Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2021: Telehealth Recommendations
Offers policy recommendations related to Maryland's Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2021, including recommendations related to provider options to deliver care via telehealth, audio-visual and audio-only delivery, remote patient monitoring, hospice care services, inpatient care, patient privacy, and reimbursement levels.
Author(s): Randolph S. Sergent, Ben Steffen
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maryland Health Care Commission
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Offers policy recommendations related to Maryland's Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2021, including recommendations related to provider options to deliver care via telehealth, audio-visual and audio-only delivery, remote patient monitoring, hospice care services, inpatient care, patient privacy, and reimbursement levels.
Author(s): Randolph S. Sergent, Ben Steffen
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maryland Health Care Commission
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Evaluation of the Primary Care First Model: First 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 first performance year of the PCF model for Cohort 1 practices. Explores advanced primary care attributes that Cohort 1 practices report they possessed at the start of PCF and the approaches these practices have taken or plan to take to change how they deliver advanced primary care. Presents findings on the 13 payers that are partnering with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as payer partners, including why they chose to partner with CMS and efforts made to align their payments with CMS in the PCF model.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
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 first performance year of the PCF model for Cohort 1 practices. Explores advanced primary care attributes that Cohort 1 practices report they possessed at the start of PCF and the approaches these practices have taken or plan to take to change how they deliver advanced primary care. Presents findings on the 13 payers that are partnering with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as payer partners, including why they chose to partner with CMS and efforts made to align their payments with CMS in the PCF model.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Insights on Telehealth Use and Program Integrity Risks Across Selected Health Care Programs During the Pandemic
Presents a study of telehealth expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic and program integrity risks, including fraud, waste, and abuse. Offers a range of data on telehealth usage and programs
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Office of Inspector General (HHS), Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
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Presents a study of telehealth expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic and program integrity risks, including fraud, waste, and abuse. Offers a range of data on telehealth usage and programs
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Office of Inspector General (HHS), Pandemic Response Accountability Committee
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Evaluation of the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization Model: Second Evaluation Report
Evaluates the first three performance years of the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization Model (VTAPM), which aims to assess whether scaling an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) across all payers in the state can reduce program expenditures while preserving or improving care quality. Discusses the implementation of the model, provider engagement, efforts to address population health goals; characteristics of participating hospitals, practitioners, and beneficiaries; and the model's impacts on Medicare spending, utilization, and quality of care. Describes changes to the model's design in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency and how COVID-19 and a cyberattack impacted healthcare utilization. Includes information on hospital and provider participation in rural areas and limited participation by Critical Access Hospitals.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Technical Appendices
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Evaluates the first three performance years of the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization Model (VTAPM), which aims to assess whether scaling an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) across all payers in the state can reduce program expenditures while preserving or improving care quality. Discusses the implementation of the model, provider engagement, efforts to address population health goals; characteristics of participating hospitals, practitioners, and beneficiaries; and the model's impacts on Medicare spending, utilization, and quality of care. Describes changes to the model's design in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency and how COVID-19 and a cyberattack impacted healthcare utilization. Includes information on hospital and provider participation in rural areas and limited participation by Critical Access Hospitals.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Technical Appendices
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Federal Support for Financially Distressed Hospitals
Provides an overview of Medicare hospital payments and federal funding opportunities to assist financially distressed hospitals. Includes information on COVID-19 relief funding targeted to rural and safety net hospitals.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of Medicare hospital payments and federal funding opportunities to assist financially distressed hospitals. Includes information on COVID-19 relief funding targeted to rural and safety net hospitals.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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USDA's ReConnect Program: Expanding Rural Broadband
Provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's ReConnect program, which provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to build and enhance broadband infrastructure in eligible rural service areas. Summarizes program details, funding allocations, the three rounds of awards, and funding awards by state. Compares the ReConnect program with other USDA broadband programs. Identifies issues that may impact the program's effectiveness, related legislation introduced in the 117th Congress, and potential policy options.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's ReConnect program, which provides loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to build and enhance broadband infrastructure in eligible rural service areas. Summarizes program details, funding allocations, the three rounds of awards, and funding awards by state. Compares the ReConnect program with other USDA broadband programs. Identifies issues that may impact the program's effectiveness, related legislation introduced in the 117th Congress, and potential policy options.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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National Advisory Council on the National Health Service Corps (NACNHSC) Meeting Minutes, November 15-16, 2022
Minutes from the November 15-16, 2022 meeting, including presentations on collaborative care, shortage designation policy, HRSA's geriatrics programs, family caregivers, effects of COVID-19, and National Health Service Corps updates.
Additional links: Agenda, Caring for the Care Collaborator: Building and Sustaining the Competent Team, Health Resources and Services Administration's Geriatrics Programs, Leading In Challenging Times… Creating the Future We Want and Our Communities and Patients Need, Policy Updates, Preparing Clinicians to "R.A.I.S.E." Family Caregivers
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Council on the National Health Service Corps
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Minutes from the November 15-16, 2022 meeting, including presentations on collaborative care, shortage designation policy, HRSA's geriatrics programs, family caregivers, effects of COVID-19, and National Health Service Corps updates.
Additional links: Agenda, Caring for the Care Collaborator: Building and Sustaining the Competent Team, Health Resources and Services Administration's Geriatrics Programs, Leading In Challenging Times… Creating the Future We Want and Our Communities and Patients Need, Policy Updates, Preparing Clinicians to "R.A.I.S.E." Family Caregivers
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Council on the National Health Service Corps
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Rural Health Clinic All-Inclusive Rate: CY 2023 Update
Provides an overview of Rural Health Clinic (RHC) payment limits and cost report data requirements for calendar year 2023.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of Rural Health Clinic (RHC) payment limits and cost report data requirements for calendar year 2023.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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2023-2028 Texas State Health Plan
Provides recommendations to the Texas legislature on how to help ensure access to healthcare for all Texans. Addresses access to care, rural health, the mental health and behavioral health workforce, and teleservices and technology.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Statewide Health Coordinating Council
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Provides recommendations to the Texas legislature on how to help ensure access to healthcare for all Texans. Addresses access to care, rural health, the mental health and behavioral health workforce, and teleservices and technology.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Statewide Health Coordinating Council
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Advancing Environmental Health and Justice: A Call for Assessment and Oversight of Health Care Waste
Addresses the impact on humans resulting from healthcare waste that is processed, incinerated or transported to landfills. Discusses the inequities that occur with transport and waste sites that disproportionately harm communities of low-income and/or of color in urban and rural areas. Highlights evidence-based strategies and advocacy efforts for public health officials to support when developing solutions to reduce healthcare waste hazards and their effect on humans in rural and urban healthcare systems.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Public Health Association
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Addresses the impact on humans resulting from healthcare waste that is processed, incinerated or transported to landfills. Discusses the inequities that occur with transport and waste sites that disproportionately harm communities of low-income and/or of color in urban and rural areas. Highlights evidence-based strategies and advocacy efforts for public health officials to support when developing solutions to reduce healthcare waste hazards and their effect on humans in rural and urban healthcare systems.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Public Health Association
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