This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Graduate Medical Education Financing: Sustaining Medical Education in Rural Places
A policy brief reporting on the financial situation of rural training track (RTT) residency programs, including their sources of funding, expenses, and the relationship between urban RTT sponsors and rural program sites.
Author(s): Davis G. Patterson, David Schmitz, Randall Longenecker, David Squire, Susan M. Skillman
Date: 05/2015
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
view details
Urban vs. Rural Differences in Prescription Opioid Misuse among Adults in the United States: Informing Region Specific Drug Policies and Interventions
A study analyzing data from the 2011 and 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health discussing the rural/urban differences in prescription opioid misuse.
Author(s): Khary K. Rigg, Shannon M. Monnat
Citation: International Journal of Drug Policy, 26(5), 484–491
Date: 05/2015
view details
Statement by George Stover, Rice County Hospital District 1, before the Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies
Covers testimony presented at a May 7, 2015 Labor-Health and Human Services subcommittee hearing on rural health from George Stover, the chief executive officer for the Hospital District #1 of Rice County in Lyons, Kansas. Discusses regulatory and reimbursement challenges facing Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Author(s): George Stover
Date: 05/2015
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Appropriations
view details
Statement by Tim Wolters, Citizens Memorial Hospital and Lake Regional Health System, before the Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies
Testimony presented at a May 7, 2015 Labor-HHS Subcommittee hearing on rural health. Discusses the impact rural hospitals have on their communities and the challenges rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals face related to cuts in Medicare reimbursement.
Author(s): Tim Wolters
Date: 05/2015
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Appropriations
view details
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
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
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
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
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
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
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details