Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance
Final CY 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule: Fact Sheet
Fact sheet covering Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) telehealth policy changes for 2025 as outlined in the final calendar year (CY) 2025 Physician Fee Schedule. Covers audio-only telehealth; eligible services that can be delivered by telehealth; frequency limitations for inpatient visits, nursing facilities, and critical care consults; direct supervision through the use of live video; payment to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs); opioid treatment programs; and more.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Fact sheet covering Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) telehealth policy changes for 2025 as outlined in the final calendar year (CY) 2025 Physician Fee Schedule. Covers audio-only telehealth; eligible services that can be delivered by telehealth; frequency limitations for inpatient visits, nursing facilities, and critical care consults; direct supervision through the use of live video; payment to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs); opioid treatment programs; and more.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Texas Rural Hospital Grant Program Report
Reports on the establishment, functions, and achievements of the Rural Hospital Grant Program in Texas during the 2024 and 2025 state fiscal years. Provides an overview of program funding and awards, and details grant programs supporting hospital stabilization, maternal care, and Alternative Payment Model readiness.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Reports on the establishment, functions, and achievements of the Rural Hospital Grant Program in Texas during the 2024 and 2025 state fiscal years. Provides an overview of program funding and awards, and details grant programs supporting hospital stabilization, maternal care, and Alternative Payment Model readiness.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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"American Indian 101": Understanding the History And Contemporary Experiences of Native People in a United States Health Policy Context
Provides information about the history of American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) in the U.S. healthcare system, AI/AN data collection, and healthcare delivery in the Indian Health Service (IHS). Provides data on insured versus uninsured AI/ANs, insurance type, insurance via Medicaid expansion, and more.
Author(s): Quin Mudry Nelson
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: State Health Access Data Assistance Center
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Provides information about the history of American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) in the U.S. healthcare system, AI/AN data collection, and healthcare delivery in the Indian Health Service (IHS). Provides data on insured versus uninsured AI/ANs, insurance type, insurance via Medicaid expansion, and more.
Author(s): Quin Mudry Nelson
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: State Health Access Data Assistance Center
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Community Responses and Adaptations Following the Closure of a Rural Pharmacy and Primary Care Facility
Uses interviews with 26 community members to identify the impact of a pharmacy and primary healthcare facility closure in a rural Pennsylvania community. Discusses challenges for vulnerable populations, distance to care, social networks, delayed treatment, emergency medical services, alternative medicine, and more.
Author(s): Hazel Velasco Palacios, Kristina Brant, Danielle Rhubart, Jorden Jackson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health 41(2), e12896
Date: 11/2024
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Uses interviews with 26 community members to identify the impact of a pharmacy and primary healthcare facility closure in a rural Pennsylvania community. Discusses challenges for vulnerable populations, distance to care, social networks, delayed treatment, emergency medical services, alternative medicine, and more.
Author(s): Hazel Velasco Palacios, Kristina Brant, Danielle Rhubart, Jorden Jackson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health 41(2), e12896
Date: 11/2024
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Impacts of Telehealth on Rural Health Care Access
Policy brief highlighting the significance and effectiveness of telehealth. Includes analysis of current telehealth policies for Medicaid, Medicare, and private payers, and examines COVID-19 impacts on telehealth. Offers policy recommendations to enhance adoption and efficacy of telehealth services, particularly in rural areas.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief highlighting the significance and effectiveness of telehealth. Includes analysis of current telehealth policies for Medicaid, Medicare, and private payers, and examines COVID-19 impacts on telehealth. Offers policy recommendations to enhance adoption and efficacy of telehealth services, particularly in rural areas.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Medical Debt of Residents in the Metro and the Nonmetro
Analyzes the levels and causes of medical debt in the metro and nonmetro United States. Utilizes 2017-2022 KFF survey data to examine medical debt according to sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, and income. Discusses perceptions of medical debt and how patients address unexpected medical bills.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Analyzes the levels and causes of medical debt in the metro and nonmetro United States. Utilizes 2017-2022 KFF survey data to examine medical debt according to sex, age, race/ethnicity, education, and income. Discusses perceptions of medical debt and how patients address unexpected medical bills.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Growing the Rural Physician Workforce: Decades of Federal Funding Impacts Rural Graduate Medical Education
A historical review of graduate medical education funding and its relationship to the supply of rural physicians. Highlights recent federal funding and policies aimed at addressing the geographic maldistribution of physicians.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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A historical review of graduate medical education funding and its relationship to the supply of rural physicians. Highlights recent federal funding and policies aimed at addressing the geographic maldistribution of physicians.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Texas Rural Hospital Services Strategic Plan Progress Report, 2024
Reports on the progress, strategies, and milestones of the Texas Rural Hospital Services Strategic Plan. Discusses strategies to support rural hospitals, covering policies and initiatives related to Medicaid reimbursements, hospital revenue opportunities, challenges providing care to patients covered by Medicare and other payers, use of state funds for hospital stabilization, and infrastructure development. Provides a map of rural hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and Rural Emergency Hospitals in Texas.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Reports on the progress, strategies, and milestones of the Texas Rural Hospital Services Strategic Plan. Discusses strategies to support rural hospitals, covering policies and initiatives related to Medicaid reimbursements, hospital revenue opportunities, challenges providing care to patients covered by Medicare and other payers, use of state funds for hospital stabilization, and infrastructure development. Provides a map of rural hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and Rural Emergency Hospitals in Texas.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Preserving Rural Health Care: The Impact of Site-Neutral Payments
Policy brief describing the role off-campus hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) play in providing essential healthcare services in rural communities. Discusses the potential impacts of site-neutral payment policies on the financial stability of rural Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) and Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) off-campus HOPDs and access to care in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to address the impacts of site-neutral payments on rural hospitals.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief describing the role off-campus hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) play in providing essential healthcare services in rural communities. Discusses the potential impacts of site-neutral payment policies on the financial stability of rural Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) and Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) off-campus HOPDs and access to care in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to address the impacts of site-neutral payments on rural hospitals.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Rural Health Care in Minnesota: Data Highlights
Provides an overview of the health and demographic profile of rural Minnesota. Includes sections on the rural healthcare system, workforce, service availability, financing, and more. Includes county-level maps, rural versus urban data comparisons, and graphs that depict rural health information.
Additional links: Data Sources
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Provides an overview of the health and demographic profile of rural Minnesota. Includes sections on the rural healthcare system, workforce, service availability, financing, and more. Includes county-level maps, rural versus urban data comparisons, and graphs that depict rural health information.
Additional links: Data Sources
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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