Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance
Obstetric Readiness in Rural Communities Lacking Hospital Labor and Delivery Units
Policy brief discussing the current rural maternal healthcare workforce and their capacity to manage obstetric emergencies during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Offers recommendations to promote obstetric readiness for emergency care in rural hospitals without obstetric units and support for community-based, emergency department-adjacent health workers.
Author(s): Eneka Lamb, Madeline Merwin, Quinyatta Mumford, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing the current rural maternal healthcare workforce and their capacity to manage obstetric emergencies during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Offers recommendations to promote obstetric readiness for emergency care in rural hospitals without obstetric units and support for community-based, emergency department-adjacent health workers.
Author(s): Eneka Lamb, Madeline Merwin, Quinyatta Mumford, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Integrating Z Coding for Social Determinants of Health and Its Impact on Rural Areas
Policy brief discussing the potential impact of utilizing Z codes to capture important information on social determinants of health in rural areas barriers for identifying and reporting these codes in rural communities and healthcare settings. Offers recommendations for policies and actions to increase the use and effectiveness of Z codes, especially among rural, under-resourced health providers.
Author(s): Elizabeth Hall-Lipsy, Joseph Robare, Jeanne Edevold Larson
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing the potential impact of utilizing Z codes to capture important information on social determinants of health in rural areas barriers for identifying and reporting these codes in rural communities and healthcare settings. Offers recommendations for policies and actions to increase the use and effectiveness of Z codes, especially among rural, under-resourced health providers.
Author(s): Elizabeth Hall-Lipsy, Joseph Robare, Jeanne Edevold Larson
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Modernizing Payment to Critical Access Hospitals: A Proposal for the Next Iteration of the Flex Program
Commentary briefly describing the history the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex) and Cost-Based Reimbursement (CBR) for Medicare. Outlines the challenges of CBR for Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and proposes a new payment system.
Author(s): Clint MacKinney, Keith Mueller, Alva Ferdinand, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 716-718
Date: 02/2023
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Commentary briefly describing the history the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program (Flex) and Cost-Based Reimbursement (CBR) for Medicare. Outlines the challenges of CBR for Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and proposes a new payment system.
Author(s): Clint MacKinney, Keith Mueller, Alva Ferdinand, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 716-718
Date: 02/2023
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Quality Improvement in Rural Health Care
Policy position paper regarding challenges rural providers face in participating in quality improvement initiatives. Offers policy recommendations on the establishment and support of rural-relevant quality measures.
Author(s): Michelle Mills, Roger Wells
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy position paper regarding challenges rural providers face in participating in quality improvement initiatives. Offers policy recommendations on the establishment and support of rural-relevant quality measures.
Author(s): Michelle Mills, Roger Wells
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Obesity Prevention and Treatment in Rural America Through Changes in Diet and Food Availability
Policy position paper regarding obesity prevention and treatment through rural-specific programming and equitable coverage. Offers policy recommendations to address obesity among rural populations.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy position paper regarding obesity prevention and treatment through rural-specific programming and equitable coverage. Offers policy recommendations to address obesity among rural populations.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Health Care's Role in Rural Economic Development: How Work Support Programs Improve Health and Stimulate Rural Economies
Policy brief exploring how work support programs – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) – and other state and federal programs can address social determinants of health, improve health, and stimulate economic activity in rural America. Offers policy recommendations to increase access to these programs in rural areas.
Author(s): David Jordan
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief exploring how work support programs – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) – and other state and federal programs can address social determinants of health, improve health, and stimulate economic activity in rural America. Offers policy recommendations to increase access to these programs in rural areas.
Author(s): David Jordan
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation Initiatives to Address Rural Health and Health Disparities
Policy brief describing three national Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) value-based initiatives that allow providers to work toward health equity. Provides policy recommendations to design and refine programs to engage rural providers.
Author(s): Andrea Mitchell, Alyssa Meller, Hunter Nostrant
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief describing three national Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) value-based initiatives that allow providers to work toward health equity. Provides policy recommendations to design and refine programs to engage rural providers.
Author(s): Andrea Mitchell, Alyssa Meller, Hunter Nostrant
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Health Policy for Rural Illinois, Data for Policy Development
Provides information on various metrics representing healthcare access, cost, quality, and equity in metro and nonmetro areas of Illinois. Includes further breakdowns of data by White, Hispanic, and Black categories and discusses policy issues related to health disparities in nonmetro areas and for various demographic groups.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Provides information on various metrics representing healthcare access, cost, quality, and equity in metro and nonmetro areas of Illinois. Includes further breakdowns of data by White, Hispanic, and Black categories and discusses policy issues related to health disparities in nonmetro areas and for various demographic groups.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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FQHC & RHC CMS Policy Manual Updates
Highlights policy changes in the 2022 and 2023 Final Physician Fee Schedules, but not included in the FQHC/RHC CMS Policy Manual, regarding mental health face-to-face and telehealth encounters, and care management services. Details when permanent policies take effect. Discusses the current CMS modified definition of a mental health visit. Provides clarification on the Medicare allowance for general care management services including chronic care, chronic pain, and behavioral health integration.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Highlights policy changes in the 2022 and 2023 Final Physician Fee Schedules, but not included in the FQHC/RHC CMS Policy Manual, regarding mental health face-to-face and telehealth encounters, and care management services. Details when permanent policies take effect. Discusses the current CMS modified definition of a mental health visit. Provides clarification on the Medicare allowance for general care management services including chronic care, chronic pain, and behavioral health integration.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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The Approaching End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and Its Implications for RHCs
Outlines Rural Health Clinic (RHC)-specific waivers implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and will end at the conclusion of the public health emergency (PHE). Highlights how other policies will be impacted by the end of the PHE, including telehealth flexibilities; Medicaid redetermination; the commercialization of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests; and Emergency Use Authorizations.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Outlines Rural Health Clinic (RHC)-specific waivers implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and will end at the conclusion of the public health emergency (PHE). Highlights how other policies will be impacted by the end of the PHE, including telehealth flexibilities; Medicaid redetermination; the commercialization of COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests; and Emergency Use Authorizations.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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