Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Federal Credit Assistance and Grant Programs for Rural Businesses: In Brief
Provides an overview of selected federal credit assistance and grant programs that support rural businesses. Covers programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA), as well as the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of selected federal credit assistance and grant programs that support rural businesses. Covers programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA), as well as the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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The Approaching End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and Its Implications for RHCs
Outlines Rural Health Clinic (RHC)-specific waivers implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and will end at the conclusion of the public health emergency (PHE). Highlights how other policies will be impacted by the end of the PHE, including telehealth flexibilities; Medicaid redetermination; the commercialization of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests; and Emergency Use Authorizations.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Outlines Rural Health Clinic (RHC)-specific waivers implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and will end at the conclusion of the public health emergency (PHE). Highlights how other policies will be impacted by the end of the PHE, including telehealth flexibilities; Medicaid redetermination; the commercialization of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests; and Emergency Use Authorizations.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Rural Hospitals Face Renewed Financial Challenges, Especially in States That Have Not Expanded Medicaid
Provides an overview of rural hospital finances before the COVID-19 pandemic and compares operating margins in hospitals in states that expanded Medicaid with those that did not expand Medicaid. Describes financial trends during pandemic. Highlights selected policy initiatives intended to support rural hospitals or restructure the rural healthcare delivery system.
Author(s): Zachary Levinson, Jamie Godwin, Scott Hulver
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Provides an overview of rural hospital finances before the COVID-19 pandemic and compares operating margins in hospitals in states that expanded Medicaid with those that did not expand Medicaid. Describes financial trends during pandemic. Highlights selected policy initiatives intended to support rural hospitals or restructure the rural healthcare delivery system.
Author(s): Zachary Levinson, Jamie Godwin, Scott Hulver
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Federal Telehealth Flexibilities in Private Health Insurance During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: In Brief
Provides an overview of how private health insurance plans cover telehealth services, as well as federal flexibilities that encouraged private health insurance plans to promote telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Summarizes the two main types of laws at the state level addressing telehealth coverage in private health insurance. Outlines considerations for telehealth coverage after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of how private health insurance plans cover telehealth services, as well as federal flexibilities that encouraged private health insurance plans to promote telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Summarizes the two main types of laws at the state level addressing telehealth coverage in private health insurance. Outlines considerations for telehealth coverage after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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The Health of US Primary Care: A Baseline Scorecard Tracking Support for High-Quality Primary Care
Examines the support for implementing high-quality primary care in the United States across measures in five categories: financing, workforce, access, training, and research. Presents data on primary care financing trends from 2010 to 2020, the number of primary care physicians per capita in medically-underserved areas (MUAs) and non-MUAs by state, trends in financing primary care research, and more. Figure 7 shows the percentage of physician residents trained in an MUA or rural county by state in 2020. Appendix B includes data on the number and percentage of physician residents trained in an MUA, rural county, or both between the 2012-2013 academic year and the 2020-2021 academic year.
Additional links: Appendix B, Full Report
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Milbank Memorial Fund, Robert Graham Center, The Physicians Foundation
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Examines the support for implementing high-quality primary care in the United States across measures in five categories: financing, workforce, access, training, and research. Presents data on primary care financing trends from 2010 to 2020, the number of primary care physicians per capita in medically-underserved areas (MUAs) and non-MUAs by state, trends in financing primary care research, and more. Figure 7 shows the percentage of physician residents trained in an MUA or rural county by state in 2020. Appendix B includes data on the number and percentage of physician residents trained in an MUA, rural county, or both between the 2012-2013 academic year and the 2020-2021 academic year.
Additional links: Appendix B, Full Report
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Milbank Memorial Fund, Robert Graham Center, The Physicians Foundation
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Rural Hospitals: Community Cornerstones Facing Perilous Threats to Care
Infographic presenting data regarding the importance of rural hospitals to their communities. Includes information on workforce and financial challenges experienced by rural hospitals, as well as the impact of hospital closures on access to care. Provides recommendations on actions to support rural hospitals and communities.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Infographic presenting data regarding the importance of rural hospitals to their communities. Includes information on workforce and financial challenges experienced by rural hospitals, as well as the impact of hospital closures on access to care. Provides recommendations on actions to support rural hospitals and communities.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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The Role of Telehealth in Achieving a High Performing Rural Health System: Priorities in a Post-Pandemic System
Presents a review of the potential for expanded use of telehealth in rural America and the use of telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Examines the uses of telehealth in a high-performing rural health system. Expands on considerations outlined in the October 2020 publication The Evolving Landscape of National Telehealth Policies during a Public Health Emergency: Responsiveness to Rural Needs.
Author(s): Joel M. James, Keith J. Mueller, Joanne Constantin, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Presents a review of the potential for expanded use of telehealth in rural America and the use of telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Examines the uses of telehealth in a high-performing rural health system. Expands on considerations outlined in the October 2020 publication The Evolving Landscape of National Telehealth Policies during a Public Health Emergency: Responsiveness to Rural Needs.
Author(s): Joel M. James, Keith J. Mueller, Joanne Constantin, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Examining Health Care Workforce Shortages: Where Do We Go From Here?
Recording of a February 16, 2023, U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions hearing on healthcare provider shortages. Includes discussion of shortages in rural areas, including rural nurses. Features testimonies by representatives of the University of New England, Meharry Medical College, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Ochsner Health, and Dartmouth College.
Additional links: Douglas Staiger, Dartmouth College - Testimony, James E.K. Hildreth, Sr., Meharry Medical College - Testimony, James Herbert, University of New England - Testimony, Leonardo Seoane, Ochsner Health - Testimony
Date: 02/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Recording of a February 16, 2023, U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions hearing on healthcare provider shortages. Includes discussion of shortages in rural areas, including rural nurses. Features testimonies by representatives of the University of New England, Meharry Medical College, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Ochsner Health, and Dartmouth College.
Additional links: Douglas Staiger, Dartmouth College - Testimony, James E.K. Hildreth, Sr., Meharry Medical College - Testimony, James Herbert, University of New England - Testimony, Leonardo Seoane, Ochsner Health - Testimony
Date: 02/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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State-Based Recommendations to Support Rural Ambulance Agencies
Discusses challenges faced by rural ambulance agencies and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies. Identifies state-based policy opportunities to support rural ambulance agencies. Covers EMS as an essential service, professional management, EMS zones, and standby costs.
Author(s): A. Clinton MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller, Alva O. Ferdinand, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Discusses challenges faced by rural ambulance agencies and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies. Identifies state-based policy opportunities to support rural ambulance agencies. Covers EMS as an essential service, professional management, EMS zones, and standby costs.
Author(s): A. Clinton MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller, Alva O. Ferdinand, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Factors Contributing to Reductions in Patient Wait Times at Indian Health Service Emergency Department Facilities: A Mixed-Methods Assessment
Presents findings of a mixed-methods assessment of the change in emergency department wait times at Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities before and after the announcement of wait time standards in 2019. Describes challenges to providing timely access to emergency and primary care, strategies to overcome these challenges, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on wait times.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Presents findings of a mixed-methods assessment of the change in emergency department wait times at Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities before and after the announcement of wait time standards in 2019. Describes challenges to providing timely access to emergency and primary care, strategies to overcome these challenges, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on wait times.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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