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Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

2019 County Health Rankings Key Findings Report
Analyzes health factors and outcomes to report on county-level health disparities throughout the U.S. Discusses housing affordability, housing costs, community conditions, and homelessness. Covers key findings and calls to action to improve health outcomes.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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Health Care Capital Expenditures in Minnesota - A Data Short Take
Provides an overview of healthcare expenditures in Minnesota. Includes information on spending by commitment size, provider type, and project type. Covers capital expenditures data by distribution and type of service for rural and urban areas in Minnesota from 2007 through 2016.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Economics Program Minnesota Department of Health
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2019
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses opioids, Medicare Part D, Medicare Advantage, Medicare's quality incentive program for hospitals, and payment adequacy for healthcare facilities and services.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, March 2019
Reports on three aspects of Medicaid: improving the structure of Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payment reductions, oversight of upper payment limits for supplemental payments to hospitals, and Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments to states. Chapter 3 includes the annual report on DSH payments, which provide support to safety-net hospitals to help offset uncompensated care costs for Medicaid and uninsured patients. Table 3-1 identifies DSH spending for urban and rural hospitals and for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Stranded: Bridging the Transportation Gap for Rural Communities
Discusses the transportation gap for older, disabled, and lower-income people in rural communities. Highlights some of the challenges of accessing transportation services in rural communities and offers some steps toward closing the gap.
Author(s): Valerie Lefler
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: AARP
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Drilling Down on Dental Coverage and Costs for Medicare Beneficiaries
Examines the oral health of Medicare beneficiaries. Addresses the costs of not obtaining dental care, use of dental services, current sources of dental coverage, and out-of-pocket spending. Includes rural/urban breakdowns.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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High Risk: Progress Made but Continued Attention Needed to Address Management Weaknesses at Federal Agencies Serving Indian Tribes
Identifies progress made and areas that still need to be addressed to remove the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and Indian Health Service (IHS) from the Government Accountability Office's list of high risk federal programs. Addresses leadership commitment, demonstrated progress, action plans, monitoring, and capacity. Appendix III lists open recommendations for IHS.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Pender Community Hospital Uses SRHT Project to Propel Forward
Highlights a Critical Access Hospital in Nebraska that participated in a Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) project focused on discharge issues, electronic health record improvements, and Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) status for system clinics. Discusses project implementation, hospital culture, and project outcomes.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Understanding the County Role in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Describes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in terms of its role in the country's social safety-net and the ways counties help fund SNAP services to support low-income residents. Examines disparities in food insecurity between urban and rural areas, and features a county-level map showing food insecurity rates as of 2016. Also describes how SNAP supports local businesses and economies, and helps maintain food access in rural counties.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
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Implementation and Early Results of the Flex Program's Innovative Models Program Area: Final Evaluation Report
Reports on the implementation of the Flex Program and the integration of the Innovative Health Care Models (Innovative Projects) program area in 7 states focused on telehealth, care coordination, and quality improvement. Highlights lessons learned, program discussion, and the evaluation methods for each of the projects. Builds on a 2018 briefing paper, An Interim Evaluation Report of the Innovative Projects Portfolio of the Medicare Flex Grant Program.
Author(s): John A. Gale, Sara Kahn-Troster, Andrew Coburn
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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