Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Factors Associated with Compliance to the Hospital Price Transparency Final Rule: A National Landscape Study
Examines 3,558 short-term acute-care hospitals' compliance with the Hospital Price Transparency Rule, which requires that hospitals publicly post a machine-readable file containing commercial negotiated prices for 300 services. Compares hospital compliance by state and hospital referral region. Describes factors associated with compliance, including health information technology preparedness, profit status, system affiliation, hospital size, and rural location.
Author(s): John Xuefeng Jiang, Daniel Polsky, Jeff Littlejohn, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 37(14), 3577–3584
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
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Examines 3,558 short-term acute-care hospitals' compliance with the Hospital Price Transparency Rule, which requires that hospitals publicly post a machine-readable file containing commercial negotiated prices for 300 services. Compares hospital compliance by state and hospital referral region. Describes factors associated with compliance, including health information technology preparedness, profit status, system affiliation, hospital size, and rural location.
Author(s): John Xuefeng Jiang, Daniel Polsky, Jeff Littlejohn, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 37(14), 3577–3584
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
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Rural Hospital Services Strategic Plan Progress Report
Reports on the progress, strategies, and milestones of the Rural Hospital Services Strategic Plan, as required by the Texas Legislature. Discusses the status of strategies related to Medicaid reimbursements, rural hospital revenue opportunities, and challenges providing care to patients covered by Medicare and other payers. Outlines future strategic and operational goals to support rural hospitals and offers a map of hospitals affected by new rural definitions.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Reports on the progress, strategies, and milestones of the Rural Hospital Services Strategic Plan, as required by the Texas Legislature. Discusses the status of strategies related to Medicaid reimbursements, rural hospital revenue opportunities, and challenges providing care to patients covered by Medicare and other payers. Outlines future strategic and operational goals to support rural hospitals and offers a map of hospitals affected by new rural definitions.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Virtual Communication Services in Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
Provides information for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) regarding billing and payment for virtual communication services as established in the 2019 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides information for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) regarding billing and payment for virtual communication services as established in the 2019 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Strategies to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Ohio
Examines strategies to reduce adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in Ohio. Focuses on caregiver skills training, violence prevention programs, social-emotional learning in schools, and mentoring programs. Includes county-level data on families enrolled in prevention services as well as discussions centered on rural and/or Appalachian areas.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Examines strategies to reduce adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in Ohio. Focuses on caregiver skills training, violence prevention programs, social-emotional learning in schools, and mentoring programs. Includes county-level data on families enrolled in prevention services as well as discussions centered on rural and/or Appalachian areas.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Using Maps to Inform Decisions about Child Care and Early Education
Discusses how utilizing maps can assist childcare and early education (CCEE) leaders and partners in the planning of policy, resource allocation, supply building, and family support strategies. Provides county-level examples of maps and discusses technical considerations related to making local decisions about CCEE availability and access.
Author(s): Van-Kim Lin, Erin Bumgarner, Dayne Ornelas Gonzalez, Kelly Maxwell
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, Child Trends
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Discusses how utilizing maps can assist childcare and early education (CCEE) leaders and partners in the planning of policy, resource allocation, supply building, and family support strategies. Provides county-level examples of maps and discusses technical considerations related to making local decisions about CCEE availability and access.
Author(s): Van-Kim Lin, Erin Bumgarner, Dayne Ornelas Gonzalez, Kelly Maxwell
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, Child Trends
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October 2022 MACPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) October 2022 meeting. Covers Medicaid race and ethnicity data collection and reporting, improving access to Medicaid coverage and care for adults leaving incarceration, the unwinding of the Public Health Emergency, streamlining the delivery of home- and community-based services, potential recommendations for structuring Disproportionate Share Hospital allotments during economic crises, and more. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) October 2022 meeting. Covers Medicaid race and ethnicity data collection and reporting, improving access to Medicaid coverage and care for adults leaving incarceration, the unwinding of the Public Health Emergency, streamlining the delivery of home- and community-based services, potential recommendations for structuring Disproportionate Share Hospital allotments during economic crises, and more. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Broadband: USDA Should Set Performance Goals and Improve Fraud Risk Management for Funding Program
Provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ReConnect program, which awards grants and loans to provide broadband service in rural areas. Analyzes ReConnect award and application data from 2018 through 2021 to examine the program's performance goals and alignment with selected leading fraud risk management practices. Offers recommendations to USDA on ReConnect's performance goals and fraud risk management.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ReConnect program, which awards grants and loans to provide broadband service in rural areas. Analyzes ReConnect award and application data from 2018 through 2021 to examine the program's performance goals and alignment with selected leading fraud risk management practices. Offers recommendations to USDA on ReConnect's performance goals and fraud risk management.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Teledentistry Trends in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Reviews the use of teledentistry during and following the COVID-19 pandemic in California, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and examines reimbursement issues and supports needed to enhance dental care in a post-COVID-19 world. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Miranda Werts, Prashanta Patel, Elizabeth Mertz
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Oral Health Workforce Research Center
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Reviews the use of teledentistry during and following the COVID-19 pandemic in California, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and examines reimbursement issues and supports needed to enhance dental care in a post-COVID-19 world. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Miranda Werts, Prashanta Patel, Elizabeth Mertz
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Oral Health Workforce Research Center
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Federal Policy & Telehealth: What to be Aware of Going Forward
Webinar describing the telehealth policy landscape following the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated public health emergency, highlighting federal policy issues as of October 2022. Describes policy flexibilities, Medicare telehealth during the pandemic, and research initiatives examining telehealth.
Additional links: Presentation Slide Deck
Date: 10/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Webinar describing the telehealth policy landscape following the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated public health emergency, highlighting federal policy issues as of October 2022. Describes policy flexibilities, Medicare telehealth during the pandemic, and research initiatives examining telehealth.
Additional links: Presentation Slide Deck
Date: 10/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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The Future of Telehealth After COVID-19: New Opportunities and Challenges
Provides an overview of the current evidence regarding telehealth's impact on equitable access to care and on quality of care, patient outcomes, and cost. Describes the COVID-19 pandemic-related regulatory flexibilities for mental health and substance use disorder services. Discusses the importance of telehealth on primary and specialty care during the public health emergency (PHE). Offers recommendations for Medicare telehealth policies to promote better outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries and value for the Medicare program.
Additional links: Medicare Telehealth Utilization and Spending Impacts 2019-2021, Webinar Recording
Author(s): Julia Harris, Sabah Bhatnagar, Brady Newell, et al.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Provides an overview of the current evidence regarding telehealth's impact on equitable access to care and on quality of care, patient outcomes, and cost. Describes the COVID-19 pandemic-related regulatory flexibilities for mental health and substance use disorder services. Discusses the importance of telehealth on primary and specialty care during the public health emergency (PHE). Offers recommendations for Medicare telehealth policies to promote better outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries and value for the Medicare program.
Additional links: Medicare Telehealth Utilization and Spending Impacts 2019-2021, Webinar Recording
Author(s): Julia Harris, Sabah Bhatnagar, Brady Newell, et al.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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