Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Report to Congress: Unified Payment for Medicare-Covered Post-Acute Care
Presents a prototype for a Unified Post-acute Care (PAC) prospective payment system (PPS) that would set payment for PAC services on the basis of the clinical characteristics of the patient rather than the type of provider. Details the structure of the prototype and the data used in the analyses to design and calibrate the PPS. Explores key considerations for unifying PAC payment, such as cost-sharing and value-based payment. Includes data on PAC provider characteristics, including facility size and rural status, as well as rural payment adjustments.
Additional links: Appendices
Author(s): Benjamin Silver, Anne Deutsch, Nicole Coomer, et al.
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Presents a prototype for a Unified Post-acute Care (PAC) prospective payment system (PPS) that would set payment for PAC services on the basis of the clinical characteristics of the patient rather than the type of provider. Details the structure of the prototype and the data used in the analyses to design and calibrate the PPS. Explores key considerations for unifying PAC payment, such as cost-sharing and value-based payment. Includes data on PAC provider characteristics, including facility size and rural status, as well as rural payment adjustments.
Additional links: Appendices
Author(s): Benjamin Silver, Anne Deutsch, Nicole Coomer, et al.
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Co-located Critical Access & Behavioral Health Hospital: Charles A. Cannon Jr. Memorial Hospital and Appalachian Regional Behavioral Hospital
Profiles Charles A. Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), and Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS) in western North Carolina. Describes how ARHS secured an exemption from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to build Appalachian Regional Behavioral Health (ARBH) Hospital nearby without losing CAH status. Discusses the impact of the CMS exemption on financial sustainability and emergency department wait times.
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Profiles Charles A. Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), and Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS) in western North Carolina. Describes how ARHS secured an exemption from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to build Appalachian Regional Behavioral Health (ARBH) Hospital nearby without losing CAH status. Discusses the impact of the CMS exemption on financial sustainability and emergency department wait times.
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Broadband Access and Rural Transit: Bringing Connectivity to Rural Communities
Provides an overview of the importance of broadband access for economic development and transit operations. Discusses legislation, funding, and implementation to create broadband infrastructure in rural areas.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Transit Assistance Program
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Provides an overview of the importance of broadband access for economic development and transit operations. Discusses legislation, funding, and implementation to create broadband infrastructure in rural areas.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Transit Assistance Program
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Report on Health Equity, Hunger, and Nutrition in Indian Country
Reports on feedback related to food and nutrition disparities in Indian Country based on 2 listening sessions that took place in June 2022, hosted by the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) and the Native Farm Bill Coalition (NFBC). Provides recommendations such as improving food access and affordability, integrating indigenous-led nutrition education, promoting physical activity, enhancing food security research, and more.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Native American Agriculture Fund, Native Farm Bill Coalition
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Reports on feedback related to food and nutrition disparities in Indian Country based on 2 listening sessions that took place in June 2022, hosted by the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) and the Native Farm Bill Coalition (NFBC). Provides recommendations such as improving food access and affordability, integrating indigenous-led nutrition education, promoting physical activity, enhancing food security research, and more.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Native American Agriculture Fund, Native Farm Bill Coalition
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Behavioral Health and Primary Care Integration in Rural Health Facilities: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of the prevalence of mental illness and substance use disorders in rural areas. Discusses the role of rural primary care providers in treating these conditions. Outlines federal programs and resources to support behavioral health and primary care integration. Offers policy recommendations related to access to care; workforce recruitment and retention; telehealth, technology, and broadband; and reimbursement and sustainable revenue.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Provides an overview of the prevalence of mental illness and substance use disorders in rural areas. Discusses the role of rural primary care providers in treating these conditions. Outlines federal programs and resources to support behavioral health and primary care integration. Offers policy recommendations related to access to care; workforce recruitment and retention; telehealth, technology, and broadband; and reimbursement and sustainable revenue.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Tribal Broadband: National Strategy and Coordination Framework Needed to Increase Access
Provides an overview of federal programs that support the deployment of broadband infrastructure on tribal lands and the extent to which federal agencies focus on tribal issues related to broadband access. Discusses barriers tribes and providers face in accessing these federally-funded programs. Providers recommendations for the Executive Office of the President and the Department of Commerce to address tribal needs and engagement in a national broadband strategy.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of federal programs that support the deployment of broadband infrastructure on tribal lands and the extent to which federal agencies focus on tribal issues related to broadband access. Discusses barriers tribes and providers face in accessing these federally-funded programs. Providers recommendations for the Executive Office of the President and the Department of Commerce to address tribal needs and engagement in a national broadband strategy.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Advancing Health Equity in Rural America
Report examining rural health equity, covering rural economic and demographic data, disparities by rurality, race/ethnicity, and class, and examples of initiatives that aim to increase health equity in rural communities. Offers recommendations for increasing health equity through economic and policy actions.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Paula Braveman, Julia Acker, Elaine Arkin, Katrina Badger, Nicole Holm
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Report examining rural health equity, covering rural economic and demographic data, disparities by rurality, race/ethnicity, and class, and examples of initiatives that aim to increase health equity in rural communities. Offers recommendations for increasing health equity through economic and policy actions.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Paula Braveman, Julia Acker, Elaine Arkin, Katrina Badger, Nicole Holm
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Costs of Evidence-Based Early Childhood Home Visiting: Results from the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation
Examines how resources are allocated at Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program-funded local home visiting programs. Estimates the costs for each family served in Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation (MIHOPE) and how these costs differ across families, local programs, and evidence-based models. Includes data comparing programs that serve only metropolitan, only nonmetropolitan, and both types of counties.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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Examines how resources are allocated at Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program-funded local home visiting programs. Estimates the costs for each family served in Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation (MIHOPE) and how these costs differ across families, local programs, and evidence-based models. Includes data comparing programs that serve only metropolitan, only nonmetropolitan, and both types of counties.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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Medicaid & State Telehealth Policy – Medicaid Telehealth Policy & Substance Use Disorder
Webinar covering state and federal Medicaid telehealth policy for the treatment of substance use disorder (SUD). Offers an overview of telehealth, its expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its application in SUD treatment with examples from Arkansas and Philadelphia. Also covers research on disparities in drug-related mortality and access to treatment during the pandemic. Captions are available by clicking "CC" at the bottom of the video pane.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Webinar covering state and federal Medicaid telehealth policy for the treatment of substance use disorder (SUD). Offers an overview of telehealth, its expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its application in SUD treatment with examples from Arkansas and Philadelphia. Also covers research on disparities in drug-related mortality and access to treatment during the pandemic. Captions are available by clicking "CC" at the bottom of the video pane.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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2022 Legislative and Policy Agenda for Indian Health
Provides policy recommendations from the National Indian Health Board regarding tribal health issues. Addresses health equity, behavioral health, emergency preparedness and response, tribal healthcare workforce, access to quality healthcare, and more.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Indian Health Board
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Provides policy recommendations from the National Indian Health Board regarding tribal health issues. Addresses health equity, behavioral health, emergency preparedness and response, tribal healthcare workforce, access to quality healthcare, and more.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Indian Health Board
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