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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

Sociodemographic and Health Status Characteristics of Maine's Newly Eligible Medicaid Beneficiaries
Describes the sociodemographic characteristics, access to healthcare, and health status for Maine's adults with low income and no dependent children using data derived from the 2011-2016 Maine Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, in preparation of Medicaid expansion. Offers recommendations to policymakers, providers, and other stakeholders supporting the effective implementation of Medicaid expansion to address the health needs of potential enrollees.
Author(s): Zachariah Croll, Erika Ziller, Barbara Leonard
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Catherine Cutler Institute, Maine Health Access Foundation
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Provider Shortages and Limited Availability of Behavioral Health Services in New Mexico's Medicaid Managed Care
Examines the supply and distribution of behavioral health providers and prescribers across New Mexico, with a focus on services available to Medicaid managed care enrollees. Includes data for rural and frontier counties. Discusses rural broadband connectivity challenges that impact the use of telehealth to address access. Offers policy recommendations. Findings are likely to be relevant to behavioral healthcare access in other states' rural and frontier counties.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Toolkit: State Strategies to Support Older Adults Aging in Place in Rural Areas
Describes state initiatives helping older rural adults age in place by supporting services allowing them to remain in their homes. Strategies are focused around building the workforce, increasing access to services in rural areas, and addressing social determinants of health. Includes examples of programs that have already been implemented as well as emerging ideas from several states across the country.
Author(s): Neva Kaye, Kristina Long
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Health Resources and Services Administration, National Academy for State Health Policy, National Organizations of State and Local Officials
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Promoting Health Coverage of American Indian and Alaska Native Children
Provides an overview of the health disparities American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children face. Reports on healthcare coverage trends for AI/AN children from 2008 to 2015, with information on 3 public sources of coverage: the Indian Health Service (IHS), Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Includes recommendations to improve coverage for AI/AN children.
Author(s): Lauren Roygardner, Andy Schneider, Doug Steiger
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
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Greater Good Podcasts Rural Health Segment, Part 1: How Did We Get Here? Rural Health Challenges in America
Set of three podcast episodes featuring Erika Ziller and Yvonne Jonk of the Maine Rural Health Research Center discussing current rural health issues and challenges, as well as historical factors related to the current rural health system. Addresses rural aging and long-term care, dental care, health insurance coverage, and health-related impacts of growing up in a rural community. Also compares rural health in Maine, other parts of the U.S., and rural communities in other countries.
Additional links: Part 2: Growing Up Rural, Part 3: Rural Health in Maine and America vs. the World
Author(s): Carrie Wilshusen, Erika Ziller, Yvonne Jonk
Date: 09/2019
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: University of Maine Graduate and Professional Center
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A Framework for Evaluating the Return on Investment of Telehealth
Proposes a framework for calculating the return on investment (ROI) of a telehealth program. Identifies principles and considerations related to evaluating telehealth ROI. Includes a case study focused on a rural community hospital implementing a telecardiology program. Another case study features a hospital system with a tertiary hospital and smaller community hospitals adding pre-transfer video consults.
Author(s): Jacqueline Marks, Jared Augenstein, Anthony Brown, Sol Lee
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Manatt Health Strategies
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Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2018
Provides statistics on health insurance coverage in 2018 and also focuses on changes between 2017 and 2018. Table 5 and Appendix Table 4 list statistics for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Based on data from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement and the American Community Survey.
Author(s): Edward R. Berchick, Jessica C. Barnett, Rachel D. Upton
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Evaluation of the Accountable Care Organization Investment Model: AIM Implementation and Impacts over Two Performance Years
Evaluation examining the first two years of the ACO Investment Model (AIM), which tests the use of prepaid shared savings to encourage new ACOs to form in rural and underserved areas (Test 1) and to encourage current Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs to transition to arrangements with greater financial risk (Test 2). Reports on AIM ACO composition, including rurality. Appendices include detailed information on each AIM ACO.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Rural Hospital Closures Reduce Access to Emergency Care
Recognizes the importance of hospital and emergency care services in providing healthcare in rural communities, and discusses the current hospital closure rate. Uses federal data to compare the financial viability of rural and urban hospitals, and the availability of emergency care in rural communities. Suggests policy recommendations for improving access to healthcare and emergency care for rural populations.
Author(s): Tarun Ramesh, Emily Gee
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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Hospital Merger Benefits: Views from Hospital Leaders and Econometric Analysis - An Update
Revisits a study from 2016 on the effects of hospital acquisitions in terms of cost, care quality, and revenue. Highlights data by hospital type, including rural status, as well as several performance measures.
Author(s): Monica Noether, Sean May, Ben Stearns
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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