Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Health Care Access in the Heartland: How to Improve Services in Rural America
Outlines strategies policymakers and community leaders in rural America can use to improve healthcare access and services. Combines data analysis of county demographics and health data with focus groups in Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Provides expert interviews to better understand healthcare access in rural communities.
Author(s): Darren Chapman, Angie Cooper, Elizabeth Dombowsky, et al.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Heartland Forward
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Outlines strategies policymakers and community leaders in rural America can use to improve healthcare access and services. Combines data analysis of county demographics and health data with focus groups in Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Provides expert interviews to better understand healthcare access in rural communities.
Author(s): Darren Chapman, Angie Cooper, Elizabeth Dombowsky, et al.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Heartland Forward
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RHC Regulatory Updates & Good Faith Estimate (GFE) Policy
Recording of a December 7, 2022, webinar providing an overview of telehealth payment rates for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and other regulatory updates and potential changes for 2023. Discusses price transparency in healthcare and good faith estimate requirements for RHCs. Includes links to good faith estimate resources. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of a December 7, 2022, webinar providing an overview of telehealth payment rates for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and other regulatory updates and potential changes for 2023. Discusses price transparency in healthcare and good faith estimate requirements for RHCs. Includes links to good faith estimate resources. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Early Changes in Waivered Clinicians and Utilization of Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder After Implementation of the 2021 HHS Buprenorphine Practice Guidelines
Report examines the changes in access to buprenorphine following the implementation of new HHS guidelines as of April 2021. Discusses the revised guidelines and analyzes their effect on access to buprenorphine for patients with opioid use disorder.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Report examines the changes in access to buprenorphine following the implementation of new HHS guidelines as of April 2021. Discusses the revised guidelines and analyzes their effect on access to buprenorphine for patients with opioid use disorder.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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30 Years Of 340B: Preserving The Health Care Safety Net
Discusses the development and purpose of the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and provides an overview of the program. Summarizes research on the impact of the 340B program on hospitals and lessons learned.
Author(s): Henry A. Waxman
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
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Discusses the development and purpose of the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and provides an overview of the program. Summarizes research on the impact of the 340B program on hospitals and lessons learned.
Author(s): Henry A. Waxman
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
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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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