Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Small Business Administration: Targeted Outreach about Disaster Assistance Could Benefit Rural Communities
Examines disaster loan trends in rural and urban areas using geocoded Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan application data for fiscal years 2017 through 2022. Describes challenges rural communities may face in seeking disaster assistance from SBA and actions SBA could take to address these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines disaster loan trends in rural and urban areas using geocoded Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan application data for fiscal years 2017 through 2022. Describes challenges rural communities may face in seeking disaster assistance from SBA and actions SBA could take to address these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Mobile Units and Your RHC - Is It a Good Fit?
Recording of a February 21, 2024, webinar reviewing regulations and guidance regarding Rural Health Clinic (RHC) mobile units. Explores operational considerations regarding whether a mobile unit is a good fit for an RHC. Profiles the experiences of Baptist Health opening a mobile RHC unit in rural Kentucky. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of a February 21, 2024, webinar reviewing regulations and guidance regarding Rural Health Clinic (RHC) mobile units. Explores operational considerations regarding whether a mobile unit is a good fit for an RHC. Profiles the experiences of Baptist Health opening a mobile RHC unit in rural Kentucky. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model: Evaluation Report 2
Presents findings from the first year of the implementation of the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model, which aims to improve health outcomes for Medicaid-enrolled children with complex physical and behavioral health needs. Provides an overview of the InCK Model and profiles each InCK award recipient's model, community context, approach to assessing beneficiary needs, and alternative payment model design. Identifies models serving rural areas and service gaps in these areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Presents findings from the first year of the implementation of the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model, which aims to improve health outcomes for Medicaid-enrolled children with complex physical and behavioral health needs. Provides an overview of the InCK Model and profiles each InCK award recipient's model, community context, approach to assessing beneficiary needs, and alternative payment model design. Identifies models serving rural areas and service gaps in these areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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2024 Stability of the Rural Health Safety Net: State and National Data Tables
Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies such as sequestration and bad debt reimbursement on rural hospital revenues, jobs, and gross domestic product. Presented at the February 2024 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies such as sequestration and bad debt reimbursement on rural hospital revenues, jobs, and gross domestic product. Presented at the February 2024 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Nursing Home Workforce Issues and Inequities
Offers an overview of issues related to the direct care workforce in nursing homes including staffing shortages, recruitment and retention, low wages, job training, interdisciplinary care, and more. Discusses proposed policies offering workforce-related reforms. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Jasmine L. Travers, Rita Choula, Edem Hado
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Offers an overview of issues related to the direct care workforce in nursing homes including staffing shortages, recruitment and retention, low wages, job training, interdisciplinary care, and more. Discusses proposed policies offering workforce-related reforms. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Jasmine L. Travers, Rita Choula, Edem Hado
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit
Toolkit to support state policymakers in expanding the use of telehealth to deliver Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) services. Provides information on telehealth flexibilities under Medicaid and CHIP; billing best practices; strategies for telehealth in value-based care; best practices from states during the COVID-19 public health emergency; strategies to promote the delivery of accessible and culturally competent care via telehealth; evaluation strategies to understand how telehealth affects quality, outcomes, and cost, and more. Offers state policy and operational considerations; information about common telehealth modalities; frequently asked questions for states to consider as they explore whether to expand the use of telehealth; Medicaid managed care and fee-for-service state checklists; and other planning tools. Includes information about using telehealth to deliver services to medically underserved and rural communities, older adults, and other specific populations.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Toolkit to support state policymakers in expanding the use of telehealth to deliver Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) services. Provides information on telehealth flexibilities under Medicaid and CHIP; billing best practices; strategies for telehealth in value-based care; best practices from states during the COVID-19 public health emergency; strategies to promote the delivery of accessible and culturally competent care via telehealth; evaluation strategies to understand how telehealth affects quality, outcomes, and cost, and more. Offers state policy and operational considerations; information about common telehealth modalities; frequently asked questions for states to consider as they explore whether to expand the use of telehealth; Medicaid managed care and fee-for-service state checklists; and other planning tools. Includes information about using telehealth to deliver services to medically underserved and rural communities, older adults, and other specific populations.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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2024 Rural Advocacy Agenda
Outlines the American Hospital Association's federal policy priorities for rural hospitals in 2024. Offers recommendations in the areas of commercial insurer accountability, flexible payment options, reimbursement, workforce, and the 340B program.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Outlines the American Hospital Association's federal policy priorities for rural hospitals in 2024. Offers recommendations in the areas of commercial insurer accountability, flexible payment options, reimbursement, workforce, and the 340B program.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Early Impacts of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model on Potentially Avoidable Utilization
Assesses the impact of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM) on potentially avoidable utilization rates between 2016 and 2022 by comparing participating and non-participating hospitals. Discusses the potential impact of COVID-19 on results.
Author(s): Donald S. Bourne, Eric T. Roberts, Lindsay M. Sabik
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(2)
Date: 02/2024
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Assesses the impact of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM) on potentially avoidable utilization rates between 2016 and 2022 by comparing participating and non-participating hospitals. Discusses the potential impact of COVID-19 on results.
Author(s): Donald S. Bourne, Eric T. Roberts, Lindsay M. Sabik
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(2)
Date: 02/2024
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Value-Based Care Assessment Tool
Online tool that assesses 80 different value-based care capacities in eight categories and creates a value-based care readiness report that can be used to support strategic planning. Tool is designed to be used by your healthcare organization's senior leadership team.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Online tool that assesses 80 different value-based care capacities in eight categories and creates a value-based care readiness report that can be used to support strategic planning. Tool is designed to be used by your healthcare organization's senior leadership team.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Service-Contingent Federal Student Loan Forgiveness and Loan Repayment Programs
Provides an overview of service-contingent federal student loan forgiveness and repayment programs, including those administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration. Includes a table outlining each program's administering agency, service requirements, maximum amount repaid or forgiven, statutory citation, and more.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of service-contingent federal student loan forgiveness and repayment programs, including those administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration. Includes a table outlining each program's administering agency, service requirements, maximum amount repaid or forgiven, statutory citation, and more.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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