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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

USDA Overview of the IFR for Summer EBT and Non-Congregate Summer Meal Service in Rural Areas
Slides that provide an overview of the interim final rule (IFR) regarding the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children (Summer EBT) and non-congregate summer meals in rural areas.
Author(s): Kevin Maskornick, Jess Saracino, Anne Fiala
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Michigan's Roadmap to Healthy Communities Phase III: The Innovation Phase 2022-2024
Expands on Phase I and Phase II of a plan to address the social determinants of health (SDOH) to provide social and economic opportunities and improve health outcomes in Michigan. Focuses on the launch of SDOH collaborative hubs, policymaking, and reducing health disparities.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
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AHIP Value-Based Care Workgroup
Presentation slides from a January 23, 2024, presentation to the AHIP Value-Based Care Workgroup. Provides an overview of rural healthcare. Discusses rural-relevant engagement and rural value-based care and payment model design considerations. Highlights examples of rural providers successfully participating in value-based payment programs, including Medicare Shared Savings Programs and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs).
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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CMS Framework for Advancing Health Care in Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities (Webinar)
Recording of a January 2024 webinar providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Framework for Advancing Health Care in Rural, Tribal, and Geographically Isolated Communities. Discusses rural health resources, including resources on Coverage to Care, the Tribal Roadmap to Better Care, community engagement efforts, and forthcoming initiatives. Focuses on resources tailored to American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Fortifying Community Health Centers: Fostering Community Resilience, Equitable Response, and Disaster Preparedness
Discusses the impact of community health centers, with a focus on the diverse patients they serve, the low-cost/high-quality healthcare, and the ability to serve patients with complex needs. Includes discussion on disaster response, care coordination, and policies, such as those related to telehealth, that affect community health center work.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, Healthcare Ready
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Value-Based Care and North Dakota
Slides presented to the North Dakota legislature on January 30, 2024, providing an overview of an initiative assisting rural North Dakota Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in preparing for value-based care and payment. Discusses principles of the transition from volume-based to value-based payment. Outlines the technical assistance the initiative provides to five core CAHs in the state and a summary of a high-level financial analysis.
Author(s): Clint MacKinney
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 (Division FF, Title I of P.L. 117-328, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023): Section-by-Section Summary
Provides a section-by-section summary of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act, which was enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) and reauthorized or amended specific federal programs related to mental health and substance use. Includes information on programs targeted to, or extending eligibility to, tribes and tribal organizations.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Data in the North Central Region: The Nebraska Rural Poll, the Ohio Farm Poll, and the NCR-Stat
A recorded webinar that provides an overview of data derived from three polls covering the North Central Region (NCR): Nebraska Rural Poll, Ohio Farm Poll, and NCR-Stat. The polls provide NCR-focused information on community well-being and economic development, employment, policy, agriculture and farm households, population health status, and migration. Transcript available below description.
Author(s): L.J. McElravy, Douglas Jackson-Smith, Zuzana Bednarik
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
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What States Can Learn from Maryland's Experience with Hospital Global Budgeting
Podcast episode exploring lessons learned from Maryland's hospital global budgeting model. Includes a discussion on small and rural hospitals' financial sustainability and their involvement in the model, as well as comparisons to the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model and the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Mathematica
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Hospital Financing: Volume Limits and Reporting Could Help Manage Risks of Expanding FHA's Mortgage Insurance Program
Describes the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program, which insures loans for capital improvements at hospitals; loans insured through the program between 2000 and 2022. Explores characteristics of hospitals ineligible for the program that may impact their financing options. Examines the potential effects and risks of extending Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program eligibility to currently ineligible hospital types on program participation risks. Offers recommendations to Congress if it decides to expand program eligibility to hospitals that primarily provide non-acute care services.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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