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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Projecting Demand for the Services of Primary Care Doctors
Estimates the expected growth in demand for primary care medical services in the U.S. between 2013 and 2023. Projections are based on an analysis of historical trends between 2003 and 2013, and factor in the following variables: population growth, population age, health insurance coverage status, and other sources of growth in volume and intensity. Examines legislative and non-legislative ways to increase the supply of primary care services, including in rural areas and facilities.
Author(s): Noelia Duchovny, Sam Trachtman, Ellen Werble
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Budget Office
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Compendium of Unimplemented Recommendations: May 2017
Annual report identifying the top 25 unimplemented recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) that, in OIG's view, would have the most substantial positive impact on Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Positive impact may refer to cost savings, program efficacy and efficiency, and/or quality improvement. Primary areas of interest in the May 2017 edition include: Critical Access Hospital (CAH) swing bed reimbursement rates, Medicare payment policies, combating prescription opioid abuse, and quality compliance in Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals.
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Changes in Insurance Coverage in Rural Areas under the ACA: A Focus on Medicaid Expansion States
Analyzes the change in uninsured rates in rural areas of states that participated in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion. Includes a graph showing percentage change by state from 2013 to 2015 identifying which political party held the governorship, and a table that converts each states' percentage to number of people.
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Medical Barriers to Nursing Home Care for Rural Residents
Explores challenges faced by rural people seeking placement in nursing homes, especially those with behavioral or psychiatric conditions, complex care needs, dementia, or obesity, and identifies possible solutions through policy changes. Uses data from telephone interviews with 23 discharge planners from rural hospitals in Georgia, Idaho, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Michelle Casey, Shailendra Prasad, Katy Kozhimannil
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Changing Rural and Urban Enrollment in State Medicaid Programs
Examines changes in Medicaid enrollment from 2012 to 2015 in both expansion and non-expansion states, and compares findings by state based on metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural (noncore) location.
Author(s): Abigail R. Barker, Kelsey Huntzberry, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Federal Health Centers: An Overview
Explains the Federal Health Center program, with information relating to the statutory authority, program requirements, funding, location, patient populations, health outcomes, and more. Also discusses the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) designation, and how this designation affects Medicare and Medicaid payment levels.
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting Minutes, Washington, DC, April 10-12, 2017
Summarizes the 81st meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Washington, DC. Meeting discusses policy issues that affect rural America.
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Towards the Development of a National Strategic Plan for Graduate Medical Education: 23rd Report
Recommends changes in graduate medical education to address issues including low numbers of medical students from rural backgrounds and sparse supply of physicians in most rural areas.
Author(s): Candice Chen, Kennita R. Carter, Joan Weiss, Ray Bingham, Andrew Sanderson
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
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Projected Financial Losses Experienced by Community Health Centers under a Scenario of Major Cuts in Key Sources of Federal Funding: 2018-2022
Simulates the potential financial impacts on health centers and communities if the following congressional proposals are implemented: cuts to federal funding for Medicaid expansion, cuts to federal funding for Marketplace subsidies, and expiration of the Community Health Centers Fund. Also assesses the implications for other state and federal programs that may be required to help fill the resulting service and funding gaps.
Author(s): Avi Dor, Eric Luo, Ali Moghtaderi, Anne Rossier Markus
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management, RCHN Community Health Foundation
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Finance in Rural and Urban Hospitals
Summary of the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the insurance coverage rates and reimbursement methods in rural hospitals in Minnesota. Includes a discussion of public and private insurance programs, uncompensated care, and operating margins. Includes data and statistic comparisons for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), other rural hospitals, and urban hospitals.
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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