meagan Clawar, Kristie Thompson, George H. Pink
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Findings brief showing how research focusing on averages without considering data range can conceal important information about average rural hospital profitability, distance between hospitals, and HIV prevalence by county.
Author(s): Meagan Clawar, Kristie Thompson, George H. Pink
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Creating Connections What Broadband Means for Rural America
Offers articles on the challenges of providing broadband access in rural areas, federal policy options, and other local stakeholders working on solutions to build and strengthen rural communities. Includes discussion on how Garrett County, Maryland successfully expanded broadband access, and how tribes are building infrastructure to provide broadband access for their members.
Citation: Rural Voices, 22(2)
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Offers articles on the challenges of providing broadband access in rural areas, federal policy options, and other local stakeholders working on solutions to build and strengthen rural communities. Includes discussion on how Garrett County, Maryland successfully expanded broadband access, and how tribes are building infrastructure to provide broadband access for their members.
Citation: Rural Voices, 22(2)
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Using Geospatial Analysis to Determine Access Gaps Among Children with Special Healthcare Needs
Demonstrates how a partnership between researchers from the University of Virginia and members of the Virginia Health Department use geographic information systems (GIS) to identify geospatial gaps of care in rural and urban areas for children with special healthcare needs being served by public child development centers.
Author(s): Pamela DeGuzman, Paige Altrui, Aubrey L. Doede, et al.
Citation: Health Equity, 2(1), 1-4
Date: 2018
Type: Document
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Demonstrates how a partnership between researchers from the University of Virginia and members of the Virginia Health Department use geographic information systems (GIS) to identify geospatial gaps of care in rural and urban areas for children with special healthcare needs being served by public child development centers.
Author(s): Pamela DeGuzman, Paige Altrui, Aubrey L. Doede, et al.
Citation: Health Equity, 2(1), 1-4
Date: 2018
Type: Document
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Integrating Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs Purchased Care: Preliminary Feasibility Assessment
Examines the feasibility of integrating the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare systems. Explores the potential impact on healthcare access, quality, and costs for beneficiaries, addressing implications for rural areas throughout. Discusses changes that would need to be made at a legislative, policy, and contractual level if an integrated purchased care program was implemented.
Author(s): Carrie M. Farmer, Terri Tanielian, Christine Buttorff, et al.
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Examines the feasibility of integrating the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare systems. Explores the potential impact on healthcare access, quality, and costs for beneficiaries, addressing implications for rural areas throughout. Discusses changes that would need to be made at a legislative, policy, and contractual level if an integrated purchased care program was implemented.
Author(s): Carrie M. Farmer, Terri Tanielian, Christine Buttorff, et al.
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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The Future of Health Services Research: Advancing Health Systems Research and Practice in the United States
Focuses on the importance of health services research to guide decision-making. Addresses the history of the field, future priorities, major funders, its impact on improving healthcare systems and access to care, and needs related to data infrastructure. Includes data on projects supported by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, a few rural health research examples, and priorities related to rural.
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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Focuses on the importance of health services research to guide decision-making. Addresses the history of the field, future priorities, major funders, its impact on improving healthcare systems and access to care, and needs related to data infrastructure. Includes data on projects supported by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, a few rural health research examples, and priorities related to rural.
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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