Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Instability Continues to Threaten Rural Health Safety Net: Reduced Reimbursements, Dwindling Access to Care and Deteriorating Population Health Status
Examines factors contributing to the instability of the rural healthcare safety net, including policy-related reimbursement cuts and changes to payer mixes. Presents data on rural hospitals that have stopped offering obstetrics and chemotherapy services. Explores aspects of rural population health and social drivers of health as they relate to rural healthcare delivery challenges.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Examines factors contributing to the instability of the rural healthcare safety net, including policy-related reimbursement cuts and changes to payer mixes. Presents data on rural hospitals that have stopped offering obstetrics and chemotherapy services. Explores aspects of rural population health and social drivers of health as they relate to rural healthcare delivery challenges.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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State Legislatures Moving to Increase Rural Health Care Access
Discusses policy measures and potential impacts on rural healthcare access at the state level related to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) payment, telehealth, and other financial supports for the rural health workforce.
Author(s): Lana McKinney
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Discusses policy measures and potential impacts on rural healthcare access at the state level related to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) payment, telehealth, and other financial supports for the rural health workforce.
Author(s): Lana McKinney
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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International Medical Graduates Assistance Program: 2024 Report to the Minnesota Legislature
Examines Minnesota's International Medical Graduates Assistance Program and pathways to integrate immigrant international medical graduates (IMGs) into the healthcare system. Focuses on the role of IMGs in supporting healthcare access in rural areas of Minnesota, IMG workforce education programs and pathways, and establishing policy that allows IMGs to enter residency programs.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Examines Minnesota's International Medical Graduates Assistance Program and pathways to integrate immigrant international medical graduates (IMGs) into the healthcare system. Focuses on the role of IMGs in supporting healthcare access in rural areas of Minnesota, IMG workforce education programs and pathways, and establishing policy that allows IMGs to enter residency programs.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Consensus-Based Entity 2024 Annual Report to Congress and the Secretary of Health and Human Services
Summarizes the work of Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) to measure healthcare quality in 2024. Includes discussions on exploring the unique challenges experienced in rural and low-volume settings and prioritizing effective measures for rural communities.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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Summarizes the work of Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) to measure healthcare quality in 2024. Includes discussions on exploring the unique challenges experienced in rural and low-volume settings and prioritizing effective measures for rural communities.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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February 2025 MACPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) February 2025 meeting. Covers transitions of care for children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN), hospital non-disproportionate share hospital supplemental payments and directed payment targeting, improving access to medications for opioid use disorder, healthcare access for children in foster care, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Hospital Non-DSH Supplemental Payment and Directed Payment Targeting Analyses
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) February 2025 meeting. Covers transitions of care for children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN), hospital non-disproportionate share hospital supplemental payments and directed payment targeting, improving access to medications for opioid use disorder, healthcare access for children in foster care, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Hospital Non-DSH Supplemental Payment and Directed Payment Targeting Analyses
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Telehealth Evolution in California: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities
Reports on trends in telehealth policy, financing, implementation, and use in California, and provides recommendations to increase telehealth access. Discusses rural barriers to telehealth access.
Author(s): Natasha Arora, Maggie Jones
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: California Health Care Foundation
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Reports on trends in telehealth policy, financing, implementation, and use in California, and provides recommendations to increase telehealth access. Discusses rural barriers to telehealth access.
Author(s): Natasha Arora, Maggie Jones
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: California Health Care Foundation
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Health Panel Comment Letter – Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program
Offers comments in response to a December 10, 2024, proposed rule regarding policy and technical changes to the Medicare Advantage program for contract year 2026. Discusses transparency and access to pharmacy services and prescription drugs, network adequacy, notice to providers, and more.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Offers comments in response to a December 10, 2024, proposed rule regarding policy and technical changes to the Medicare Advantage program for contract year 2026. Discusses transparency and access to pharmacy services and prescription drugs, network adequacy, notice to providers, and more.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Complete Streets: Policy Planning Process for Rural Communities
Discusses the planning for complete streets in rural areas, a type of accessible transportation infrastructure which allows for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians, therefore promoting safety as well as healthier and more active communities. Focuses on complete streets policy development, agency coordination, implementation, and monitoring.
Author(s): Krishna Kunapareddy
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Discusses the planning for complete streets in rural areas, a type of accessible transportation infrastructure which allows for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians, therefore promoting safety as well as healthier and more active communities. Focuses on complete streets policy development, agency coordination, implementation, and monitoring.
Author(s): Krishna Kunapareddy
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Engaging Local Government to Promote Health and Prosperity in West Virginia
Provides a guide for community organizations engaging with local government to promote health and economic development in West Virginia. Provides insights on understanding local government, effective engagements, and partnership-building. Discusses rural communities throughout.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Build Healthy Places Network, West Virginia Center for Rural Health Development, Wild, Wonderful & Healthy West Virginia
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Provides a guide for community organizations engaging with local government to promote health and economic development in West Virginia. Provides insights on understanding local government, effective engagements, and partnership-building. Discusses rural communities throughout.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Build Healthy Places Network, West Virginia Center for Rural Health Development, Wild, Wonderful & Healthy West Virginia
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Lower Electronic Health Record Adoption and Interoperability in Rural Versus Urban Physician Participants: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from the CMS Quality Payment Program
Compares rural versus urban physician adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and interoperability, as related to federal programs such as Medicare Access, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2015, and the 21st Century Cures Act. Utilizes 2021 Quality Payment Program Experience Report Public Use File data to analyze 209,152 physicians, with rural versus urban data breakdowns according to physician practice characteristics, EHR adoption, geographic distribution of interoperability scores, and more.
Author(s): A. Jerrod Anzalone, Carol R. Geary, Ran Dai, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 25, 128
Date: 01/2025
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Compares rural versus urban physician adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and interoperability, as related to federal programs such as Medicare Access, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2015, and the 21st Century Cures Act. Utilizes 2021 Quality Payment Program Experience Report Public Use File data to analyze 209,152 physicians, with rural versus urban data breakdowns according to physician practice characteristics, EHR adoption, geographic distribution of interoperability scores, and more.
Author(s): A. Jerrod Anzalone, Carol R. Geary, Ran Dai, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 25, 128
Date: 01/2025
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