Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Legislation and regulations
With Current Staffing Levels, About 1 in 5 Nursing Facilities Would Meet Fully-Implemented Minimum Staffing Standards in the Final Rule
Describes a proposed federal standard for nursing home nurse staffing levels and analyzes current nursing home staffing levels, noting the percentage of facilities that will meet the proposed staffing level requirements if fully implemented.
Author(s): Priya Chidambaram, Alice Burns, Tricia Neuman, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Describes a proposed federal standard for nursing home nurse staffing levels and analyzes current nursing home staffing levels, noting the percentage of facilities that will meet the proposed staffing level requirements if fully implemented.
Author(s): Priya Chidambaram, Alice Burns, Tricia Neuman, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Health Subcommittee Hearing: "Legislative Proposals to Support Patient Access to Telehealth Services"
Recording of an April 10, 2024, House Energy & Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health, hearing on legislative proposals that would support patients' access to telehealth services. Discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic-era regulatory flexibilities on telehealth use and access to care.
Additional links: Ateev Mehrotra, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Testimony, Hearing Memorandum
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Recording of an April 10, 2024, House Energy & Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health, hearing on legislative proposals that would support patients' access to telehealth services. Discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic-era regulatory flexibilities on telehealth use and access to care.
Additional links: Ateev Mehrotra, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Testimony, Hearing Memorandum
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Dental Therapy Resource Guide
Describes the role of dental therapists in expanding access to dental health care in rural communities. Outlines the status of state laws and regulations regarding dental therapy education and practice as of August 2021. Compares the scope of practice of dental therapists to other dental care providers.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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Describes the role of dental therapists in expanding access to dental health care in rural communities. Outlines the status of state laws and regulations regarding dental therapy education and practice as of August 2021. Compares the scope of practice of dental therapists to other dental care providers.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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Report on Prevention of Out-Of-Network Ground Ambulance Emergency Service Balance Billing
Recommendations from the Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing Advisory Committee, convened between May and November, 2023, to protect consumers from balance billing and protect their access to emergency services. Features sections on rural ambulance services and community paramedicine.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing Advisory Committee
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Recommendations from the Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing Advisory Committee, convened between May and November, 2023, to protect consumers from balance billing and protect their access to emergency services. Features sections on rural ambulance services and community paramedicine.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing Advisory Committee
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Interim Final Rule on Non-Congregate Summer Meals: What It Means for You This Summer
A recorded webinar that discusses the interim final rule (IFR) on non-congregate summer meals in rural areas. Provides information on definitions, eligibility, and allowable models and flexibilities. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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A recorded webinar that discusses the interim final rule (IFR) on non-congregate summer meals in rural areas. Provides information on definitions, eligibility, and allowable models and flexibilities. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Successful Non-Congregate Meal Service Models for Rural Areas: Implementation Guide
Provides models and examples of non-congregate meal service implementation in rural areas. Includes background on policy decisions and legislative definitions.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Provides models and examples of non-congregate meal service implementation in rural areas. Includes background on policy decisions and legislative definitions.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Home Cooked: A 50-Year History of Meth in America
Podcast series presents a discussion on the history of the use, production, and proliferation of methamphetamine in the U.S. The 5-episode series explores how the social perception of meth in America compares with the reality of its use throughout the 20th and 21st centuries and how this has affected rural communities.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Assembly, The Daily Yonder
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Podcast series presents a discussion on the history of the use, production, and proliferation of methamphetamine in the U.S. The 5-episode series explores how the social perception of meth in America compares with the reality of its use throughout the 20th and 21st centuries and how this has affected rural communities.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Assembly, The Daily Yonder
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Addressing the Shortage of Direct Care Workers: Insights from Seven States
Brief assessing efforts for strengthening and identifying federal policy opportunities related to the direct care workforce through interviews with 20 stakeholders in 7 states. Discusses federal funding, collaboration, workforce pipelines, credentials, training, family caregivers, and home- and community-based services. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Barbara Lyons, Molly O'Malley Watts
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Brief assessing efforts for strengthening and identifying federal policy opportunities related to the direct care workforce through interviews with 20 stakeholders in 7 states. Discusses federal funding, collaboration, workforce pipelines, credentials, training, family caregivers, and home- and community-based services. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Barbara Lyons, Molly O'Malley Watts
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Mandated Report: Rural Emergency Hospitals: Chapter 15
Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Discusses the evolution of Medicare's support for rural hospitals through payment policies and the impact of declining inpatient volumes on rural hospitals' financial sustainability. Describes the characteristics of hospitals that converted to REH status in 2023, the first year of the designation.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Discusses the evolution of Medicare's support for rural hospitals through payment policies and the impact of declining inpatient volumes on rural hospitals' financial sustainability. Describes the characteristics of hospitals that converted to REH status in 2023, the first year of the designation.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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The 340B Drug Pricing Program: A Small Part of the Prescription Drug Market, Delivering Large Benefits to Patients and Communities
Analyzes impacts of the 340B Drug Pricing Program on access, hospital finance, drug companies, and public expenditures. Discusses how the 340B program is shaped by legislation, policy, finance, prescribing patterns, and market influences. Highlights rural and underserved communities throughout.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Analyzes impacts of the 340B Drug Pricing Program on access, hospital finance, drug companies, and public expenditures. Discusses how the 340B program is shaped by legislation, policy, finance, prescribing patterns, and market influences. Highlights rural and underserved communities throughout.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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