Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Policy, Systems, and Environmental Strategies Generated by Stakeholders to Support Food Security in Rural Communities
Examines policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) strategies in rural communities of Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, and Texas that address food insecurity. Provides recommendations based on interview data such as improving ease of program enrollment, providing more awareness of services, and making program use more hassle-free.
Additional links: Arizona Brief, Full Report, Georgia Brief, Kentucky Brief, Michigan Brief, Texas Brief
Author(s): Carmen Byker Shanks, Shelly Palmer, Emily Shaw, et al.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
view details
Examines policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) strategies in rural communities of Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, and Texas that address food insecurity. Provides recommendations based on interview data such as improving ease of program enrollment, providing more awareness of services, and making program use more hassle-free.
Additional links: Arizona Brief, Full Report, Georgia Brief, Kentucky Brief, Michigan Brief, Texas Brief
Author(s): Carmen Byker Shanks, Shelly Palmer, Emily Shaw, et al.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
view details
Independent Evaluation of Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+): Final Annual Report
Reports on the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model, a CMS primary care payment and delivery reform effort that ran from 2017-2021. Outlines key findings from the model, including CPC+ supports to practices, care delivery changes made by practices, impacts on outcomes for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, and implications for primary care models. Describes the experiences of payers, practices, health IT vendors, and patients. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Appendices to the Final Report, Volume 1, Appendices to the Final Report, Volume 2, Findings at a Glance
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
view details
Reports on the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model, a CMS primary care payment and delivery reform effort that ran from 2017-2021. Outlines key findings from the model, including CPC+ supports to practices, care delivery changes made by practices, impacts on outcomes for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries, and implications for primary care models. Describes the experiences of payers, practices, health IT vendors, and patients. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Appendices to the Final Report, Volume 1, Appendices to the Final Report, Volume 2, Findings at a Glance
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
view details
VA Health Care: Actions Needed to Improve Information Reported on Mobile Medical Units
Describes how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) utilizes mobile medical units to provide primary and specialty medical care to veterans in communities with veteran populations too small to support local facilities and in areas with limited access to specialty care, including rural areas. Examines VA's annual reports to Congress between 2018 and 2023 about mobile medical units' operations and performance. Offers recommendations to the VA to improve the reliability of the data and contextual information reported to Congress on mobile medical units.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Describes how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) utilizes mobile medical units to provide primary and specialty medical care to veterans in communities with veteran populations too small to support local facilities and in areas with limited access to specialty care, including rural areas. Examines VA's annual reports to Congress between 2018 and 2023 about mobile medical units' operations and performance. Offers recommendations to the VA to improve the reliability of the data and contextual information reported to Congress on mobile medical units.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Prioritizing Primary Care: Twenty-first Annual Report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Congress
Offers policy and program development recommendations to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Congress regarding primary care training and education. Reviews the historical development of accelerated pathway programs for clinicians, physician assistants, and dentists, and program outcomes. Explores challenges related to securing an adequate number of clinical training sites, as well as recommendations to address this shortage. Outlines recommendations to support the training of more primary care clinicians who practice in underserved communities.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry
view details
Offers policy and program development recommendations to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Congress regarding primary care training and education. Reviews the historical development of accelerated pathway programs for clinicians, physician assistants, and dentists, and program outcomes. Explores challenges related to securing an adequate number of clinical training sites, as well as recommendations to address this shortage. Outlines recommendations to support the training of more primary care clinicians who practice in underserved communities.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry
view details
Leading State Approaches and Communication Strategies to Support Health Equity
Describes how state and territory leaders have created effective health equity practices and communication strategies. Outlines three themes that emerged through research and roundtable discussions as top health equity priorities for states. Profiles initiatives and policies from nine states and Guam to address health equity and reflect these themes.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Governors Association
