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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Telehealth

September 2020 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) September 2020 meeting. Covers the coronavirus pandemic and Medicare, the context for Medicare payment policy, a mandated report on the skilled nursing facility value-based purchasing program, a mandated report on the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014's changes to the Medicare clinical laboratory fee schedule, and a Congressional request on private equity and Medicare. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Cibola General Hospital Pushes Forward
Describes Cibola General Hospital's (CGH) progress as part of the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) Project. CGH is a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital located in Grants, New Mexico. Discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CGH, including the development of telehealth services.
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Telepsychiatric Consultation as a Training and Workforce Development Strategy for Rural Primary Care
Study examining the impacts of telepsychiatric consultations on the capacity for clinical and non-clinical staff to recognize and treat psychiatric disorders. Draws from interviews with 17 staff members at 3 rural primary care facilities in Washington. Discusses implications of telepsychiatric consultation for primary care and behavioral health integration models.
Author(s): Morhaf Al Achkar, Ian M. Bennet, Lydia Chwastiak, et al.
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 18(5), 438-445
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
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RHC Cost Reporting During COVID
Recording of a September 22, 2020, webinar covering cost reporting basics for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), including telehealth reporting, FTE and visit calculations, productivity waiver requests, provider relief fund payments, and cost report filing deadlines. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 09/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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VA Video Connect for Clinical Care in Older Adults in a Rural State During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Study
Highlights a study on the ability of older veterans to use the VA Video Connect (VVC) app for telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Breaks down data by race, age, and rural versus urban location, among other factors.
Author(s): Kalpana P Padala, Kerrie B Wilson, Heath Gauss, Jessica D Stovall, et al.
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(9), e21561
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
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Federal and State Policy Changes Since COVID-19
Video recording of a presentation on federal and state telehealth policy changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) policies related to geographic and site location for the patient, provider location and type, and telehealth delivery modality. Addresses common issues related to reimbursement and payment codes, Medicare billing guidance for Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics, and notes post-COVID policy questions and issues. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 09/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Connected Health Policy, Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center
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A Toolkit for Building and Growing a Sustainable Telehealth Program in Your Practice
Offers information for family practices to develop and implement telehealth strategies in light of the COVID-19 pandemic's impacts on regulatory and reimbursement policies. Topics include telehealth services, payment considerations, program sustainability, licensing and technology requirements, and workflow. Includes 10 telehealth scenarios with breakdowns of payer, technology, staff, coding, and other special considerations.
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: American Academy of Family Physicians, Manatt Health
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Taskforce on Telehealth Policy (TTP) Findings and Recommendations
Report from the Taskforce on Telehealth Policy (TTP) examining the rapid expansion of telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic and possible permanent shifts in telehealth policy. Offers findings and policy recommendations related to patient safety, program integrity, data flow and care coordination, quality measurement, cost of care, and overarching issues.
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Alliance for Connected Care, ATA, National Committee for Quality Assurance
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The Impact of Coronavirus on Households Across America
Examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. households. Covers health, economic, and work-related impacts and related issues such as broadband access. Includes a section on problems specific to rural households. A separate report is available that focuses specifically on rural impacts of COVID-19.
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, National Public Radio, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Telepharmacy and Quality of Medication Use in Rural Areas, 2013–2019
Uses dispensing records from traditional pharmacies and telepharmacies in the Midwest to compare patients' adherence to and inappropriate use of prescription medications between 2013 and 2019. Includes data and statistics on medication adherence and use, with information broken down by patient characteristics, such as age, rurality, payer, risk, and more.
Author(s): Shweta Pathak, Mitchell Haynes, Dima Qato, Benjamin Urick
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 09/2020
Type: Document
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