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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Choice and Affordability in the ACA's Health Insurance Exchanges
Investigates how geographic boundaries of health insurance marketplaces, made available by the Affordable Care Act, affect availability and prices of plans for individuals living in rural areas.
Author(s): Michael Dickstein
Date: 02/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
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Rural Provider Perceptions of the ACA: Case Studies in Four States
Summarizes findings from a survey of 28 rural providers and leaders of provider associations in four states, two that chose to expand Medicaid and two that did not. Explores providers' experiences and opinions of the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Author(s): Brystana Kaufman, Pam Silberman, Mark Holmes
Date: 02/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Federal Guidelines for Opioid Treatment Programs
Highlights guidelines for planning and implementing an opioid treatment program. Features information on the use of telemedicine, as well as exemptions for serving rural areas.
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Testimony of the National Indian Health Board Oversight Hearing on Indian Country Priorities for the 114th Congress
Includes the testimony from the National Indian Health Board presented at a January 28th, 2015 Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing concerning the top Indian health priorities for the 114th Congress.
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Indian Health Board
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Indian Health Service: A Quick Look
Briefly explains the mission, goals, and foundation of the Indian Health Service and its relationship with American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native corporations.
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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Financially Fragile Rural Hospitals: Mergers and Closures
Highlights a national trend of financial stress on rural hospitals that have led to facility and service closures and mergers in recent years. Discusses the causes of the financial stress, including the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the lack of Medicaid expansion in some states, and operational challenges in transitioning to value-based care.
Author(s): Mark Holmes
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 76(1), 37-40
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
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CPC Practice Spotlights
A collection of short features on primary care practices that participated in the CMS Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) initiative, a multi-payer initiative that offered population-based care management fees and shared savings opportunities to participating practices. Includes examples of practices serving rural areas.
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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LSC Agricultural Worker Population Estimate Update
Identifies the population of agricultural workers and their dependents, and provides an estimate of the size and distribution of this population to be used as a basis for allocating resources supported by federal programs targeting farmworkers, including health and human services programs.
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Legal Services Corporation
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International Classification of Disease: CMS's Efforts to Prepare for the New Version of the Disease and Procedure Codes
Review of the efforts undertaken by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to prepare for the transition to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes. Evaluates the materials developed and activities undertaken by CMS to help providers' transition and describes concerns of stakeholder organizations, including rural-specific considerations.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Tapping Nurse Practitioners to Meet Rising Demand for Primary Care
Discusses the use of advanced practice nurses, specifically nurse practitioners, to increase access to primary care for those residing in Health Professional Shortage Areas. Reports that nurse practitioners working in primary care are more likely than primary care physicians to work in rural areas. Suggests that the use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants could help reduce the primary care provider shortage in 2020 by two-thirds.
Author(s): Amanda Van Vleet, Julia Paradise
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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