Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Urban Area Criteria for the 2020 Census-Final Criteria
Outlines the final criteria for defining urban areas based on the 2020 decennial census. Adopts a housing unit density threshold of 385 housing units per square mile as the primary criterion for determining whether a census block qualifies for inclusion in an urban area and that an area will qualify as urban if it contains at least 2,000 housing units or has a population of at least 5,000. Explains that the Census Bureau will no longer differentiate urbanized areas from smaller urban areas.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details
Outlines the final criteria for defining urban areas based on the 2020 decennial census. Adopts a housing unit density threshold of 385 housing units per square mile as the primary criterion for determining whether a census block qualifies for inclusion in an urban area and that an area will qualify as urban if it contains at least 2,000 housing units or has a population of at least 5,000. Explains that the Census Bureau will no longer differentiate urbanized areas from smaller urban areas.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details
Digital Quality Measurement Strategic Roadmap
Discusses how the interoperability of healthcare data from electronic health records can improve Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) quality measurement systems. Outlines actions in four domains - improving data quality, advancing technology, optimizing data aggregation, and enabling alignment of measures - to advance digital quality measurement.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Discusses how the interoperability of healthcare data from electronic health records can improve Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) quality measurement systems. Outlines actions in four domains - improving data quality, advancing technology, optimizing data aggregation, and enabling alignment of measures - to advance digital quality measurement.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Council on Graduate Medical Education Meeting Minutes, March 24-25, 2022
Summarizes the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) meeting held on March 24-25, 2022. Includes updates from the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (ACTPCMD), Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program, and the Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Program. Features presentation from National Health Service Corps, HHS Initiative to Strengthen Primary Health Care, and more.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
view details
Summarizes the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) meeting held on March 24-25, 2022. Includes updates from the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (ACTPCMD), Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program, and the Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Program. Features presentation from National Health Service Corps, HHS Initiative to Strengthen Primary Health Care, and more.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
view details
Learning From COVID-19-Related Flexibilities: Moving Toward More Person-Centered Medicare and Medicaid Programs
Presents a person-centered framework to facilitate policymakers' decisions regarding the future of COVID-19-related temporary regulatory flexibilities. Identifies priority flexibilities that should be considered for permanence, modification, or further evaluation. Covers regulatory flexibilities regarding telehealth, scope of practice, Medicare Advantage requirements, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Health Management Associates, Manatt Health, The Scan Foundation
view details
Presents a person-centered framework to facilitate policymakers' decisions regarding the future of COVID-19-related temporary regulatory flexibilities. Identifies priority flexibilities that should be considered for permanence, modification, or further evaluation. Covers regulatory flexibilities regarding telehealth, scope of practice, Medicare Advantage requirements, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Health Management Associates, Manatt Health, The Scan Foundation
view details
March 2022 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2022 meeting. Covers findings from MedPAC's annual beneficiary and clinician focus groups, Medicare payment policies to support safety-net providers, opportunities to strengthen the geriatric workforce, integrating episode-based payment with population-based payment, and improving Medicare Advantage risk adjustment. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2022 meeting. Covers findings from MedPAC's annual beneficiary and clinician focus groups, Medicare payment policies to support safety-net providers, opportunities to strengthen the geriatric workforce, integrating episode-based payment with population-based payment, and improving Medicare Advantage risk adjustment. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Mental Health Care in the United States: The Case for Federal Action
Bipartisan report summarizing findings from three Senate Finance Committee hearings and a request for information regarding challenges in the mental healthcare system. Describes the prevalence of behavioral health conditions in the United States, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and spending on behavioral health. Outlines key challenges across five cross-cutting areas: the behavioral health workforce; children, adolescents, and young adults; access to care, integration, and care coordination; mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity; and telehealth. Includes information on challenges facing rural and underserved communities.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
view details
Bipartisan report summarizing findings from three Senate Finance Committee hearings and a request for information regarding challenges in the mental healthcare system. Describes the prevalence of behavioral health conditions in the United States, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and spending on behavioral health. Outlines key challenges across five cross-cutting areas: the behavioral health workforce; children, adolescents, and young adults; access to care, integration, and care coordination; mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity; and telehealth. Includes information on challenges facing rural and underserved communities.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
view details
Impact of New Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Reimbursement Methodology
Webinar discussing changes to the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) reimbursement methodology, covering upper payment limits and Oklahoma-specific implications of the changes, as well as RHC reimbursement impacts. Part a series of webinars directed toward rural hospital CEOs and CFOs.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: Oklahoma Office of Rural Health, Stroudwater Associates
view details
Webinar discussing changes to the Rural Health Clinic (RHC) reimbursement methodology, covering upper payment limits and Oklahoma-specific implications of the changes, as well as RHC reimbursement impacts. Part a series of webinars directed toward rural hospital CEOs and CFOs.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: Oklahoma Office of Rural Health, Stroudwater Associates
view details
Environmental Scan on Issues Related to the Development of Population-Based Total Cost of Care (TCOC) Models in the Broader Context of Alternative Payment Models (APMs) and Physician-Focused Payment Models (PFPMs)
Presents results of an environmental scan regarding population-based total cost of care (TCOC) payment models and the role these models can play in optimizing health care delivery and value-based transformation in the context of alternative payment models (APMs) and physician-focused payment models (PFPMs). Provides an overview of TCOC payment models, relevant performance and outcome measures used in reporting and evaluation, findings from research related to population-based models and programs that seek to reduce TCOC, barriers and challenges related to implementing population-based TCOC models, and opportunities for improving and optimizing efforts to develop and implement these models. Highlights rural considerations and examples throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
view details
Presents results of an environmental scan regarding population-based total cost of care (TCOC) payment models and the role these models can play in optimizing health care delivery and value-based transformation in the context of alternative payment models (APMs) and physician-focused payment models (PFPMs). Provides an overview of TCOC payment models, relevant performance and outcome measures used in reporting and evaluation, findings from research related to population-based models and programs that seek to reduce TCOC, barriers and challenges related to implementing population-based TCOC models, and opportunities for improving and optimizing efforts to develop and implement these models. Highlights rural considerations and examples throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
view details
Mental Health Care: Access Challenges for Covered Consumers and Relevant Federal Efforts
Explores the experiences of consumers with health insurance coverage in accessing timely and appropriate mental health care. Describes challenges accessing mental health services, including workforce shortages and broadband availability in rural areas. Identifies ongoing and planned federal efforts to address these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Explores the experiences of consumers with health insurance coverage in accessing timely and appropriate mental health care. Describes challenges accessing mental health services, including workforce shortages and broadband availability in rural areas. Identifies ongoing and planned federal efforts to address these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Current State of the Health Center Workforce: Pandemic Challenges and Policy Solutions to Strengthen the Workforce of the Future
Presents results of a February 2022 survey regarding health center employee turnover in the prior 6 months. Compares survey results from urban and rural health centers, as well as the smallest and largest health centers. Identifies the workforce categories with the highest rates of employee turnover and the most common reasons for staff departures. Discusses policies that can be used to recruit and retain health center staff.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
view details
Presents results of a February 2022 survey regarding health center employee turnover in the prior 6 months. Compares survey results from urban and rural health centers, as well as the smallest and largest health centers. Identifies the workforce categories with the highest rates of employee turnover and the most common reasons for staff departures. Discusses policies that can be used to recruit and retain health center staff.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
view details