Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Exploring Remaining Needs and Opportunities for Improvement in Rural Communities: A Focus on Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Services
Provides an overview of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. Presents findings from interviews with rural human services providers across 8 sites with MIECHV-funded programs. Describes the experiences of rural practitioners as they deliver home visiting services in their communities. Offers lessons learned and practitioner recommendations to help inform policy and service delivery moving forward.
Author(s): Emily Brimsek, James Murdoch, Neel Chakraborti
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: 2M Research, Administration for Children and Families
view details
Provides an overview of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. Presents findings from interviews with rural human services providers across 8 sites with MIECHV-funded programs. Describes the experiences of rural practitioners as they deliver home visiting services in their communities. Offers lessons learned and practitioner recommendations to help inform policy and service delivery moving forward.
Author(s): Emily Brimsek, James Murdoch, Neel Chakraborti
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: 2M Research, Administration for Children and Families
view details
Virginia Community Services Boards Behavioral Health Services: 2022
Report on activities of Virginia's Community Services Boards (CSBs), the state's primary mechanism for providing publicly funded behavioral health services in local communities. Includes a section on CSBs' role in providing services to rural areas. Features statistics on numbers of substance use disorder and mental health consumers, with breakdowns by urban and rural CSBs.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission
view details
Report on activities of Virginia's Community Services Boards (CSBs), the state's primary mechanism for providing publicly funded behavioral health services in local communities. Includes a section on CSBs' role in providing services to rural areas. Features statistics on numbers of substance use disorder and mental health consumers, with breakdowns by urban and rural CSBs.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission
view details
Evaluation of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration: Interim Report Two (Covering 2016-2018)
Provides an overview of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD). Describes the characteristics of RCHD participants as of fiscal year 2018, the Medicare payments received under the program, and the impact of the RCHD on hospital financial measures. Examines whether hospitals that continued to participate in the RCHD under the 21st Century Cures Act (CCA) extension experienced additional changes to their financial condition, as well as the impact of the program on hospitals that joined the demonstration for the first time under the CCA extension.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: American Institutes for Research, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Provides an overview of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD). Describes the characteristics of RCHD participants as of fiscal year 2018, the Medicare payments received under the program, and the impact of the RCHD on hospital financial measures. Examines whether hospitals that continued to participate in the RCHD under the 21st Century Cures Act (CCA) extension experienced additional changes to their financial condition, as well as the impact of the program on hospitals that joined the demonstration for the first time under the CCA extension.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: American Institutes for Research, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Addressing Food Access In Arkansas: A Report & Recommendations From The 2022 Arkansas Governor's Food Desert Working Group
Reports on actionable steps at the community and policy level to eliminate food deserts in Arkansas. Provides county-level data on food insecurity and benefits programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutritional Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), as well as working models to alleviate food insecurity in both urban and rural areas.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
view details
Reports on actionable steps at the community and policy level to eliminate food deserts in Arkansas. Provides county-level data on food insecurity and benefits programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutritional Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), as well as working models to alleviate food insecurity in both urban and rural areas.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
view details
Public Law 117–328: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023
Text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Public Law 117-328 (December 29, 2022). Section 4113 extends certain COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities, including the ability of Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers to serve as distant site providers, through December 31, 2024. Section 4137 authorizes the extension of a 1% add-on payment for home health services provided in high-utilization rural counties through 2023.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Congress
view details
Text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Public Law 117-328 (December 29, 2022). Section 4113 extends certain COVID-19 telehealth flexibilities, including the ability of Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers to serve as distant site providers, through December 31, 2024. Section 4137 authorizes the extension of a 1% add-on payment for home health services provided in high-utilization rural counties through 2023.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Congress
view details
Improving Rural Health Through Telehealth-Guided Provider-to-Provider Communication
Presents the results of a comprehensive literature review to identify, summarize, and evaluate available research on the contributions of rural provider-to-provider telehealth communication and collaboration in addressing health disparities, and improving the health of rural populations. Topics cover the specific applications, effectiveness, implementation, sustainability, and barriers and facilitators of provider-to-provider telehealth in rural areas.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Full Report, Telehealth's Potential To Benefit Rural Healthcare Delivery: Infographic 1, Telehealth's Potential To Benefit Rural Healthcare Delivery: Infographic 2
Author(s): Annette Totten, Dana M. Womack, Marian S. McDonagh, et al.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Presents the results of a comprehensive literature review to identify, summarize, and evaluate available research on the contributions of rural provider-to-provider telehealth communication and collaboration in addressing health disparities, and improving the health of rural populations. Topics cover the specific applications, effectiveness, implementation, sustainability, and barriers and facilitators of provider-to-provider telehealth in rural areas.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Full Report, Telehealth's Potential To Benefit Rural Healthcare Delivery: Infographic 1, Telehealth's Potential To Benefit Rural Healthcare Delivery: Infographic 2
Author(s): Annette Totten, Dana M. Womack, Marian S. McDonagh, et al.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
December 2022 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2022 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for hospital inpatient and outpatient services and supporting Medicare safety-net hospitals, ambulatory surgical center services, outpatient dialysis services, physician and other health professional services, hospice services, skilled nursing facilities, home health services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2022 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for hospital inpatient and outpatient services and supporting Medicare safety-net hospitals, ambulatory surgical center services, outpatient dialysis services, physician and other health professional services, hospice services, skilled nursing facilities, home health services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
2022 Communications Marketplace Report
Examines the state of competition across the broader communications marketplace, as well as laws, regulations, regulatory practices, or marketplace practices that pose a barrier to competitive entry and expansion of the marketplace. Identifies an emerging set of issues and opportunities presented by changes made in response to COVID-19. Includes data on tribal and rural areas throughout, including trends in broadband adoption and the percentage of households with multiple provider options between 2018-2021.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
view details
Examines the state of competition across the broader communications marketplace, as well as laws, regulations, regulatory practices, or marketplace practices that pose a barrier to competitive entry and expansion of the marketplace. Identifies an emerging set of issues and opportunities presented by changes made in response to COVID-19. Includes data on tribal and rural areas throughout, including trends in broadband adoption and the percentage of households with multiple provider options between 2018-2021.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
view details
FCC's National Broadband Map: Implications for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program
Provides an overview of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) broadband mapping activities. Describes the November 2022 National Broadband Map and its implications for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which was created to provide broadband service to unserved locations. Discusses potential implications of inaccurate data in the National Broadband Map and challenges to the accuracy of the map, as well as considerations for Congress.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
view details
Provides an overview of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) broadband mapping activities. Describes the November 2022 National Broadband Map and its implications for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which was created to provide broadband service to unserved locations. Discusses potential implications of inaccurate data in the National Broadband Map and challenges to the accuracy of the map, as well as considerations for Congress.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
view details
Redefining Urban Areas Following the 2020 Census
Provides an overview of changes made to the U.S. Census Bureau urban area criteria following the 2020 Census. Covers the minimum population threshold, housing unit density, and the decision to cease distinguishing between different types of urban areas.
Author(s): Michael Ratcliffe
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details
Provides an overview of changes made to the U.S. Census Bureau urban area criteria following the 2020 Census. Covers the minimum population threshold, housing unit density, and the decision to cease distinguishing between different types of urban areas.
Author(s): Michael Ratcliffe
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details