Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Statement by Thomas Morris, Federal Office of Rural Health Policy before Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate
Testimony presented at a May 7, 2015 Labor-HHS Subcommittee hearing on rural health. Discusses the challenges of rural health delivery and the accomplishments of Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) programs addressing rural health.
Author(s): Tom Morris, Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
Date: 05/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Appropriations
view details
Labor-HHS Subcommittee Hearing: Rural Health
Recording of a May 7, 2015, hearing before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. Witnesses include Sean Cavanaugh from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Tom Morris from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), and other leaders working directly in rural healthcare facilities and programs.
Date: 05/2015
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Appropriations
view details
Transportation Update: Where We've Gone and What We've Learned
Update to the 2005 report, The Current State of Transportation for People with Disabilities in the United States. Chapter 7 discusses the gaps and barriers in transit services in rural areas and identifies funding sources for rural transportation as well as effective strategies to help the rural population of people with disabilities access healthcare, employment, and participate in the community.
Date: 05/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
view details
Public Law 114-10: Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015
Full text of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, commonly referred to as MACRA. MACRA seeks to transition healthcare from fee-for-service to value-based care by repealing the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and replacing it with the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The QPP streamlines data collection efforts and rewards providers based on value instead of volume through the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (Advanced APMs).
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Congress
view details
Population Health in Rural Communities
Policy paper discussing the concept of population health in rural communities with a focus on providing better care, improving health, and lowering costs.
Author(s): Sally Buck, Patricia A. Crawford, John Gale, Deborah Holzmark, Michelle Mills
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
Designation of Frontier Health Professional Shortage Areas
Discusses the frontier-specific health professional shortage area designation and the unique characteristics attributed to frontier areas that may contribute to a more fragile healthcare delivery system and a greater need for healthcare professionals. Includes policy recommendations supporting an appropriate designation, improved healthcare access, and assistance in recruiting healthcare providers.
Author(s): Susan Wilger, Charlie Alfero
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
The Value of the American Community Survey: Smart Government, Competitive Businesses, and Informed Citizens
Provides an overview of the American Community Survey (ACS) and how data from the ACS is used to inform decision-making. Discusses the importance of the ACS as a unique source of data on the demographic and economic characteristics of rural areas. Includes examples of how rural data from the ACS is used by federal agencies, academic researchers, state government, and rural communities.
Author(s): Regina Powers, David Beede, Rudy Telles, Jr.
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Commerce
view details
Intimate Partner Violence in Rural America
Policy brief examining rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) affecting women in rural areas. Discusses factors affecting IPV rates, including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), poverty, rural human services infrastructure, and rural healthcare. Offers policy recommendations to address rural IPV.
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details
Compendium of Unimplemented Recommendations: March 2015
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 March 2015 edition include: Medicare payment policies and oversight mechanisms, face-to-face requirements for home health agencies, and strengthening fraud prevention in electronic health record (EHR) technology across all providers, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
view details
Community Health Centers: A 2013 Profile and Prospects as ACA Implementation Proceeds
Discusses the current and future role of rural and urban community health centers as an integral component in the provision of primary healthcare to accommodate the expansion of patients with health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
Author(s): Peter Shin, Jessica Sharac, Zoe Barber, Sara J. Rosenbaum, Julia Paradise
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management
view details