Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
The University of Arizona Center for Rural Health Annual Report FY 2024-2025
Highlights the Center for Rural Health's past-year accomplishments, and describes challenges and opportunities for improving the health of rural Arizonans in the upcoming year. Discusses the State Office of Rural Health, Arizona Health Improvement Plan (AzHIP), Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility program (AzFLEX), Arizona Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (AzSHIP), and other programs. Includes a map of rural and safety net health facilities.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Highlights the Center for Rural Health's past-year accomplishments, and describes challenges and opportunities for improving the health of rural Arizonans in the upcoming year. Discusses the State Office of Rural Health, Arizona Health Improvement Plan (AzHIP), Arizona Rural Hospital Flexibility program (AzFLEX), Arizona Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (AzSHIP), and other programs. Includes a map of rural and safety net health facilities.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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The Climate of Working Alone in Agriculture
Summarizes research from 193 articles discussing safety issues for agricultural workers who work alone, U.S. regulations for lone worker safety including enforcement, and similarities with hazards in other industries.
Author(s): Aaron James Etienne, William E. Field, Shawn G. Ehlers, Roger Tormoehlen, Noah Joel Haslett
Citation: Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, 31(2), 93-108
Date: 2025
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Summarizes research from 193 articles discussing safety issues for agricultural workers who work alone, U.S. regulations for lone worker safety including enforcement, and similarities with hazards in other industries.
Author(s): Aaron James Etienne, William E. Field, Shawn G. Ehlers, Roger Tormoehlen, Noah Joel Haslett
Citation: Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, 31(2), 93-108
Date: 2025
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Blueprint for a National Prevention Infrastructure for Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders
Explores evidence-based policies and approaches to preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) disorders among population groups across the U.S. Discusses the need for prevention services on top of acute or episodic care during MEB crises. Details the infrastructure and workforce required for comprehensive MEB prevention and makes policy recommendations.
Author(s): Marcella Alsan, Marthe R. Gold, Alina B. Baciu, Alexis Wojtowicz
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Explores evidence-based policies and approaches to preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) disorders among population groups across the U.S. Discusses the need for prevention services on top of acute or episodic care during MEB crises. Details the infrastructure and workforce required for comprehensive MEB prevention and makes policy recommendations.
Author(s): Marcella Alsan, Marthe R. Gold, Alina B. Baciu, Alexis Wojtowicz
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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National Farm Medicine Center: 2024 Year in Review
Provides an overview of the 2024 activities of the National Farm Medicine Center and related partners, with a focus on research, policy, outreach and education, projects, and more. Discusses population health, well-being, and agricultural safety.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: National Farm Medicine Center
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Provides an overview of the 2024 activities of the National Farm Medicine Center and related partners, with a focus on research, policy, outreach and education, projects, and more. Discusses population health, well-being, and agricultural safety.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: National Farm Medicine Center
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Improving Primary Care Valuation Processes to Inform the Physician Fee Schedule
Describes the current process and data inputs used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for primary care service valuation in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). Discusses promising approaches to update the PFS and the potential role of hybrid payments. Offers recommendations to CMS to improve the valuation process and accurately reflect the full scope of high-quality primary care.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Describes the current process and data inputs used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for primary care service valuation in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). Discusses promising approaches to update the PFS and the potential role of hybrid payments. Offers recommendations to CMS to improve the valuation process and accurately reflect the full scope of high-quality primary care.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Telehealth FAQ Calendar Year 2025
Provides information on Medicare telehealth regulations and payment policy for calendar year 2025. Includes information on audio-only services, behavioral health services, direct supervision, and more.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides information on Medicare telehealth regulations and payment policy for calendar year 2025. Includes information on audio-only services, behavioral health services, direct supervision, and more.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Addressing Workforce Challenges Across the Behavioral Health Continuum of Care: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summary of presentations and discussions from a July 2024 public workshop to address workforce needs and challenges related to behavioral healthcare. Includes discussions of telepsychiatry collaborative care to improve rural access and capacity, and recruiting and retaining Native American healthcare providers in behavioral health settings.
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Summary of presentations and discussions from a July 2024 public workshop to address workforce needs and challenges related to behavioral healthcare. Includes discussions of telepsychiatry collaborative care to improve rural access and capacity, and recruiting and retaining Native American healthcare providers in behavioral health settings.
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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The Uneven Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Rural and Urban Black, Latino/a, and White Mortality
Examines mortality rates and the corresponding impact of Medicaid expansion on Black, Latino/a, and White populations, broken down by rural versus urban location. Utilizes 2009-2019 data of Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET) estimates to provide statistical breakdowns and graphic representation of how Medicaid expansion has impacted mortality rates for varying populations.
Author(s): J. Tom Mueller, Regina S. Baker, Matthew M. Brooks
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12859
Date: 2025
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Examines mortality rates and the corresponding impact of Medicaid expansion on Black, Latino/a, and White populations, broken down by rural versus urban location. Utilizes 2009-2019 data of Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET) estimates to provide statistical breakdowns and graphic representation of how Medicaid expansion has impacted mortality rates for varying populations.
Author(s): J. Tom Mueller, Regina S. Baker, Matthew M. Brooks
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12859
Date: 2025
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Rural Independent Pharmacies Sustainability Strategy
Policy brief discussing unique challenges that threaten the stability of rural independent pharmacies. Offers policy recommendations to support rural independent pharmacies.
Author(s): Sagar Dugani, Vistrit Choudhary, Brian G. Williams
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing unique challenges that threaten the stability of rural independent pharmacies. Offers policy recommendations to support rural independent pharmacies.
Author(s): Sagar Dugani, Vistrit Choudhary, Brian G. Williams
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Preventing Violence Against Rural Health Care Workers
Policy brief discussing violence against healthcare workers and unique factors that may influence underreporting of such violence in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to prevent healthcare worker violence in rural healthcare settings and communities and reduce barriers to reporting.
Author(s): Carrie Howard, Aaron Kramer, Devon Noonan
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing violence against healthcare workers and unique factors that may influence underreporting of such violence in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to prevent healthcare worker violence in rural healthcare settings and communities and reduce barriers to reporting.
Author(s): Carrie Howard, Aaron Kramer, Devon Noonan
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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