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Resources by Topic: Policy

Impact of Home Health Payment Rebasing on Beneficiary Access to and Quality of Care
Measures the impact of base-payment reductions mandated by the Affordable Care Act on beneficiary access to and the quality of care provided by home health agencies. Reports findings across geographic area (rural and urban).
Date: 12/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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State Innovation Models (SIM) Initiative Evaluation: Model Test Base Year Annual Report
First annual report on 6 states - Arkansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, and Vermont - that received federal support in the first round of the State Innovation Model (SIM) initiative to design and implement health care innovation plans. Presents results of the first site visits to the states, including information from interviews and focus groups, and baseline data on care coordination, quality of care, healthcare utilization, and healthcare expenditures. Includes some discussion of issues specific to rural healthcare.
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Access to Health Care in the U.S.-México Border Region: Challenges and Opportunities
Identifies ways in which the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission and other interested organizations can increase healthcare access for border populations in the U.S. Compares provisions of health reform in both countries to recognize potential binational public health collaborations. Discusses the socioeconomic challenges in healthcare access and the enrollment gaps in health insurance offered through the market place.
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: United States-México Border Health Commission
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Evaluation of Health Care Innovation Awards (HCIA): Primary Care Redesign Programs, First Annual Report
Evaluations of 14 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects focused on primary care redesign, addressing a range of intervention models, target populations, and organizational settings. Includes 2 rural-focused projects and 9 projects that included services to rural areas.
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica Policy Research
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Annual Report 1: HCIA Disease-Specific Evaluation
Evaluations of 18 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects targeting patient populations with specific diseases. Includes projects that serve a variety of rural areas and address conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Approaches discussed include care coordination, education, and telehealth.
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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HCIA Complex/High-Risk Patient Targeting: First Annual Report
Evaluations of 23 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects focused on patients with medically complex conditions at high risk for hospitalization, re-hospitalization, emergency department visits, or nursing home stays. Identifies several projects serving rural areas, including programs that use telehealth, in-home care, and various care coordination approaches.
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Ready or Not? The Affordable Care Act and Safety-Net Primary Care Clinic Capacity in Iowa
Assesses the primary care capacity of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) in Iowa, and discusses their ability to meet the increased demand that is likely to result from the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) coverage gains. Examines RHC and CHC readiness in terms of workforce, delivery system changes, and service provision.
Author(s): Brad Wright, Peter C. Damiano, Suzanne E. Bentler
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Iowa Public Policy Center
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Twenty-Second Report: The Role of Graduate Medical Education in the New Health Care Paradigm
Presents seven recommendations from the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) regarding the expansion of Graduate Medical Education training. Suggests expanding GME clinical training into ambulatory and community settings, and ensuring accountability including providing rural and underserved practice locations. Discusses the need for increased funding for GME, and providing future physicians with the training and skills needed for emerging care delivery systems.
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
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Attorney General's Advisory Committee on American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence: Ending Violence So Children Can Thrive
Reports on the current epidemic of American Indian and Alaskan Native children's exposure to violence, and offers policy recommendations to the Attorney General on ways to address the issues.
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Justice
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Advancing the Transition to a High Performance Rural Health System
Identifies the critical components for developing a high performance rural health system. Discusses 4 strategies providers can use to create systems and the public policy implications of these strategies.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Charles Alfero, Andrew F. Coburn, Jennifer P. Lundblad, et al.
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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