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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

A Look at U.S. Free & Charitable Clinics & Pharmacies: 2023
An infographic that provides an overview on healthcare organization type, services provided by, and location of The National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC) member clinics and pharmacies by rural, urban, or suburban.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
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Broadband Speed: FCC Should Improve Its Communication of Advanced Telecommunications Capability Assessments
Examines the extent to which Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has communicated how it reviews, and determines whether to update, the broadband upload and download speed benchmark. Describes how the minimum speed requirements of selected federal and state broadband programs differ from FCC's benchmark and stakeholders' views on the implications of these differences.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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April 2023 MACPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) April 2023 meeting. Covers automatic adjustments to Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) allotments, DSH third-party payer policy, integrating care for dually eligible beneficiaries, access to Medicaid coverage and care for adults leaving incarceration, adult access to covered dental benefits, access to home- and community-based services, and an update on the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) unwinding. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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April 2023 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) April 2023 meeting. Covers high prices of drugs covered under Medicare Part B, draft recommendations for reforming Medicare's wage index systems, aligning fee-for-service payment rates across ambulatory settings, leveraging Medicare policies to address social determinants of health, assessing post-sale rebates for prescription drugs in Medicare Part D, and assessing the need for Medicare safety net payments for skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies. Features discussions on draft reports regarding a prototype design for a post-acute care prospective payment system, telehealth in Medicare, and behavioral health in Medicare. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Health Care's Role in Rural Economic Development: How Broadband Can Improve Health Outcomes
Policy brief exploring how lack of broadband infrastructure and adaptation in rural areas limits access to healthcare. Includes recommendations for policies and actions to improve the rural broadband infrastructure and promote telehealth.
Author(s): Jeremy Cannon
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Association Between Broadband Capacity and Telehealth Utilization Among Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Evaluates the relationship between broadband access and telehealth utilization throughout the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic, from January through September 2020, by merging county-level data from 3,107 counties focused on broadband capacity, telehealth utilization by Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiaries, rural-urban residence, and demographic characteristics.
Author(s): Ambrish A. Pandit, Ruchira V. Mahashabde, Clare C. Brown, et al.
Citation: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 2023
Date: 04/2023
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The Rural Behavioral Health Crisis Continuum: Considerations and Emerging State Strategies
Presents examples of state strategies for bolstering the rural behavioral health crisis care continuum at each level of care.
Author(s): Miriam Pearsall, Sandra Wilkniss
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Rewards and Frustrations of Rural Surgery Practice
Discusses challenges in rural surgery practice, such as demographic trends, workforce shortages, issues with surgical training, rural hospital closures, and economic pressures. Includes a link to video featuring Michael Sarap and Alisha D. Reiss, of the American College of Surgeons.
Author(s): Michael Sarap, Alisha D. Reiss
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: American College of Surgeons
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Descriptive Study: The Novel "Full Spectrum People-With-Opioid-Use-Disorder Care Model"
Examines the implementation of a comprehensive care delivery model that provides access to harm reduction services for people with opioid use disorder (PWOUD). Analyzes 565 encounters with people utilizing medical and/or behavioral healthcare services in a rural New Mexico county. Provides demographic breakdown of encounters and data on the counties with highest overdose rates, along with discussion on how to provide harm reduction services to hard-to-reach populations.
Author(s): Richard Gadomski, Snehal Bhatt, Jessica Gross, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 20, 47
Date: 04/2023
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Innovations in Rural Public Transportation: Data Standards Undergird Equity
Describes how data standards can support mobility as a service to help enable seamless travel and support access for rural nondrivers. Provides demographic information on rural nondrivers compared to drivers. Explains the roles of data in helping users discover transit services and make transportation-related transactions.
Author(s): Jana Lynott
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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