Rural Health Policy – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Health Policy.
Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, June 2024
Semi-annual report to Congress from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Covers recommendations for increased transparency in Medicaid and CHIP financing, tools for optimizing state Medicaid agency contracts (SMACs), enrollment trends in Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs), and demographic data collection in Medicaid. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Semi-annual report to Congress from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Covers recommendations for increased transparency in Medicaid and CHIP financing, tools for optimizing state Medicaid agency contracts (SMACs), enrollment trends in Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs), and demographic data collection in Medicaid. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Hospital Inpatient PPS and the Long-term Care Hospital PPS for FY 2025
Comments on a May 2, 2024, Federal Register proposed rule revising the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment systems (PPS). Discusses proposals on rate-setting in both the inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) and LTCH PPS; the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM), including the definition of rural hospitals eligible to participate in a lower-risk track; new payments to small, independent hospitals that establish and maintain a 6-month buffer supply of essential medicines; updates to wage index values and policies; and updates to outlier reconciliation thresholds.
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on a May 2, 2024, Federal Register proposed rule revising the hospital inpatient and long-term care hospital (LTCH) prospective payment systems (PPS). Discusses proposals on rate-setting in both the inpatient prospective payment systems (IPPS) and LTCH PPS; the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM), including the definition of rural hospitals eligible to participate in a lower-risk track; new payments to small, independent hospitals that establish and maintain a 6-month buffer supply of essential medicines; updates to wage index values and policies; and updates to outlier reconciliation thresholds.
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Sources of Federal Funding for Health Care Facilities: Frequently Asked Questions
Provides an overview of how the federal government supports healthcare facilities, with a focus on hospitals. Discusses how Medicare and Medicaid pay acute care hospitals and for services rendered to beneficiaries and enrollees, as well as other payments these programs make. Identifies federal grants, loans, and technical assistance programs that can support health facilities. Describes how federal agencies, including the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), have supported healthcare facilities during emergencies.
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of how the federal government supports healthcare facilities, with a focus on hospitals. Discusses how Medicare and Medicaid pay acute care hospitals and for services rendered to beneficiaries and enrollees, as well as other payments these programs make. Identifies federal grants, loans, and technical assistance programs that can support health facilities. Describes how federal agencies, including the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), have supported healthcare facilities during emergencies.
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Senate Finance Committee Bipartisan Medicare GME Working Group Draft Proposal Outline and Questions for Consideration
Outlines draft policy proposals regarding the Medicare Graduate Medical Education (GME) program aimed at addressing healthcare workforce shortages. Proposals cover the distribution of Medicare GME slots to rural areas and key specialties, encouraging hospitals to train physicians in rural areas, the establishment of a Medicare GME Policy Council, GME data collection and transparency, and more. Includes questions for consideration on policies under consideration.
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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Outlines draft policy proposals regarding the Medicare Graduate Medical Education (GME) program aimed at addressing healthcare workforce shortages. Proposals cover the distribution of Medicare GME slots to rural areas and key specialties, encouraging hospitals to train physicians in rural areas, the establishment of a Medicare GME Policy Council, GME data collection and transparency, and more. Includes questions for consideration on policies under consideration.
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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Rural Health Care: Supporting Lives and Improving Communities
Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance May 16, 2024, hearing on rural healthcare. Discusses the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals, the rural healthcare workforce and graduate medical education (GME), access to maternal healthcare, health information technology and telehealth, and more. Features testimony from the Chartis Center for Rural Health; Grande Ronde Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in Oregon; the Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education; and the Rural Policy Research Institute.
Additional links: Jeremy P. Davis, Grande Ronde Hospital - Testimony, Keith J. Mueller, Rural Policy Research Institute - Testimony, Lori Rodefeld, Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education - Testimony, Michael Topchik, Chartis Center for Rural Health - Testimony
Date: 05/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance May 16, 2024, hearing on rural healthcare. Discusses the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals, the rural healthcare workforce and graduate medical education (GME), access to maternal healthcare, health information technology and telehealth, and more. Features testimony from the Chartis Center for Rural Health; Grande Ronde Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in Oregon; the Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education; and the Rural Policy Research Institute.
Additional links: Jeremy P. Davis, Grande Ronde Hospital - Testimony, Keith J. Mueller, Rural Policy Research Institute - Testimony, Lori Rodefeld, Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education - Testimony, Michael Topchik, Chartis Center for Rural Health - Testimony
Date: 05/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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Markup of H.R. 8261, H.R. 7931, H.R. 8245, H.R. 8244, H.R. 8235, and H.R. 8246
Recording of a May 8, 2024, House Ways and Means Committee markup of six bills regarding rural health. Legislation covers the extension of telehealth flexibilities, location requirements for Critical Access Hospitals in mountainous areas, the rural nursing home and physician workforce, and Rural Emergency Hospital eligibility.
Date: 05/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee
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Recording of a May 8, 2024, House Ways and Means Committee markup of six bills regarding rural health. Legislation covers the extension of telehealth flexibilities, location requirements for Critical Access Hospitals in mountainous areas, the rural nursing home and physician workforce, and Rural Emergency Hospital eligibility.
Date: 05/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee
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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting Summary, Austin, Texas, April 9-11, 2024
Summarizes the 94th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Austin, Texas. Presents an overview of the meeting's two areas of focus: 1) innovation and technology in rural health and human services and 2) expanding quality reporting and benchmarking in Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Summarizes the 94th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Austin, Texas. Presents an overview of the meeting's two areas of focus: 1) innovation and technology in rural health and human services and 2) expanding quality reporting and benchmarking in Rural Health Clinics (RHCs).
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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United States Department of Health & Human Services: Plan for Promoting Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in Automated and Algorithmic Systems by State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Governments in Public Benefit Administration
Offers guidance from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) for the use of artificial intelligence in public benefits and services funded by HHS. Discusses areas of opportunity and concerns for underserved communities including rural residents throughout.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Offers guidance from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) for the use of artificial intelligence in public benefits and services funded by HHS. Discusses areas of opportunity and concerns for underserved communities including rural residents throughout.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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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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March 2024 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2024 meeting. Covers proposed approaches and research topics related to evaluating rural hospital and clinician payment policies, an assessment of the completeness of Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data and other sources of information about MA enrollees' healthcare utilization, a preliminary analysis of MA quality, the Acute Hospital Care at Home program, and Medicare inpatient psychiatric service trends and issues.
Additional links: Rural Hospital and Clinician Payment Policy: A Workplan for 2024–2025 - Presentation Slides
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2024 meeting. Covers proposed approaches and research topics related to evaluating rural hospital and clinician payment policies, an assessment of the completeness of Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data and other sources of information about MA enrollees' healthcare utilization, a preliminary analysis of MA quality, the Acute Hospital Care at Home program, and Medicare inpatient psychiatric service trends and issues.
Additional links: Rural Hospital and Clinician Payment Policy: A Workplan for 2024–2025 - Presentation Slides
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Last Updated: 6/11/2024