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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Medicaid Coverage of Community Health Worker Services
Provides an overview of types of community health workers (CHWs) and the services they provide. Summarizes studies examining the effects of CHW programs on health outcomes and costs. Discusses state approaches to covering CHW services through Medicaid, including the services covered, regulatory authorities used to provide Medicaid payment, the populations served, and training and certification requirements.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Health Panel Comment Letter – Access to Coverage and Care in Medicaid & CHIP
Offers comments in response to the Access to Coverage and Care in Medicaid and CHIP Request for Information. Discusses ways the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can support states in addressing barriers to enrollment and retention, minimum access standards, and monitoring care availability and access to care.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Health Panel Comment Letter – Promoting Telehealth in Rural America
Offers comments in response to the Federal Communications Commission's proposed rule for Promoting Telehealth in America. Discusses rural classifications for healthcare providers, defining rural areas for program participation, and an alternative method to determine degrees of rurality.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Assessment of Community-Level Vulnerability and Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
Study examining access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in relation to social vulnerability to disasters based on zip code tabulation data (ZCTA) for 32,434 counties in the continental U.S. Discusses differences in geographic access to MOUD for rural and urban areas and the potential impacts of disasters on that access, highlighting potential interventions to bolster access to treatment.
Author(s): Paul J. Joudrey, Marynia Kolak, Qinyun Lin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 5(4), e227028
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
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Dental Care Utilization Among Adults Aged 18−64: United States, 2019 and 2020
Describes changes in the prevalence of dental visits among adults aged 18-64 between 2019 and 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began and many dental practices limited hours and services. Includes information by location for large metropolitan, large fringe metro, small and medium metro, and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Amy E. Cha, Robin A. Cohen
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Obstetrics: U.S. Rural Hospitals
Infographic presenting statistics on obstetrics care in rural community hospitals in the U.S. Includes data on the number of births in rural hospitals, rural hospitals without obstetrics units, obstetric unit closures, and the number of women of reproductive age who live in maternity care deserts.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Designing a Framework for Remote Cancer Care Through Community Co-Design: Participatory Development Study
Explores the design and implementation of a framework to provide telemedicine cancer care in urban and rural areas of Kentucky. Addresses issues of health disparities and lack of broadband access in geographic areas such as Appalachia. Provides examples of participatory and co-design processes to create telemedicine options and engage communities.
Author(s): Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, Melanie McComsey, Ming-Yuan Chih, et al.
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(4)
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
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Public Health's Role in Telehealth
A podcast that discusses how telehealth became more accessible during COVID-19 and how this may impact public healthcare delivery long-term. Focuses on how the future of telehealth impacts under-resourced communities, including rural.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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2021 340B Health Annual Survey: 340B Continues to Support Essential Programs and Services in the Face of Significant Financial Stress on Hospitals
Summarizes the results of an October - December 2021 survey of 510 hospitals, including small and rural hospitals, that participate in the 340B drug pricing program. Describes how these hospitals utilize their savings from the 340B program to benefit patients. Discusses the importance of the program to Critical Access Hospitals, Disproportionate Share Hospitals, and other safety-net facilities. Explores the potential effects of additional cuts to the 340B program.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: 340B Health
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Mental Health Service Use, Suicide Behavior, and Emergency Department Visits Among Rural US Veterans Who Received Video-Enabled Tablets During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Results of a study to examine whether a United States Veterans Affairs initiative to distribute video-enabled tablets during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with mental healthcare access, suicide behavior, or emergency department (ED) visits among rural veterans. Features demographics and statistics on mental health services use and ED visits, with breakdowns by tablet recipients and nonrecipients.
Author(s): Kritee Gujral, James Van Campen, Josephine Jacobs, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 5(4)
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
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