Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Telehealth: Current Definitions and Future Trends
Information guide covering updated telehealth terminology, issues, and considerations as of May 2022. Offers definitions of key terms from various agencies and organizations and how those definitions apply to various stakeholders.
Author(s): Hari Eswaran, Leah Dawson, Michelle Hernandez, et al.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center
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Information guide covering updated telehealth terminology, issues, and considerations as of May 2022. Offers definitions of key terms from various agencies and organizations and how those definitions apply to various stakeholders.
Author(s): Hari Eswaran, Leah Dawson, Michelle Hernandez, et al.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center
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Rx for the Rural Healthcare Workforce and Access to Care
Podcast with Tom Morris of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy about trends related to the rural healthcare workforce and efforts to overcome challenges. Discusses the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, rural hospital closures, telehealth, graduate medical education in rural areas, community health workers and community paramedics, funding opportunities to promote healthcare access in rural areas, the opioid crisis, and more.
Author(s): Jessica Nicholson
Date: 05/2022
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: The Conference Board
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Podcast with Tom Morris of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy about trends related to the rural healthcare workforce and efforts to overcome challenges. Discusses the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, rural hospital closures, telehealth, graduate medical education in rural areas, community health workers and community paramedics, funding opportunities to promote healthcare access in rural areas, the opioid crisis, and more.
Author(s): Jessica Nicholson
Date: 05/2022
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: The Conference Board
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Convergence of Service Providers and Managers' Perspectives on Strengths, Gaps, and Priorities for Rural Health System Redesign: A Whole-Systems Qualitative Study in Washington County, Maine
Presents themes from interviews with 46 direct healthcare service providers between September - November 2020 in Washington County, Maine. Explores existing clinical service strengths, local and state gaps in services and the impact of those gaps on quality and safety, and priorities and strategies for sustaining or restoring essential healthcare services.
Author(s): Rebecca L. West, Judy Margo, Jeff Brown, Amy Dowley, Susan Haas
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 13
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
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Presents themes from interviews with 46 direct healthcare service providers between September - November 2020 in Washington County, Maine. Explores existing clinical service strengths, local and state gaps in services and the impact of those gaps on quality and safety, and priorities and strategies for sustaining or restoring essential healthcare services.
Author(s): Rebecca L. West, Judy Margo, Jeff Brown, Amy Dowley, Susan Haas
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 13
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
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HPSA 101: Health Professional Shortage Areas Explained
Video describing Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), scoring calculations and factors affecting HPSA scores, National Health Service Corps loan repayments programs, and the role of the Virginia primary care office in identifying shortage areas in Virginia. Includes a brief history of HPSAs. Transcript available.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Virginia Department of Health: Office of Health Equity
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Video describing Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), scoring calculations and factors affecting HPSA scores, National Health Service Corps loan repayments programs, and the role of the Virginia primary care office in identifying shortage areas in Virginia. Includes a brief history of HPSAs. Transcript available.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Virginia Department of Health: Office of Health Equity
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Broadband: National Strategy Needed to Guide Federal Efforts to Reduce Digital Divide
Provides an overview of federal agencies and programs that support the deployment of broadband in the United States. Discusses the extent to which these programs are fragmented or overlap, as well as how agencies coordinate their efforts. Offers recommendations to improve the alignment of the various broadband programs, including the development of a national broadband strategy.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of federal agencies and programs that support the deployment of broadband in the United States. Discusses the extent to which these programs are fragmented or overlap, as well as how agencies coordinate their efforts. Offers recommendations to improve the alignment of the various broadband programs, including the development of a national broadband strategy.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility PPS for FY 2023
Comments on an April 6, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule addressing updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2023. Includes comments on the IRF teaching and rural payment adjustments.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on an April 6, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule addressing updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2023. Includes comments on the IRF teaching and rural payment adjustments.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility PPS for FY 2023
Comment on an April 4, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS) for fiscal year 2023. Includes a discussion of rural and Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) IPF PPS payment adjustments.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comment on an April 4, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS) for fiscal year 2023. Includes a discussion of rural and Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) IPF PPS payment adjustments.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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State Medicaid Managed Care and Access to Rural Behavioral Health Services
Details how states with Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) are using MCO contract language to increase access to behavioral healthcare through service access requirements, provider network requirements, and telehealth utilization policies. Includes links to available MCO contracts and requests for applications.
Author(s): Eliza Mette, Jodi Manz
Date: 05/2022
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Details how states with Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) are using MCO contract language to increase access to behavioral healthcare through service access requirements, provider network requirements, and telehealth utilization policies. Includes links to available MCO contracts and requests for applications.
Author(s): Eliza Mette, Jodi Manz
Date: 05/2022
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Advancing Rural Maternal Health Equity
Summarizes the activities implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health between June 2019 and November 2021 as part of its Rural Maternal Health Initiative. Outlines next steps to address rural maternal health disparities. Includes potential solutions for rural providers and stakeholders from the Rural Obstetric Readiness Workgroup.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Summarizes the activities implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health between June 2019 and November 2021 as part of its Rural Maternal Health Initiative. Outlines next steps to address rural maternal health disparities. Includes potential solutions for rural providers and stakeholders from the Rural Obstetric Readiness Workgroup.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Independent Evaluation of Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+): Fourth Annual Report
Reports on the first four program years of the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model, a CMS primary care payment and delivery reform effort. Discusses CPC+ participating practices, payer partners, and health information technology (HIT) vendors supporting the program. Describes practice changes regarding care delivery and outcomes for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Reports on the first four program years of the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model, a CMS primary care payment and delivery reform effort. Discusses CPC+ participating practices, payer partners, and health information technology (HIT) vendors supporting the program. Describes practice changes regarding care delivery and outcomes for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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