Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
National Strategy for Suicide Prevention
Report highlights the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) 10-year government-wide suicide prevention strategy. Features a 15-goal plan covering community-based suicide prevention; treatment and crisis services; surveillance, quality improvement, and research; and health equity in suicide prevention. Discusses rural populations and the barriers to suicide prevention in rural areas.
Additional links: Federal Action Plan
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Report highlights the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) 10-year government-wide suicide prevention strategy. Features a 15-goal plan covering community-based suicide prevention; treatment and crisis services; surveillance, quality improvement, and research; and health equity in suicide prevention. Discusses rural populations and the barriers to suicide prevention in rural areas.
Additional links: Federal Action Plan
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting Final Rule (CMS 3442-F)
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule for minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities. Details three core staffing proposals: 1) minimum nurse staffing standards; 2) a requirement to have an RN onsite 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and 3) enhanced facility assessment requirements. Outlines a staggered implementation approach, including a later implementation date for rural facilities, and hardship exemption qualification requirements. Also describes Medicaid payment transparency reporting provisions for nursing and intermediate care facilities related to the percentage of Medicaid funds spent on compensation to direct care workers and support staff.
Additional links: External FAQs
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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) final rule for minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities. Details three core staffing proposals: 1) minimum nurse staffing standards; 2) a requirement to have an RN onsite 24 hours a day, seven days a week; and 3) enhanced facility assessment requirements. Outlines a staggered implementation approach, including a later implementation date for rural facilities, and hardship exemption qualification requirements. Also describes Medicaid payment transparency reporting provisions for nursing and intermediate care facilities related to the percentage of Medicaid funds spent on compensation to direct care workers and support staff.
Additional links: External FAQs
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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With Current Staffing Levels, About 1 in 5 Nursing Facilities Would Meet Fully-Implemented Minimum Staffing Standards in the Final Rule
Describes a proposed federal standard for nursing home nurse staffing levels and analyzes current nursing home staffing levels, noting the percentage of facilities that will meet the proposed staffing level requirements when fully implemented.
Author(s): Priya Chidambaram, Alice Burns, Tricia Neuman, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Describes a proposed federal standard for nursing home nurse staffing levels and analyzes current nursing home staffing levels, noting the percentage of facilities that will meet the proposed staffing level requirements when fully implemented.
Author(s): Priya Chidambaram, Alice Burns, Tricia Neuman, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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2024 FORHP Preview Webinar
Recording of an April 3, 2024, webinar providing an overview of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) and its priorities for 2024. HIghlights resources and anticipated funding opportunities to support rural hospitals, address substance use, advance rural community health, and address rural health workforce.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Recording of an April 3, 2024, webinar providing an overview of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) and its priorities for 2024. HIghlights resources and anticipated funding opportunities to support rural hospitals, address substance use, advance rural community health, and address rural health workforce.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Ten Things to Know About Consolidation in Health Care Provider Markets
Discusses consolidation in healthcare provider markets, including different types of consolidation, trends, benefits and harms for patients and other consumers, key research findings, policy options for increasing competition, and more. Highlights impacts on rural and underserved communities throughout.
Author(s): Zachary Levinson, Jamie Godwin, Scott Hulver, Tricia Neuman
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Discusses consolidation in healthcare provider markets, including different types of consolidation, trends, benefits and harms for patients and other consumers, key research findings, policy options for increasing competition, and more. Highlights impacts on rural and underserved communities throughout.
Author(s): Zachary Levinson, Jamie Godwin, Scott Hulver, Tricia Neuman
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Quality in Motion: Acting on the CMS National Quality Strategy
Provides an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2022 National Quality Strategy (NQS). Describes actions CMS has taken to meet the eight NQS goals across four priority areas: outcomes and alignment, equity and engagement, safety and resiliency, and interoperability and scientific achievement. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2022 National Quality Strategy (NQS). Describes actions CMS has taken to meet the eight NQS goals across four priority areas: outcomes and alignment, equity and engagement, safety and resiliency, and interoperability and scientific achievement. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Past Performance and Future Directions
Summarizes research findings about Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs) from recent peer-reviewed journals, official evaluations of Medicare ACOs, and research organization reports. Describes characteristics of certain ACOs associated with greater savings and factors that limit ACOs' ability to achieve net budgetary savings for the Medicare program. Identifies policy approaches that could increase savings for Medicare through ACOs and the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Includes a brief discussion of challenges facing ACOs in rural and underserved areas.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Budget Office
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Summarizes research findings about Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs) from recent peer-reviewed journals, official evaluations of Medicare ACOs, and research organization reports. Describes characteristics of certain ACOs associated with greater savings and factors that limit ACOs' ability to achieve net budgetary savings for the Medicare program. Identifies policy approaches that could increase savings for Medicare through ACOs and the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Includes a brief discussion of challenges facing ACOs in rural and underserved areas.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Budget Office
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Health Subcommittee Hearing: "Legislative Proposals to Support Patient Access to Telehealth Services"
Recording of an April 10, 2024, House Energy & Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health, hearing on legislative proposals that would support patients' access to telehealth services. Discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic-era regulatory flexibilities on telehealth use and access to care.
Additional links: Ateev Mehrotra, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Testimony, Hearing Memorandum
Date: 04/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Recording of an April 10, 2024, House Energy & Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health, hearing on legislative proposals that would support patients' access to telehealth services. Discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic-era regulatory flexibilities on telehealth use and access to care.
Additional links: Ateev Mehrotra, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Testimony, Hearing Memorandum
Date: 04/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Evaluation of the Maryland Total Cost of Care Model: Progress Report
Provides an overview of the Maryland Total Cost of Care Model and evaluates the first four years of the program, 2019-2022. Explores the effects of the model on Medicare spending; service use, including preventable hospital use; and healthcare quality measures. Estimates the potential impact of switching Maryland to the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) on Medicare spending and service use, including implications for rural and safety net hospitals.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance, Transformation Spotlight
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Provides an overview of the Maryland Total Cost of Care Model and evaluates the first four years of the program, 2019-2022. Explores the effects of the model on Medicare spending; service use, including preventable hospital use; and healthcare quality measures. Estimates the potential impact of switching Maryland to the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) on Medicare spending and service use, including implications for rural and safety net hospitals.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance, Transformation Spotlight
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Medicare Payment for Rural or Geographically Isolated Hospitals
Displays data on Medicare payment adjustments for Sole Community Hospitals, Medicare-Dependent Hospitals, Low-Volume Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals. Includes information on the number of qualifying hospitals by state and eligibility criteria.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Displays data on Medicare payment adjustments for Sole Community Hospitals, Medicare-Dependent Hospitals, Low-Volume Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals. Includes information on the number of qualifying hospitals by state and eligibility criteria.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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