Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Maintaining Patient Access to Care in Rural America
A recorded webinar that discusses federal priorities and policy efforts related to rural healthcare, with a focus on a successful model implemented in Arizona that aims to improve patient access to hospital services. Transcript available below description.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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A recorded webinar that discusses federal priorities and policy efforts related to rural healthcare, with a focus on a successful model implemented in Arizona that aims to improve patient access to hospital services. Transcript available below description.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Food for Thought - Facing the Facts About Food Insecurity: Episode 2
Podcast episode discussing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research on food insecurity in rural areas. Describes the prevalence of food insecure households, behavioral responses to food insecurity, and how USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) research and data can inform policy and community-driven solutions.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Impact! Communications, Inc.
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Podcast episode discussing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research on food insecurity in rural areas. Describes the prevalence of food insecure households, behavioral responses to food insecurity, and how USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) research and data can inform policy and community-driven solutions.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Impact! Communications, Inc.
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Tracking The Elusive Medicaid Workforce To Improve Access
Discusses challenges to evaluating Medicaid enrollees' access to primary care providers. Describes how the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity used the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) to examine the primary care workforce providing healthcare to Medicaid enrollees. Outlines Medicaid workforce policy challenges, including federal regulations, workforce composition and supply, and community and market factors.
Author(s): Candice Chen, Qian "Eric" Luo, Mandar Bodas, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 08/2023
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Discusses challenges to evaluating Medicaid enrollees' access to primary care providers. Describes how the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity used the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) to examine the primary care workforce providing healthcare to Medicaid enrollees. Outlines Medicaid workforce policy challenges, including federal regulations, workforce composition and supply, and community and market factors.
Author(s): Candice Chen, Qian "Eric" Luo, Mandar Bodas, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 08/2023
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FY 2024 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (LTCH PPS) Final Rule — CMS-1785-F and CMS-1788-F Fact Sheet
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) fiscal year 2024 hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) and long-term care hospital prospective payment system (LTCH PPS) final rule. Includes information about the low-wage index hospital policy, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) being allowed to receive Medicare Graduate Medical Education (GME) payments, changes to the rural wage index calculation methodology, and more.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) fiscal year 2024 hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) and long-term care hospital prospective payment system (LTCH PPS) final rule. Includes information about the low-wage index hospital policy, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) being allowed to receive Medicare Graduate Medical Education (GME) payments, changes to the rural wage index calculation methodology, and more.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Where You Live Matters: Maternity Care Deserts and the Crisis of Access and Equity
Provides interactive state-by-state data on maternity care deserts in the U.S. Focuses on access, distance to maternity care, availability of family planning services, disparities in prenatal care, chronic health conditions and preterm birth, policy solutions, and more. Includes county-level maps of data as well as accompanying state summaries, infographics, and downloadable reports.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Provides interactive state-by-state data on maternity care deserts in the U.S. Focuses on access, distance to maternity care, availability of family planning services, disparities in prenatal care, chronic health conditions and preterm birth, policy solutions, and more. Includes county-level maps of data as well as accompanying state summaries, infographics, and downloadable reports.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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California Assembly Bill 2024: Report to the Legislature July 2023
Report analyzing hospital annual reports, surveys, and key informant interviews to determine the impact of California's Assembly Bill 2024 on physician recruitment and retention, discussing the benefits of employment versus contracting. Outlines how the bill addressed rural hospital-specific challenges and what challenges still remain.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: California Department of Health Care Access and Information
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Report analyzing hospital annual reports, surveys, and key informant interviews to determine the impact of California's Assembly Bill 2024 on physician recruitment and retention, discussing the benefits of employment versus contracting. Outlines how the bill addressed rural hospital-specific challenges and what challenges still remain.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: California Department of Health Care Access and Information
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Improving the Social Determinants of Health in Rural America Through Medicaid Section 1115 Waivers
Policy brief discussing how Medicaid Section 1115 waivers can allow states to modify the social determinants of health in rural areas through pilot programs, delivery system reform, or enhanced benefit packages. Highlights existing Section 1115 waiver programs and recently approved and renewed waivers, as well as challenges related to improving health-related social needs and access to services in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to improve health equity in rural areas through Medicaid programs.
Author(s): Alexandra Zimmerman
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing how Medicaid Section 1115 waivers can allow states to modify the social determinants of health in rural areas through pilot programs, delivery system reform, or enhanced benefit packages. Highlights existing Section 1115 waiver programs and recently approved and renewed waivers, as well as challenges related to improving health-related social needs and access to services in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to improve health equity in rural areas through Medicaid programs.
Author(s): Alexandra Zimmerman
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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COVID-19 Impact on Dental Service Delivery, Financing, Regulation, and Education Systems: An Environmental Scan
Describes the immediate and longer-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental care delivery, regulation, education, and finance. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Margaret Langelier, Aubri Kottek, Theekshana Fernando, et al.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Oral Health Workforce Research Center
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Describes the immediate and longer-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental care delivery, regulation, education, and finance. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Margaret Langelier, Aubri Kottek, Theekshana Fernando, et al.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Oral Health Workforce Research Center
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OMB Bulletin No. 23-01, Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas
Outlines the Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, Combined Statistical Areas, and Metropolitan Division – collectively called Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) – for the United States and Puerto Rico. Reflects the 2020 Standards for Delineating Core Based Statistical Areas published by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in July 2021 and the application of those standards to Census population and journey-to-work data, including the 2020 Decennial Census, American Community Survey, and Census Population Estimates Program data. Also provides guidance on the use of these delineations.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Office of Management and Budget
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Outlines the Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, Combined Statistical Areas, and Metropolitan Division – collectively called Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) – for the United States and Puerto Rico. Reflects the 2020 Standards for Delineating Core Based Statistical Areas published by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in July 2021 and the application of those standards to Census population and journey-to-work data, including the 2020 Decennial Census, American Community Survey, and Census Population Estimates Program data. Also provides guidance on the use of these delineations.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Office of Management and Budget
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Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) Recruitment and Retention of General Surgeons in Rural Areas Support Letter
Letter from the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) regarding two pieces of legislation: 1) the Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2023, which would require a report from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on "access by underserved populations to general surgeons"; and 2) the Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care (SPARC) Act, which would provide financial incentives to encourage more specialty clinicians, including general surgeons, to serve in rural areas. Also proposes a new general surgery scholarship and loan repayment program based on the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) model and the establishment of a rural graduate medical education (GME) program. Provides an overview of access to general surgeons in rural areas, the legislation and proposed programs, and how these programs could help meet the need for surgeons in rural areas and improve health outcomes.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
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Letter from the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) regarding two pieces of legislation: 1) the Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2023, which would require a report from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on "access by underserved populations to general surgeons"; and 2) the Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care (SPARC) Act, which would provide financial incentives to encourage more specialty clinicians, including general surgeons, to serve in rural areas. Also proposes a new general surgery scholarship and loan repayment program based on the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) model and the establishment of a rural graduate medical education (GME) program. Provides an overview of access to general surgeons in rural areas, the legislation and proposed programs, and how these programs could help meet the need for surgeons in rural areas and improve health outcomes.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
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