Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
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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Impact of Public Health Emergency Unwinding on Medicaid Disenrollment Rates in Rural America
Policy brief discussing Medicaid unwinding and redetermination after the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and its potential impacts on rural populations. Offers policy and action recommendations to address the possible consequences of Medicaid unwinding on rural populations and providers.
Author(s): Laura Mispelon, Rachael Sherard
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing Medicaid unwinding and redetermination after the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and its potential impacts on rural populations. Offers policy and action recommendations to address the possible consequences of Medicaid unwinding on rural populations and providers.
Author(s): Laura Mispelon, Rachael Sherard
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Morbidity and Mortality Related to Intimate Partner Violence in the Perinatal Period
Policy brief discussing intimate partner violence (IPV) during the perinatal period, including IPV and IPV screening disparities in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to address IPV experienced by perinatal people living in rural areas, focusing on prevention, screening, and resources for survivors.
Author(s): Susie Gurzenda, Casey P. Balio, Megan Weis
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing intimate partner violence (IPV) during the perinatal period, including IPV and IPV screening disparities in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to address IPV experienced by perinatal people living in rural areas, focusing on prevention, screening, and resources for survivors.
Author(s): Susie Gurzenda, Casey P. Balio, Megan Weis
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Bridging the Gap: A Policy Framework for Sustainable Community Paramedicine in Rural America
Policy brief regarding the need for a national policy for non-physician licensed healthcare providers to be reimbursed for community paramedicine services. Discusses the role of community paramedicine in expanding access to care in rural areas and describes four community paramedicine models. Offers policy recommendations related to recognizing, supporting, and reimbursing community paramedicine programs.
Author(s): Katie Gorndt, Kimberly Haverly, Tom Syverson
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief regarding the need for a national policy for non-physician licensed healthcare providers to be reimbursed for community paramedicine services. Discusses the role of community paramedicine in expanding access to care in rural areas and describes four community paramedicine models. Offers policy recommendations related to recognizing, supporting, and reimbursing community paramedicine programs.
Author(s): Katie Gorndt, Kimberly Haverly, Tom Syverson
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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