view details
Describes how state and territory leaders have created effective health equity practices and communication strategies. Outlines three themes that emerged through research and roundtable discussions as top health equity priorities for states. Profiles initiatives and policies from nine states and Guam to address health equity and reflect these themes.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Governors Association
view details
Medicare Cognitive Assessments: Utilization Tripled between 2018 and 2022, but Challenges Remain
Describes the utilization of traditional Medicare's cognitive assessment service from 2018 through 2022. Presents stakeholder views on challenges providers and beneficiaries face in providing and accessing the service, respectively. Discusses steps the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has taken to increase awareness of the service. Includes information on the number of cognitive assessment services by urban and rural beneficiaries by race and ethnicity.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Describes the utilization of traditional Medicare's cognitive assessment service from 2018 through 2022. Presents stakeholder views on challenges providers and beneficiaries face in providing and accessing the service, respectively. Discusses steps the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has taken to increase awareness of the service. Includes information on the number of cognitive assessment services by urban and rural beneficiaries by race and ethnicity.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
CMS Final Rules Overview - Impact for RHCs Beginning January 1, 2024
Recording of a December 11, 2023, webinar providing an overview of telehealth payment rates for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and other regulatory updates and potential changes for 2024. Covers new billable providers for RHCs, changes to care management services and billing, telehealth regulations, intensive outpatient program (IOP) services, and more. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
view details
Recording of a December 11, 2023, webinar providing an overview of telehealth payment rates for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and other regulatory updates and potential changes for 2024. Covers new billable providers for RHCs, changes to care management services and billing, telehealth regulations, intensive outpatient program (IOP) services, and more. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
view details
National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease: 2023 Update
Action plan outlining 6 goals for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to address the challenges facing people with Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD) and their families and to minimize the burden of AD/ADRD. Includes action items related to AD/ADRD treatment and care quality, public awareness and engagement, data tracking, and collaboration to support underserved populations, including rural and tribal communities.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Action plan outlining 6 goals for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to address the challenges facing people with Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD) and their families and to minimize the burden of AD/ADRD. Includes action items related to AD/ADRD treatment and care quality, public awareness and engagement, data tracking, and collaboration to support underserved populations, including rural and tribal communities.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
view details
State Actions to Build the Behavioral Health Crisis Continuum
Toolkit features a continuum of behavioral health crisis services and supports and discusses the strategies for program planning and development for state officials and agencies. Highlights models and resources for core components such as regional call centers, mobile crisis teams, and stabilization facilities, among others. Also includes crisis care principles, such as peer supports, law enforcement partnerships, and rural and frontier delivery challenges.
Author(s): Rebekah Falkner, Laura Galbreath, Sandra Wilkniss
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
view details
Toolkit features a continuum of behavioral health crisis services and supports and discusses the strategies for program planning and development for state officials and agencies. Highlights models and resources for core components such as regional call centers, mobile crisis teams, and stabilization facilities, among others. Also includes crisis care principles, such as peer supports, law enforcement partnerships, and rural and frontier delivery challenges.
Author(s): Rebekah Falkner, Laura Galbreath, Sandra Wilkniss
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
view details
Oversight Hearing titled, "Fentanyl in Native Communities: Federal Perspectives on Addressing the Growing Crisis"
Recording of a Congressional hearing addressing fentanyl among Native communities. Includes testimony from federal officials discussing previous efforts and future priorities for solving the opioid crisis. Subtitles available in the video player.
Additional links: Adam W. Cohen Testimony, Glen Melville Testimony, The Honorable Roselyn Tso Testimony, The Honorable Vanessa Waldref Testimony
Date: 12/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
view details
Recording of a Congressional hearing addressing fentanyl among Native communities. Includes testimony from federal officials discussing previous efforts and future priorities for solving the opioid crisis. Subtitles available in the video player.
Additional links: Adam W. Cohen Testimony, Glen Melville Testimony, The Honorable Roselyn Tso Testimony, The Honorable Vanessa Waldref Testimony
Date: 12/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
view details