Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Telehealth

Rural Health Care and Medicaid Telehealth Flexibilities, and Guidance Regarding Section 1009 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act (Pub. L. 115-271), entitled Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment via Telehealth
Discusses the benefits of utilizing telehealth services to expand access to Medicaid services in rural areas and the flexibility states have in covering these services. Provides guidance on options states have to receive federal reimbursement for substance use disorder treatments provided via telehealth services.
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
CARES Act: Provisions to Help Rural Hospitals
Provides an overview of aspects of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act designed to support rural hospitals. Highlights provisions related to access to capital, Medicare payments, and telehealth, among others.
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Public Law 116-136: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
Text of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136 (March 27, 2020). Outlines telehealth flexibilities to support providers and enhance access to care during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Among other things, the CARES Act allows Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to serve as distant sites to provide telehealth services to patients in their homes during the public health emergency (PHE); establishes the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); extends the ability to order home health services to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and certified nurse specialists; and provides additional funding to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enable the provision of telehealth services.
Date: 03/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Congress
view details
Fast-Track to Teledentistry - Removing Barriers to Care While Maximizing Overall Health
Details the barriers to oral healthcare access and discusses the ways teledentistry can help overcome them. Highlights the role teledentistry can play during public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and in rural and underserved communities. Presents examples of successful uses of teledentistry and provides guidance for teledentistry implementation.
Date: 03/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
view details
Identifying Measures and Data Elements for the HRSA Evidence-Based Tele-Emergency Network Grant Program
Research brief identifying the standardized set of measures used for data collection by the Evidence-Based Tele-Emergency Network Grant Program grantees. Explores ways in which emergency department-based telehealth services can be used in rural hospital emergency departments.
Author(s): Marcia M. Ward, Fred Ullrich, Kimberly A.S. Merchant, et al.
Date: 03/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telehealth Research Center
view details
Issue Brief: Creating a High-value Telehealth Strategy
Explores how hospitals can use telehealth services to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. Discusses approaches to deliver telehealth services and provides guidelines to consider when developing a telehealth strategy. Provides examples of how rural hospitals are using telehealth services to meet community needs.
Date: 03/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Coverage and Utilization of Telemedicine Services by Enrollees in Large Employer Plans
Reports on the offering and uptake of telemedicine services by large employer health plans. Includes data on access to telehealth for rural and urban large employer health plan enrollees.
Author(s): Matthew Rae, Cynthia Cox, Gary Claxton
Date: 03/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
view details
Digital Prosperity: How Broadband Can Deliver Health and Equity to All Communities
Examines the role broadband plays in impacting health and equity in rural and urban areas, and identifies policy reforms to reduce these barriers. Outlines how government and marketplaces influence access to broadband, and offers case studies demonstrating effective methods to develop more equitable outcomes.
Author(s): Adie Tomer, Lara Fishbane, Angela Siefer, Bill Callahan
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Brookings Institution
view details
Underserved Communities: Enhancing Care with Graduate Medical Education
Provides an overview of the current supply of rheumatology healthcare providers in rural America and future projected workforce shortages. Discusses strategies to improve access to care and address rheumatology workforce shortages such as increasing residency and fellowship positions in Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs), telemedicine, the J-1 visa waiver program, and the National Health Service Corps.
Author(s): Vaneet Kaur Sandhu, Donna Jose, Candace H Feldman
Citation: Rheumatic Diseases Clinics of North America, 46(1), 167-178
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
view details
Recruiting and Retaining Behavioral Health Workers in Rural America: A Toolkit for Action
Explores successful tactics and programs, and elements missing from many current efforts to recruit and retain behavioral health workers. Describes funding opportunities, pipeline programs, telehealth initiatives, innovative approaches to recruitment and retention, and legislative changes in 2019 that helped promote recruitment and retention.
Author(s): Nancy Baum, Jaque King
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Health and Research Transformation, University of Michigan Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center
view details