Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Past Performance and Future Directions
Summarizes research findings about Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs) from recent peer-reviewed journals, official evaluations of Medicare ACOs, and research organization reports. Describes characteristics of certain ACOs associated with greater savings and factors that limit ACOs' ability to achieve net budgetary savings for the Medicare program. Identifies policy approaches that could increase savings for Medicare through ACOs and the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Includes a brief discussion of challenges facing ACOs in rural and underserved areas.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Budget Office
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Summarizes research findings about Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs) from recent peer-reviewed journals, official evaluations of Medicare ACOs, and research organization reports. Describes characteristics of certain ACOs associated with greater savings and factors that limit ACOs' ability to achieve net budgetary savings for the Medicare program. Identifies policy approaches that could increase savings for Medicare through ACOs and the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Includes a brief discussion of challenges facing ACOs in rural and underserved areas.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Budget Office
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Health Subcommittee Hearing: "Legislative Proposals to Support Patient Access to Telehealth Services"
Recording of an April 10, 2024, House Energy & Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health, hearing on legislative proposals that would support patients' access to telehealth services. Discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic-era regulatory flexibilities on telehealth use and access to care.
Additional links: Ateev Mehrotra, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Testimony, Hearing Memorandum
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Recording of an April 10, 2024, House Energy & Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health, hearing on legislative proposals that would support patients' access to telehealth services. Discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic-era regulatory flexibilities on telehealth use and access to care.
Additional links: Ateev Mehrotra, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Testimony, Hearing Memorandum
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Evaluation of the Maryland Total Cost of Care Model: Progress Report
Provides an overview of the Maryland Total Cost of Care Model and evaluates the first four years of the program, 2019-2022. Explores the effects of the model on Medicare spending; service use, including preventable hospital use; and healthcare quality measures. Estimates the potential impact of switching Maryland to the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) on Medicare spending and service use, including implications for rural and safety net hospitals.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance, Transformation Spotlight
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Provides an overview of the Maryland Total Cost of Care Model and evaluates the first four years of the program, 2019-2022. Explores the effects of the model on Medicare spending; service use, including preventable hospital use; and healthcare quality measures. Estimates the potential impact of switching Maryland to the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) on Medicare spending and service use, including implications for rural and safety net hospitals.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance, Transformation Spotlight
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Medicare Payment for Rural or Geographically Isolated Hospitals
Displays data on Medicare payment adjustments for Sole Community Hospitals, Medicare-Dependent Hospitals, Low-Volume Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals. Includes information on the number of qualifying hospitals by state and eligibility criteria.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Displays data on Medicare payment adjustments for Sole Community Hospitals, Medicare-Dependent Hospitals, Low-Volume Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals. Includes information on the number of qualifying hospitals by state and eligibility criteria.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Health Care Coalitions: A Resource to Support Critical Access Hospital Emergency Preparedness Planning
Describes unique challenges Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) face regarding emergency preparedness planning. Presents findings from interviews with leaders from 8 statewide or regional healthcare coalitions (HCCs) regarding strategies and resources HCCs provide to support the CAH emergency preparedness planning process. Outlines the functions and roles of HCCs by the 4 Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) capability goals.
Author(s): John Gale, Karen Pearson, Rebecca Stearns
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Describes unique challenges Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) face regarding emergency preparedness planning. Presents findings from interviews with leaders from 8 statewide or regional healthcare coalitions (HCCs) regarding strategies and resources HCCs provide to support the CAH emergency preparedness planning process. Outlines the functions and roles of HCCs by the 4 Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) capability goals.
Author(s): John Gale, Karen Pearson, Rebecca Stearns
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Dental Therapy Resource Guide
Describes the role of dental therapists in expanding access to dental health care in rural and underserved communities. Outlines the status of state laws and regulations regarding dental therapy education and practice as of August 2021. Compares the scope of practice of dental therapists to other dental care providers.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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Describes the role of dental therapists in expanding access to dental health care in rural and underserved communities. Outlines the status of state laws and regulations regarding dental therapy education and practice as of August 2021. Compares the scope of practice of dental therapists to other dental care providers.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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History of the National Survey of Early Care and Education, Part II: The Development of the 2019 NSECE and the NSECE COVID-19 Longitudinal Follow-Up
Provides information on the different versions of the National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE), including policy developments, funding, program expansions, survey methodology, and findings. Includes discussion of ECE in rural areas.
Author(s): Martha Zaslow, Tamara Halle, Rebecca Madill, Nicole Forry
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, Child Trends
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Provides information on the different versions of the National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE), including policy developments, funding, program expansions, survey methodology, and findings. Includes discussion of ECE in rural areas.
Author(s): Martha Zaslow, Tamara Halle, Rebecca Madill, Nicole Forry
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, Child Trends
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Swimming Upstream on the Path to Thriving
Explores challenges and opportunities for equitable economic development in rural, disadvantaged communities. Discusses the impact of persistent poverty, local entrepreneurship supports, community development strategies and policies, and investment models. Highlights the relationship between community health and prosperity, including discussion of the value of local hospitals and medical centers.
Author(s): May Erouart, Amanda Weinstein
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation
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Explores challenges and opportunities for equitable economic development in rural, disadvantaged communities. Discusses the impact of persistent poverty, local entrepreneurship supports, community development strategies and policies, and investment models. Highlights the relationship between community health and prosperity, including discussion of the value of local hospitals and medical centers.
Author(s): May Erouart, Amanda Weinstein
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation
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Interim Final Rule on Non-Congregate Summer Meals: What It Means for You This Summer
A recorded webinar that discusses the interim final rule (IFR) on non-congregate summer meals in rural areas. Provides information on definitions, eligibility, and allowable models and flexibilities. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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A recorded webinar that discusses the interim final rule (IFR) on non-congregate summer meals in rural areas. Provides information on definitions, eligibility, and allowable models and flexibilities. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Successful Non-Congregate Meal Service Models for Rural Areas: Implementation Guide
Provides models and examples of non-congregate meal service implementation in rural areas. Includes background on policy decisions and legislative definitions.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Provides models and examples of non-congregate meal service implementation in rural areas. Includes background on policy decisions and legislative definitions.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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