Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Indian Health Service: Information on Third-Party Collections and Processes to Procure Supplies and Services
Reviews the Indian Health Service (IHS) oversight of collections received from third-party payers such as Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance for care provided to patients. Examines recent trends in third-party collections; describes IHS's processes to procure medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and health care services; and discusses the extent to which IHS has entered into procurement contracts under the Buy Indian Act.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Reviews the Indian Health Service (IHS) oversight of collections received from third-party payers such as Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance for care provided to patients. Examines recent trends in third-party collections; describes IHS's processes to procure medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and health care services; and discusses the extent to which IHS has entered into procurement contracts under the Buy Indian Act.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Evaluating State Flex Program Population Health Activities
Provides an overview of the expectations for the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program under Program Area 3: Population Health Improvement and summarizes State Flex Program (SFP) initiatives under this program area. Describes promising population health strategies implemented by SFPs and challenges to measuring the impact of these activities. Explores how Flex Program population health efforts can align with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy Rural Hometown Initiative (HRHI).
Author(s): John Gale, Celia Jewell, Sara Kahn-Troster, Zachariah Croll
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Provides an overview of the expectations for the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program under Program Area 3: Population Health Improvement and summarizes State Flex Program (SFP) initiatives under this program area. Describes promising population health strategies implemented by SFPs and challenges to measuring the impact of these activities. Explores how Flex Program population health efforts can align with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy Rural Hometown Initiative (HRHI).
Author(s): John Gale, Celia Jewell, Sara Kahn-Troster, Zachariah Croll
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Tribal Epidemiology Centers: HHS Actions Needed to Enhance Data Access
Provides an overview of the history and roles of tribal epidemiology centers (TECs). Describes the ability of TECs to access and use state and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) epidemiological data and examines factors that impact TECs' access and use of HHS data. Offers recommendations to clarify the data available to TECs and to develop guidance on the TEC data request process.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of the history and roles of tribal epidemiology centers (TECs). Describes the ability of TECs to access and use state and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) epidemiological data and examines factors that impact TECs' access and use of HHS data. Offers recommendations to clarify the data available to TECs and to develop guidance on the TEC data request process.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan
A plan to address COVID-19 focused on four goals: protecting against and treating COVID-19; preparing for new variants; preventing economic and educational shutdowns; and continuing to vaccinate the world. Includes discussion of equitable access to COVID-19 resources for rural and tribal communities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The White House
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A plan to address COVID-19 focused on four goals: protecting against and treating COVID-19; preparing for new variants; preventing economic and educational shutdowns; and continuing to vaccinate the world. Includes discussion of equitable access to COVID-19 resources for rural and tribal communities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The White House
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Interconnected - Building Understanding Between Rural and Urban
Webinar that discusses how rural and urban policy needs differ and how to build trust between rural and urban areas. Discusses how to provide solutions for geographically specific areas of Minnesota, offering examples of common ground topics like education, jobs, and healthcare.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Rural Policy and Development, Citizens League
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Webinar that discusses how rural and urban policy needs differ and how to build trust between rural and urban areas. Discusses how to provide solutions for geographically specific areas of Minnesota, offering examples of common ground topics like education, jobs, and healthcare.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Rural Policy and Development, Citizens League
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Veterans Community Care Program: VA Should Strengthen Its Ability to Identify Ineligible Health Care Providers
Examines the extent to which vulnerabilities in Veterans Community Care Program eligibility requirements contribute to potentially ineligible providers participating in the program. Offers recommendations to the Veterans Administration to enhance provider eligibility controls and oversight.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines the extent to which vulnerabilities in Veterans Community Care Program eligibility requirements contribute to potentially ineligible providers participating in the program. Offers recommendations to the Veterans Administration to enhance provider eligibility controls and oversight.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Evaluation of the Million Hearts® Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model: Fourth Annual Report
Evaluates the first four years of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Million Hearts Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model to determine whether, and how, it reduces first-time strokes, heart attacks, and Medicare spending. Covers participant characteristics, including rural or urban status and organization type; implementation of the model; changes in cardiovascular disease risk scores among high-risk beneficiaries; intermediate- and long-term impacts on beneficiaries; and the relevance of these findings to other research on cardiovascular disease prevention.
Author(s): Greg Peterson, Alli Steiner, Rhea Powell, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Evaluates the first four years of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Million Hearts Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model to determine whether, and how, it reduces first-time strokes, heart attacks, and Medicare spending. Covers participant characteristics, including rural or urban status and organization type; implementation of the model; changes in cardiovascular disease risk scores among high-risk beneficiaries; intermediate- and long-term impacts on beneficiaries; and the relevance of these findings to other research on cardiovascular disease prevention.
Author(s): Greg Peterson, Alli Steiner, Rhea Powell, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Stability of the Rural Health Safety Net: State and National Data Tables
Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies such as sequestration and bad debt reimbursement on rural hospital revenues, jobs, and gross domestic product. Presented at the February 2022 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies such as sequestration and bad debt reimbursement on rural hospital revenues, jobs, and gross domestic product. Presented at the February 2022 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (ACTPCMD) Meeting Minutes, February 17-18, 2022
Summarizes the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (ACTPCMD) meeting held February 17-18, 2022. Features updates from the Bureau of Health Workforce on primary care training and enhancement programs and public health dentistry programs, including programs focused on rural and underserved areas.
Additional links: Presentations
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry
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Summarizes the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (ACTPCMD) meeting held February 17-18, 2022. Features updates from the Bureau of Health Workforce on primary care training and enhancement programs and public health dentistry programs, including programs focused on rural and underserved areas.
Additional links: Presentations
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry
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Medicare: Information on Geographic Adjustments to Physician Payments for Physicians' Time, Skills, and Effort
Provides an overview of the work geographic practice cost indices (GPCI), which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services uses to adjust Medicare physician payments to account for differences in the costs of providing care across various geographic locations. Examines the extent to which the work GPCI accounts for geographic variation in physician earnings and how Medicare payments could change under potential modifications to the work GPCI.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of the work geographic practice cost indices (GPCI), which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services uses to adjust Medicare physician payments to account for differences in the costs of providing care across various geographic locations. Examines the extent to which the work GPCI accounts for geographic variation in physician earnings and how Medicare payments could change under potential modifications to the work GPCI.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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