Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design Model Phase II: Second Annual Evaluation Report
Presents findings from an evaluation of Phase II of the Medicare Advantage (MA) Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model, which allows participating MA parent organizations to offer supplemental benefits and incentives to beneficiaries, hospice benefits, and wellness and healthcare planning through their MA plans. Summarizes findings from interviews with representatives of participating MA organizations, in-network and out-of-network hospices, and beneficiaries. Covers MA organization and beneficiary implementation experiences, plan enrollment, quality of care, health outcomes, and more, for the VBID Model generally and for the VBID Hospice Benefit Component.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance, Hospice Benefit Component Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, RAND Corporation
view details
New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department 2023-2024 Annual Progress and Services Plan (APSR)
Reports on progress made towards outcomes in the areas of child welfare services, early childhood services, behavioral health services, and juvenile justice services. Addresses issues specific to rural areas, collaboration with tribes in the state, and coordination with the state Medicaid system for the behavioral and physical health needs of children, families, and youth in New Mexico.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department
view details
Hunger Pains: How Food Insecurity Affects Oral Health
Report discusses the ways food insecurity affects oral health outcomes. Highlights populations suffering from food insecurity and compares rural and urban populations. Details the oral health disparities that correlate with food insecurity.
Author(s): Paige Martin, Morgan Santoro, Lisa J. Heaton, et al.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
view details
Types of Offers of Combustible Cigarettes, E-Cigarettes, and Betel Nut Experienced by Guam Youths
Presents a study on the scenarios where youths in Guam are presented with the opportunity to use cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and betel nut. Bases findings on focus group discussions and breaks down data by type of offer, location, and group context, among other measures.
Author(s): Francis Dalisay, Scott K. Okamoto, Jane Teneza, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(19), 6832
Date: 09/2023
view details
Implementation of Acute Care Services and Long-Term Services and Supports System Redesign for Individuals with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability
Report on 2022 initiatives related to acute care and long-term services and supports (LTSS) systems for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) in Texas. Includes both assessment of implementation and recommendations to the state legislature for improvements. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
view details
Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program in Rural America: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of issues related to the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) in rural areas. Discusses the history of home visiting and the MIECHV program, Tribal MIECHV, program structure, eligible models, and promising approaches. Highlights three evidence-based home visiting models in Oregon that receive MIECHV funding. Offers policy recommendations related to improving MIECHV for rural families.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details
September 2023 MACPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) September 2023 meeting. Covers managed care denials and appeals, Medicaid demographic data collection, the unwinding of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement, the MACPAC hospital supplemental payment work plan, a review of the proposed rule on nursing facility staffing and payment transparency, and school-based behavioral health services for students enrolled in Medicaid, among other things. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
view details
Mental Health Outcomes Among Patients Living in US Counties Lacking Broadband Access and Psychiatrists
Presents a study on mental health access for people who live in counties without psychiatrists and broadband coverage. Discusses the expansion of telehealth services for mental healthcare and consultation. Aims to evaluate mental health access in mostly rural counties with a workforce shortage and a lack of broadband access.
Author(s): Tarun Ramesh, Ryan K. McBain, Jonathan H. Cantor, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(9), e2333781
Date: 09/2023
view details
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
view details
CDC's State of Vaccine Confidence Insights Report: Vaccination in Rural America Special Report
Examines vaccine confidence and uptake among rural populations in the United States between 2017-2023, with a focus on COVID-19 vaccination. Covers differences in vaccine uptake among rural, suburban, and rural populations. Discusses concerns about vaccination and identifies strategies for successful outreach to rural areas.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details