Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Maternal Health in Rural America
White paper describing factors contributing to rural maternal health disparities, including financial barriers to providing obstetric services at rural hospitals, maternal health workforce shortages, access to care, and quality of care. Outlines policy considerations to increase access to maternal health services in rural areas.
Author(s): Hailey Waldman, Alexandra Zimmerman
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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White paper describing factors contributing to rural maternal health disparities, including financial barriers to providing obstetric services at rural hospitals, maternal health workforce shortages, access to care, and quality of care. Outlines policy considerations to increase access to maternal health services in rural areas.
Author(s): Hailey Waldman, Alexandra Zimmerman
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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What Does It Mean to Be a Rural Emergency Hospital? Hear This Kansas CEO's Journey to An REH
Recording of a February 8, 2024, webinar discussing the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) program. Provides an overview of the REH designation, policy and regulatory requirements, REH Technical Assistance Center (TAC) services, and REH conversion timeline. Features a discussion with Jeff Bowman, Chief Executive Officer of South Central Kansas Medical Center, regarding the facility's conversion to REH status.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Recording of a February 8, 2024, webinar discussing the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) program. Provides an overview of the REH designation, policy and regulatory requirements, REH Technical Assistance Center (TAC) services, and REH conversion timeline. Features a discussion with Jeff Bowman, Chief Executive Officer of South Central Kansas Medical Center, regarding the facility's conversion to REH status.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Closing the Coverage Gap: Policy Considerations for Public-Private Solutions to Expand Health Insurance in Georgia
Explores policy and funding considerations influencing the expansion of health insurance in Georgia, including current programs, population health and demographics, and Medicaid expansion models. Evaluates the suitability of the Arkansas "private option" expansion approach for Georgia, and discusses its implementation. Highlights rural concerns throughout.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Initiative
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Explores policy and funding considerations influencing the expansion of health insurance in Georgia, including current programs, population health and demographics, and Medicaid expansion models. Evaluates the suitability of the Arkansas "private option" expansion approach for Georgia, and discusses its implementation. Highlights rural concerns throughout.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Initiative
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ACP Consumer Survey
Survey of 5,317 Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) households to measure the impact of ACP participation on internet access and affordability. Includes rural breakdown of data and access to healthcare data.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Survey of 5,317 Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) households to measure the impact of ACP participation on internet access and affordability. Includes rural breakdown of data and access to healthcare data.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Hearing on Examining Chronic Drug Shortages in the United States
Congressional hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee discussing pharmaceutical drug shortages. Discusses cancer care, healthcare quality, the 340B program, supply and demand, reimbursement, and other policy measures. Witnesses include Dr. Stephen Schleicher discussing rural concerns. Captions available in video player.
Additional links: Dr. Stephen Schleicher Testimony
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee
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Congressional hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee discussing pharmaceutical drug shortages. Discusses cancer care, healthcare quality, the 340B program, supply and demand, reimbursement, and other policy measures. Witnesses include Dr. Stephen Schleicher discussing rural concerns. Captions available in video player.
Additional links: Dr. Stephen Schleicher Testimony
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee
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Health Industry Cybersecurity Strategic Plan
Presents a strategic plan for cybersecurity in the health industry, and provides supplementary materials. Identifies industry trends, cybersecurity goals, objectives, and measurable outcomes, and describes the significance of cybersecurity to healthcare delivery organizations. Suggests possibilities for implementation, industrial collaboration, and policy development. Includes discussion of rural health service providers.
Additional links: Full Strategic Plan (2024-2029)
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) Cybersecurity Working Group
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Presents a strategic plan for cybersecurity in the health industry, and provides supplementary materials. Identifies industry trends, cybersecurity goals, objectives, and measurable outcomes, and describes the significance of cybersecurity to healthcare delivery organizations. Suggests possibilities for implementation, industrial collaboration, and policy development. Includes discussion of rural health service providers.
Additional links: Full Strategic Plan (2024-2029)
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) Cybersecurity Working Group
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The Health of US Primary Care: 2024 Scorecard Report — No One Can See You Now
Second annual scorecard exploring primary care in the United States across measures in four categories: access, financing, workforce/training, and research. Identifies five factors contributing to increased challenges in accessing primary care. The appendix includes data on the number and percentage of physician residents trained in an MUA, rural county, or both between the 2012-2013 and 2021-2022 academic years.
Additional links: Appendix, Full Report
Author(s): Yalda Jabbarpour, Anuradha Jetty, Hoon Byun, et al.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Milbank Memorial Fund, Robert Graham Center, The Physicians Foundation
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Second annual scorecard exploring primary care in the United States across measures in four categories: access, financing, workforce/training, and research. Identifies five factors contributing to increased challenges in accessing primary care. The appendix includes data on the number and percentage of physician residents trained in an MUA, rural county, or both between the 2012-2013 and 2021-2022 academic years.
Additional links: Appendix, Full Report
Author(s): Yalda Jabbarpour, Anuradha Jetty, Hoon Byun, et al.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Milbank Memorial Fund, Robert Graham Center, The Physicians Foundation
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Interim Final Rule on Non-Congregate Summer Meals: Top Takeaways for Operators
Provides information on the interim final rule (IFR) regarding non-congregate summer meals, established in December 2023 by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Discusses IFR highlights for food program operators, such as rural definitions, congregate service access, meal service options, approved sites, and more.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Provides information on the interim final rule (IFR) regarding non-congregate summer meals, established in December 2023 by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Discusses IFR highlights for food program operators, such as rural definitions, congregate service access, meal service options, approved sites, and more.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Beneficiary and Clinician Perspectives on Medicare and Other Issues: Findings from 2023 Focus Groups in Select States
Summarizes findings from 24 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between May and July 2023, including three virtual focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, organization of care, and prescription drugs.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Summarizes findings from 24 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between May and July 2023, including three virtual focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, organization of care, and prescription drugs.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Evaluation of the Primary Care First Model: Second Annual Report
Provides an overview of the Primary Care First (PCF) model, which aims to enhance primary care and move primary care practitioners toward value-based payment. Describes the PCF model implementation experiences for Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 practices. Explores the preliminary impact of the PCF Model on acute hospitalizations and Medicare Part A and B expenditures relative to a comparison group. Estimates the impacts of the model on a set of seven leading indicators to provide an early assessment of whether care delivery changes are resulting in meaningful early outcome changes. Highlights implications from this report for the Primary Care First model and future models.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Provides an overview of the Primary Care First (PCF) model, which aims to enhance primary care and move primary care practitioners toward value-based payment. Describes the PCF model implementation experiences for Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 practices. Explores the preliminary impact of the PCF Model on acute hospitalizations and Medicare Part A and B expenditures relative to a comparison group. Estimates the impacts of the model on a set of seven leading indicators to provide an early assessment of whether care delivery changes are resulting in meaningful early outcome changes. Highlights implications from this report for the Primary Care First model and future models.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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