Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health insurance
Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs): CMS Flexibilities to Fight COVID-19
Outlines specific regulatory waivers and Medicare flexibilities for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes information on payments for telehealth services, COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and more. Identifies whether each waiver or flexibility was terminated, ended at the conclusion of the public health emergency, was extended, or became permanent.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Outlines specific regulatory waivers and Medicare flexibilities for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes information on payments for telehealth services, COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and more. Identifies whether each waiver or flexibility was terminated, ended at the conclusion of the public health emergency, was extended, or became permanent.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Community Health Centers Seek to Prepare Medicaid Beneficiaries, and Themselves, for the Risks Ahead
Explores how Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), including an FQHC serving rural North Carolina, are helping Medicaid beneficiaries stay enrolled or find alternate coverage during the post-COVID-19 redetermination process. Describes how operations of these FQHCs have been changed by funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and pandemic-related regulatory flexibilities.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Explores how Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), including an FQHC serving rural North Carolina, are helping Medicaid beneficiaries stay enrolled or find alternate coverage during the post-COVID-19 redetermination process. Describes how operations of these FQHCs have been changed by funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and pandemic-related regulatory flexibilities.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Achieving Behavioral Health Care Integration in Rural America
Provides an overview of behavioral health and primary care integration and how integration may be different in rural areas than in urban and suburban areas. Examines the barriers to integration in rural areas and opportunities for policies that can improve access to care. Offers policy recommendations to better coordinate and integrate primary care and behavioral health services for high-risk groups and expand the ability of primary care providers to handle the lower-acuity behavioral health needs of patients through enhanced payments, training, and improved access to behavioral health providers for consultation and referral. Builds on the March 2021 report, Tackling America's Mental Health and Addiction Crisis Through Primary Care Integration.
Author(s): Kendall Strong, Michele Gilbert, Julia Harris, et al.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Provides an overview of behavioral health and primary care integration and how integration may be different in rural areas than in urban and suburban areas. Examines the barriers to integration in rural areas and opportunities for policies that can improve access to care. Offers policy recommendations to better coordinate and integrate primary care and behavioral health services for high-risk groups and expand the ability of primary care providers to handle the lower-acuity behavioral health needs of patients through enhanced payments, training, and improved access to behavioral health providers for consultation and referral. Builds on the March 2021 report, Tackling America's Mental Health and Addiction Crisis Through Primary Care Integration.
Author(s): Kendall Strong, Michele Gilbert, Julia Harris, et al.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Barriers to Rural Health Care From the Provider Perspective
Results of a study using data from interviews with 20 healthcare providers in rural areas of western Pennsylvania. Explores barriers to care, including cost and insurance, geographic dispersion, and provider shortage and burnout. Offers strategies for improvement, including use of telehealth, mobile clinics, and increased use of advanced practice providers.
Author(s): Avinash Maganty, Mary E. Byrnes, Megan Hamm, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 23(2), 7769
Date: 05/2023
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Results of a study using data from interviews with 20 healthcare providers in rural areas of western Pennsylvania. Explores barriers to care, including cost and insurance, geographic dispersion, and provider shortage and burnout. Offers strategies for improvement, including use of telehealth, mobile clinics, and increased use of advanced practice providers.
Author(s): Avinash Maganty, Mary E. Byrnes, Megan Hamm, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 23(2), 7769
Date: 05/2023
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RHC Billing 101 Webinar
Recording of a May 22, 2023, webinar providing an overview of traditional Medicare billing guidelines for Rural Health Clinics. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Q&A Follow-Up, Transcript
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of a May 22, 2023, webinar providing an overview of traditional Medicare billing guidelines for Rural Health Clinics. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Q&A Follow-Up, Transcript
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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State Medicaid and Private Telemedicine Coverage Requirements and Telemedicine Use, 2013–2019
Examines the association between state Medicaid and private telemedicine coverage requirements and live video-based telemedicine use by analyzing nationally representative survey data from the 2013–2019 Association of American Medical Colleges Consumer Survey of Health Care Access. Evaluates the impact of these requirements by rurality. Explores whether telemedicine coverage requirements were associated with healthcare access.
Author(s): Brandy J. Lipton, Michael F. Pesko
Citation: Health Services Research, 2023
Date: 05/2023
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Examines the association between state Medicaid and private telemedicine coverage requirements and live video-based telemedicine use by analyzing nationally representative survey data from the 2013–2019 Association of American Medical Colleges Consumer Survey of Health Care Access. Evaluates the impact of these requirements by rurality. Explores whether telemedicine coverage requirements were associated with healthcare access.
Author(s): Brandy J. Lipton, Michael F. Pesko
Citation: Health Services Research, 2023
Date: 05/2023
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Health Inclusive Poverty Measure Estimates in the United States: 2014 to 2021
Reports on the Health Inclusive Poverty Measure (HIPM), which expands the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) by including health insurance values. Tables 3 and 6 include data on poverty rates for the HIPM and SPM for those inside and outside metro areas in 2021.
Author(s): John Creamer
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Reports on the Health Inclusive Poverty Measure (HIPM), which expands the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) by including health insurance values. Tables 3 and 6 include data on poverty rates for the HIPM and SPM for those inside and outside metro areas in 2021.
Author(s): John Creamer
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model Evaluation: Second Evaluation Report
Provides an overview of the Accountable Health Communities (ACH) Model, which tests whether identifying and addressing core health-related social needs (HRSNs) of community-dwelling beneficiaries improves health outcomes, reduces healthcare costs, and reduces unnecessary healthcare utilization. Explores the context in which the AHC Model was implemented and the model's impacts on Medicaid, FFS Medicare, and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Presents information on participating organizations that had rural areas within their geographic target areas (GTAs) and compares outcomes among urban and rural participants.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Provides an overview of the Accountable Health Communities (ACH) Model, which tests whether identifying and addressing core health-related social needs (HRSNs) of community-dwelling beneficiaries improves health outcomes, reduces healthcare costs, and reduces unnecessary healthcare utilization. Explores the context in which the AHC Model was implemented and the model's impacts on Medicaid, FFS Medicare, and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Presents information on participating organizations that had rural areas within their geographic target areas (GTAs) and compares outcomes among urban and rural participants.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Health Care Capsule: Accessing Health Care in Rural America
Discusses challenges rural communities face related to healthcare access, such as limited healthcare providers, travel distance and transportation issues, insurance coverage, and access to broadband. Provides policy recommendations from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to address rural healthcare disparities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Discusses challenges rural communities face related to healthcare access, such as limited healthcare providers, travel distance and transportation issues, insurance coverage, and access to broadband. Provides policy recommendations from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to address rural healthcare disparities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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How Regional Partnerships Bolster Rural Hospitals
Explores how Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and other rural providers partner to overcome challenges. Profiles six regional partnerships that address staffing, quality improvement, contracts with payers, value-based payment, and community development. Offers lessons learned that could inform policy changes to strengthen rural providers.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Explores how Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and other rural providers partner to overcome challenges. Profiles six regional partnerships that address staffing, quality improvement, contracts with payers, value-based payment, and community development. Offers lessons learned that could inform policy changes to strengthen rural providers.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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