Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Availability and Use of Health Plan Choices in Rural America: Medicare+Choice, Commercial HMO, and Federal Employees Health Benefit Program Plans
Discusses availability of Medicare+Choice (M+C), commercial HMO, and Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHBP) insurance plans, and the potential impact of M+C service delivery area changes on healthcare access in rural areas.
Author(s): Timothy McBride, Courtney Andrews, Keith Mueller, Michael Shambaugh-Miller
Date: 10/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Rural Policy Research Institute
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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health & Human Services Meeting Minutes, Charleston, West Virginia, September 7-9, 2003
Minutes for a September 2003 meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services in Charleston, West Virginia. Topics addressed include health professions education, mental health integration, oral health, and senior services.
Date: 09/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Ambulance Services: Medicare Payments Can be Better Targeted to Trips in Less Densely Populated Rural Areas
Covers factors that affect ambulance costs per trip, how these factors vary across geographic areas, and how well Medicare payments account for geographic cost differences.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Medicare: Modest Eligibility Expansion for Critical Access Hospital Program Should Be Considered
Examines the Critical Access Hospital (CAH) program and makes recommendations on CAH eligibility related to the ban on inpatient psychiatric or rehabilitation distinct part units and the limit on patient census.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Impact of The Medicaid Budgetary Crisis on Rural Communities
Provides an overview of options states have to reduce Medicaid program costs, potential impact of these changes on rural areas, and potential impact of proposed federal changes to Medicaid for rural areas.
Author(s): Pam Silberman, Matthew Rudolf, Cammie D'Alpe, Randy Randolph, Rebecca Slifkin
Date: 08/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Seasonal Population Fluctuations in Rural and Frontier Areas: Phase One: The View from State Offices of Rural Health
Describes the impact that seasonal population changes have on the provision of health services in rural and frontier areas.
Date: 06/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Frontier Communities
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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health & Human Services Meeting Minutes, Uvalde, Texas, June 8-10, 2003
Minutes from a National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services meeting in Texas. Topics addressed include public health issues in Texas, mental health, oral health, and aging.
Date: 06/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Rural Housing Service: Opportunities to Improve Management
Overview of the USDA Rural Housing Service program and discussion of whether a separate rural program for housing is still needed.
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): William B. Shear
Date: 06/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Enrollment in FEHBP Plans in Rural America: What are the Implications for Medicare Reform?
Discusses how the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) functions in rural areas. FEHBP is being considered as a model for how private plans could be incorporated into the Medicare program and how an outpatient prescription drug benefit could be added.
Additional links: State-by-State FEHBP Enrollment Analysis, State-by-State FEHBP Enrollment Analysis, by County and Plan
Author(s): Timothy McBride, Keith Mueller, Courtney Andrews, Liyan Xu, Roslyn Fraser
Citation: RUPRI Rural Policy Brief, 8(8)
Date: 06/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Variation and Innovation in Medicare
Analyzes variation within the Medicare program and explores a variety of possible payment innovations. Includes some rural-specific information. Geographic, market, quality, hospital financial performance, and use of physician services variations are covered. Also examines Medicare's reimbursement for Part B drugs. Recommendations include quality incentives and competitive pricing.
Date: 06/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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