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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Legislation and regulations

Mobile Units and Your RHC - Is It a Good Fit?
Recording of a February 21, 2024, webinar reviewing regulations and guidance regarding Rural Health Clinic (RHC) mobile units. Explores operational considerations regarding whether a mobile unit is a good fit for an RHC. Profiles the experiences of Baptist Health opening a mobile RHC unit in rural Kentucky. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Nursing Home Workforce Issues and Inequities
Offers an overview of issues related to the direct care workforce in nursing homes including staffing shortages, recruitment and retention, low wages, job training, interdisciplinary care, and more. Discusses proposed policies offering workforce-related reforms. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Jasmine L. Travers, Rita Choula, Edem Hado
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit
Toolkit to support state policymakers in expanding the use of telehealth to deliver Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) services. Provides information on telehealth flexibilities under Medicaid and CHIP; billing best practices; strategies for telehealth in value-based care; best practices from states during the COVID-19 public health emergency; strategies to promote the delivery of accessible and culturally competent care via telehealth; evaluation strategies to understand how telehealth affects quality, outcomes, and cost, and more. Offers state policy and operational considerations; information about common telehealth modalities; frequently asked questions for states to consider as they explore whether to expand the use of telehealth; Medicaid managed care and fee-for-service state checklists; and other planning tools. Includes information about using telehealth to deliver services to medically underserved and rural communities, older adults, and other specific populations.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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2024 Rural Advocacy Agenda
Outlines the American Hospital Association's federal policy priorities for rural hospitals in 2024. Offers recommendations in the areas of commercial insurer accountability, flexible payment options, reimbursement, workforce, and the 340B program.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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USDA Overview of the IFR for Summer EBT and Non-Congregate Summer Meal Service in Rural Areas
Slides that provide an overview of the interim final rule (IFR) regarding the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children (Summer EBT) and non-congregate summer meals in rural areas.
Author(s): Kevin Maskornick, Jess Saracino, Anne Fiala
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 (Division FF, Title I of P.L. 117-328, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023): Section-by-Section Summary
Provides a section-by-section summary of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act, which was enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (P.L. 117-328) and reauthorized or amended specific federal programs related to mental health and substance use. Includes information on programs targeted to, or extending eligibility to, tribes and tribal organizations.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Legislative Action Bridging Public Health and Clinical Healthcare
Discusses legislation that relates to equitable access to healthcare, with a focus on telehealth, infrastructure, safety net services, management of healthcare costs, and the expansion of the healthcare workforce. Includes information on access to emergency departments in rural areas and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Author(s): Ashley Cram, Brianna Gorman
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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The Future of Remote Patient Monitoring
Provides an overview of remote monitoring, including evidence-based use cases, coverage and utilization across payers, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation of remote monitoring devices, equity implications, and data security and privacy. Offers policy recommendations regarding ways to improve the use of remote monitoring services, ensure equitable access to these services across populations, and enhance data security and privacy standards. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Julia Harris, Mikayla Curtis, Maya Sandalow, G. William Hoagland, Marilyn Werber Serafini
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Discretionary Transportation Grants: DOT Should Improve Transparency in the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Program
Examines the Department of Transportation (DOT)'s processes to solicit, evaluate, and select applications for Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant awards in fiscal year (FY) 2022, and the extent to which DOT's evaluation and selection processes aligned with federal guidance. Includes information about the Rural Surface Transportation program, which receives INFRA funding, and statistics on number of INFRA grant awards in FYs 2016–2022, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Mississippi State Department of Health 2024 Annual Report
Offers overview of public health indicators for residents of the state of Mississippi including mortality, teen birth rates, various health conditions, and vaccination. Discusses regulation and legislative changes, pharmaceutical programs, lab services, public health outreach, rural health and primary care, Health Professional Shortage Areas, and administrative updates.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Mississippi State Department of Health
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