Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Building Complex Care Programs: A Road Map for States
Provides guidance for state leaders who are working to establish and advance complex care programs, particularly for high-need, high-cost Medicaid patients. Shares lessons learned from the National Governors Association's work with multiple state and local complex care initiatives. Includes program details and considerations specific to rural areas.
Author(s): Sandra Wilkniss, Sonia Pandit, Flora Arabo, Sally Malone, Hemi Tewarson
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Governors Association
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Provides guidance for state leaders who are working to establish and advance complex care programs, particularly for high-need, high-cost Medicaid patients. Shares lessons learned from the National Governors Association's work with multiple state and local complex care initiatives. Includes program details and considerations specific to rural areas.
Author(s): Sandra Wilkniss, Sonia Pandit, Flora Arabo, Sally Malone, Hemi Tewarson
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Governors Association
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The Opioid Epidemic and Federal Efforts to Address It: Frequently Asked Questions
Provides an overview of America's opioid problem, including information on abuse and supply, and discusses federal agencies and programs that address opioid abuse. Also discusses recent federal legislation and state-level policies that seek to combat the opioid problem.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of America's opioid problem, including information on abuse and supply, and discusses federal agencies and programs that address opioid abuse. Also discusses recent federal legislation and state-level policies that seek to combat the opioid problem.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Preventing Drug Abuse: Low Participation by Pharmacies and Other Entities as Voluntary Collectors of Unused Prescription Drugs
Report to Congress documenting low participation rates among pharmacies and other eligible entities in the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) unused controlled substance collection and disposal program. Includes an outline of program requirements, a state-by-state overview of currently eligible and enrolled entities, and information about participation rates by rural and urban location.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Report to Congress documenting low participation rates among pharmacies and other eligible entities in the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) unused controlled substance collection and disposal program. Includes an outline of program requirements, a state-by-state overview of currently eligible and enrolled entities, and information about participation rates by rural and urban location.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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National Disability Policy: A Progress Report
Reports on the state of disability policy in key areas, examining the intersection between disability and poverty. Focuses on education, employment, financial assistance and incentives, healthcare, long-term services and supports, transportation, and housing, as factors enhancing economic independence among people with disabilities. Includes sections on barriers related to finding transportation and appropriate housing in rural areas.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
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Reports on the state of disability policy in key areas, examining the intersection between disability and poverty. Focuses on education, employment, financial assistance and incentives, healthcare, long-term services and supports, transportation, and housing, as factors enhancing economic independence among people with disabilities. Includes sections on barriers related to finding transportation and appropriate housing in rural areas.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
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Opioid Use Disorders: HHS Needs Measures to Assess the Effectiveness of Efforts to Expand Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment
Reviews U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) efforts to expand access to and the use of medication assisted treatment (MAT) for treating opioid use disorders. Includes a discussion of rural-specific programs and makes recommendations for improving future efforts and overall program evaluation.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Reviews U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) efforts to expand access to and the use of medication assisted treatment (MAT) for treating opioid use disorders. Includes a discussion of rural-specific programs and makes recommendations for improving future efforts and overall program evaluation.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examination of the Effect of SNAP Benefit and Eligibility Parameters on Low-Income Households
Examines whether or not policies determining benefit levels for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reflect current spending patterns of low-income households in the United States. Includes statistics, such as a rural versus urban comparison of low-income household spending and average spending by low-income household characteristic and expenditure type, among others.
Author(s): Joshua Leftin, Thomas Godfrey, James Mabli, Nancy Wemmerus, Stephen Tordella
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Decision Demographics and Mathematica Policy Research, USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Examines whether or not policies determining benefit levels for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reflect current spending patterns of low-income households in the United States. Includes statistics, such as a rural versus urban comparison of low-income household spending and average spending by low-income household characteristic and expenditure type, among others.
Author(s): Joshua Leftin, Thomas Godfrey, James Mabli, Nancy Wemmerus, Stephen Tordella
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Decision Demographics and Mathematica Policy Research, USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Maryland Food Charter: A Roadmap to a Healthy and Sustainable Food System
Details the values, goals, and recommendations of food system stakeholders throughout Maryland and encourages coordination and collaboration for a healthy, equitable, economically and environmentally sustainable food system. Includes recommendations for the five major food system sectors: production and processing, distribution, access, consumption, and recovery.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Institute for Public Health Innovation
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Details the values, goals, and recommendations of food system stakeholders throughout Maryland and encourages coordination and collaboration for a healthy, equitable, economically and environmentally sustainable food system. Includes recommendations for the five major food system sectors: production and processing, distribution, access, consumption, and recovery.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Institute for Public Health Innovation
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Veterans Health Administration: Better Data and Evaluation Could Help Improve Physician Staffing, Recruitment, and Retention Strategies
Reviews the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) recruitment and retention strategies, specifically for VHA physicians working in the five areas identified as mission-critical: primary care, mental health, gastroenterology, orthopedic surgery, and emergency medicine. Presents information on how many VHA physicians provide care, the extent VHA measures physician workload and productivity, and how current recruitment and retention strategies are evaluated. Addresses rural shortages and makes recommendations for improving VHA workforce development and planning based on interviews with VHA officials and a review of VHA documentation.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Reviews the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) recruitment and retention strategies, specifically for VHA physicians working in the five areas identified as mission-critical: primary care, mental health, gastroenterology, orthopedic surgery, and emergency medicine. Presents information on how many VHA physicians provide care, the extent VHA measures physician workload and productivity, and how current recruitment and retention strategies are evaluated. Addresses rural shortages and makes recommendations for improving VHA workforce development and planning based on interviews with VHA officials and a review of VHA documentation.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Implementing Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Primary Care: Environmental Scan Volume 1
Details challenges and barriers to implementing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) in a primary care setting, such as healthcare policy, workforce, and financing, among others. Includes 250 tools and resources to help overcome barriers and support implementation MAT in rural areas.
Additional links: Volume 2: Tools and Resources
Author(s): Garrett E. Moran, Caroline M. Snyder, Rebecca F. Noftsinger, Joshua K. Noda
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Details challenges and barriers to implementing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) in a primary care setting, such as healthcare policy, workforce, and financing, among others. Includes 250 tools and resources to help overcome barriers and support implementation MAT in rural areas.
Additional links: Volume 2: Tools and Resources
Author(s): Garrett E. Moran, Caroline M. Snyder, Rebecca F. Noftsinger, Joshua K. Noda
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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The Federal Response to the Opioid Crisis
Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing on the government's response on the opioid crisis. Includes testimonies from SAMHSA, CDC, NIH, and the FDA regarding current efforts to increase access to treatment for opioid addiction and promote preventative measures across the U.S.
Additional links: Written Testimony
Date: 10/2017
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing on the government's response on the opioid crisis. Includes testimonies from SAMHSA, CDC, NIH, and the FDA regarding current efforts to increase access to treatment for opioid addiction and promote preventative measures across the U.S.
Additional links: Written Testimony
Date: 10/2017
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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