Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access
MedPAC Response to a Congressional Request for Information on Improving Access to Health Care in Rural and Underserved Areas
Letter to the House Committee on Ways and Means responding to a request for information on improving access to healthcare in rural and underserved areas. Covers MedPAC recommendations for policies to target payments to better support rural beneficiaries' access to care, including the Rural Emergency Hospital program and a proposed Medicare Safety-Net Index; changes to the hospital wage index to address geographic inequities; and the alignment of payment rates across ambulatory settings for certain services.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Letter to the House Committee on Ways and Means responding to a request for information on improving access to healthcare in rural and underserved areas. Covers MedPAC recommendations for policies to target payments to better support rural beneficiaries' access to care, including the Rural Emergency Hospital program and a proposed Medicare Safety-Net Index; changes to the hospital wage index to address geographic inequities; and the alignment of payment rates across ambulatory settings for certain services.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Adult Obesity in Rural America: An Examination of the Relationships Between Obesity Prevalence, Sociodemographic Factors, Access to Care, and Differences Between Rural and Urban Counties
Provides an overview of obesity prevalence in rural versus urban counties. Analyzes factors related to obesity such as education, income, physical inactivity, healthcare workforce, and food, internet, and healthcare access. Includes case studies and data related to obesity prevalence in Texas and Arkansas.
Additional links: Appendix, Executive Summary
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: NORC at the University of Chicago
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Provides an overview of obesity prevalence in rural versus urban counties. Analyzes factors related to obesity such as education, income, physical inactivity, healthcare workforce, and food, internet, and healthcare access. Includes case studies and data related to obesity prevalence in Texas and Arkansas.
Additional links: Appendix, Executive Summary
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: NORC at the University of Chicago
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Rural New York: Challenges and Opportunities
Provides comparative data for the 10 rural counties in New York. Discusses issues such as transportation, aging and overall declining population, shrinking labor force, and lack of access to adequate housing, food, healthcare, and broadband.
Author(s): Thomas P. DiNapoli
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Office of the New York State Comptroller
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Provides comparative data for the 10 rural counties in New York. Discusses issues such as transportation, aging and overall declining population, shrinking labor force, and lack of access to adequate housing, food, healthcare, and broadband.
Author(s): Thomas P. DiNapoli
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Office of the New York State Comptroller
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Assessing the Impact of Medicaid Telehealth Policy Change on Equitable Access to Telehealth Services in North Carolina
Describes the evolution of North Carolina's Medicaid telehealth coverage and reimbursement policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses the impact of these policies on access to care. Compares data on telehealth claims by volume and as a percentage of total claims by race and rural-urban residence between March 2020 and December 2022.
Author(s): Shannon Dowler, Sam Thompson, Michelle Savuto, Jacqueline Marks-Smith, Jared Augenstein
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Describes the evolution of North Carolina's Medicaid telehealth coverage and reimbursement policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses the impact of these policies on access to care. Compares data on telehealth claims by volume and as a percentage of total claims by race and rural-urban residence between March 2020 and December 2022.
Author(s): Shannon Dowler, Sam Thompson, Michelle Savuto, Jacqueline Marks-Smith, Jared Augenstein
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Medicaid and CHIP Renewals Webinar Focused on Reaching Special Populations: Reaching American Indian and Alaska Native Populations
A recorded webinar with strategies and resources to use in communicating with American Indian and Alaska Native people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP about how to maintain health insurance coverage. Transcript provided, along with the link and password to access the webinar recording.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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A recorded webinar with strategies and resources to use in communicating with American Indian and Alaska Native people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP about how to maintain health insurance coverage. Transcript provided, along with the link and password to access the webinar recording.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Reaching Out to American Indian and Alaska Native People about Medicaid and CHIP Renewals
Information and resources for communicating with people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP about how to maintain health insurance coverage. Includes strategies specific to reaching American Indian and Alaska Native people.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Information and resources for communicating with people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP about how to maintain health insurance coverage. Includes strategies specific to reaching American Indian and Alaska Native people.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Guideline-Discordant Inhaler Regimens after COPD Hospitalization: Associations with Rurality, Drive Time to Care, and Fragmented Care – a United States Cohort Study
Examines the factors related to guideline-discordant inhaler regimens following chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospitalization. Analyzes 33,785 patient inhaler prescriptions between 2017-2020 according to rurality, drive time to pulmonary specialty care, and fragmented care.
Author(s): Arianne K. Baldomero, Ken M. Kunisaki, Chris H. Wendt, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 26
Date: 09/2023
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Examines the factors related to guideline-discordant inhaler regimens following chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospitalization. Analyzes 33,785 patient inhaler prescriptions between 2017-2020 according to rurality, drive time to pulmonary specialty care, and fragmented care.
Author(s): Arianne K. Baldomero, Ken M. Kunisaki, Chris H. Wendt, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 26
Date: 09/2023
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Will Availability of Over-the-Counter Narcan Increase Access?
Highlights state policies and recent research related to over-the-counter naloxone access. Includes information on the impact of rurality on access. Also discusses insurance coverage and impact of cost.
Author(s): Heather Saunders, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Highlights state policies and recent research related to over-the-counter naloxone access. Includes information on the impact of rurality on access. Also discusses insurance coverage and impact of cost.
Author(s): Heather Saunders, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Aging in Place: The Vital Role of Home Health in Access to Care
Recording of a September 19, 2023, U.S. Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee on Health Care hearing on access to home health services and the role of home health in supporting aging in place. Features testimony from Carrie Edwards, Director of Home Care Services at Mary Lanning Healthcare in rural Nebraska, and Tracy Mroz, Associate Professor at the University of Washington and Investigator at the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center.
Additional links: Carrie Edwards, Mary Lanning Healthcare - Testimony, Tracy M. Mroz, University of Washington - Testimony
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Health Care
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Recording of a September 19, 2023, U.S. Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee on Health Care hearing on access to home health services and the role of home health in supporting aging in place. Features testimony from Carrie Edwards, Director of Home Care Services at Mary Lanning Healthcare in rural Nebraska, and Tracy Mroz, Associate Professor at the University of Washington and Investigator at the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center.
Additional links: Carrie Edwards, Mary Lanning Healthcare - Testimony, Tracy M. Mroz, University of Washington - Testimony
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Health Care
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State Principles for Financing Substance Use Care, Treatment, and Support Services
Provides an overview of strategies to strengthen and finance evidence-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and support services. Focuses on the role of public health to address SUD, the need for appropriate policy, and plans to reduce access issues and health disparities. Includes considerations and examples from rural areas.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Webinar
Author(s): Hadley Fitzgerald, Disha Williams
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Provides an overview of strategies to strengthen and finance evidence-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and support services. Focuses on the role of public health to address SUD, the need for appropriate policy, and plans to reduce access issues and health disparities. Includes considerations and examples from rural areas.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Webinar
Author(s): Hadley Fitzgerald, Disha Williams
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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