Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Legislation and regulations
First-Ever Rural Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Compensation Survey
Recording of an October 11, 2023, webinar discussing results of a January 2023 survey of rural hospitals regarding physician and advanced-practice provider compensation. Presents results for primary care and specialty care providers by provider type, hospital system affiliation, and region. Highlights factors that influence compensation and nurse practitioner practice environments by state. Transcript available in the video description.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Association, Stroudwater Associates
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Recording of an October 11, 2023, webinar discussing results of a January 2023 survey of rural hospitals regarding physician and advanced-practice provider compensation. Presents results for primary care and specialty care providers by provider type, hospital system affiliation, and region. Highlights factors that influence compensation and nurse practitioner practice environments by state. Transcript available in the video description.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Association, Stroudwater Associates
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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
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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
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Assessing the Impact of Medicaid Telehealth Policy Change on Equitable Access to Telehealth Services in North Carolina
Describes the evolution of North Carolina's Medicaid telehealth coverage and reimbursement policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses the impact of these policies on access to care. Compares data on telehealth claims by volume and as a percentage of total claims by race and rural-urban residence between March 2020 and December 2022.
Author(s): Shannon Dowler, Sam Thompson, Michelle Savuto, Jacqueline Marks-Smith, Jared Augenstein
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Describes the evolution of North Carolina's Medicaid telehealth coverage and reimbursement policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses the impact of these policies on access to care. Compares data on telehealth claims by volume and as a percentage of total claims by race and rural-urban residence between March 2020 and December 2022.
Author(s): Shannon Dowler, Sam Thompson, Michelle Savuto, Jacqueline Marks-Smith, Jared Augenstein
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Will Availability of Over-the-Counter Narcan Increase Access?
Highlights state policies and recent research related to over-the-counter naloxone access. Includes information on the impact of rurality on access. Also discusses insurance coverage and impact of cost.
Author(s): Heather Saunders, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Highlights state policies and recent research related to over-the-counter naloxone access. Includes information on the impact of rurality on access. Also discusses insurance coverage and impact of cost.
Author(s): Heather Saunders, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Improving Hospital Transfers: A Step Toward Equitable, Patient-Centered Acute Care
Discuss emergency department (ED) transfers, including the importance of timely transfers, where patients transferred from the ED are more likely to initially present, and how transferred patients are considered in hospital quality metrics. Identifies three ways to incentivize hospital coordination to improve patient-centered care for transfer patients.
Author(s): Charleen Hsuan
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 09/2023
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Discuss emergency department (ED) transfers, including the importance of timely transfers, where patients transferred from the ED are more likely to initially present, and how transferred patients are considered in hospital quality metrics. Identifies three ways to incentivize hospital coordination to improve patient-centered care for transfer patients.
Author(s): Charleen Hsuan
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 09/2023
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Health Panel Comment Letter - 2024 Physician Fee Schedule and Medicare Part B Proposed Rule
Comments offered in response to a July 13, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Includes discussions on telehealth services, services addressing health-related social needs, advancing access to behavioral health services, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and the Medicare Shared Savings Program.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Comments offered in response to a July 13, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Includes discussions on telehealth services, services addressing health-related social needs, advancing access to behavioral health services, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and the Medicare Shared Savings Program.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Outpatient Prospective Payment System for FY 2024
Comment on the July 31, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule revising the physician fee schedule to improve Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payments for calendar year 2024. Includes discussions on extending the use of the hospital market basket to update ASC payment rates, a proposed quality measure for emergency department visits in Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), and more.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comment on the July 31, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule revising the physician fee schedule to improve Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payments for calendar year 2024. Includes discussions on extending the use of the hospital market basket to update ASC payment rates, a proposed quality measure for emergency department visits in Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), and more.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Physician Prospective Payment System for FY 2024
Comment on the August 7, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule revising the physician fee schedule to improve payment systems for physicians and other Medicare Part B revisions. Includes discussions on payment rates for Medicare telehealth services; the Medicare Shared Savings Program, including regional adjustments; incorporating Medicare Advantage data into public reporting; and more.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comment on the August 7, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule revising the physician fee schedule to improve payment systems for physicians and other Medicare Part B revisions. Includes discussions on payment rates for Medicare telehealth services; the Medicare Shared Savings Program, including regional adjustments; incorporating Medicare Advantage data into public reporting; and more.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural Emergency Hospitals: Legislative and Regulatory Considerations for States
Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital designation, including licensure and federal requirements for the designation that states must consider before pursuing legislation for REH licensure. Presents a table comparing how 14 states addressed these considerations. Offers legislation to assist states that want to pursue the model.
Additional links: Guide to Legislative and Regulatory Considerations for States
Author(s): Vicki Veltri, Rebekah Falkner
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital designation, including licensure and federal requirements for the designation that states must consider before pursuing legislation for REH licensure. Presents a table comparing how 14 states addressed these considerations. Offers legislation to assist states that want to pursue the model.
Additional links: Guide to Legislative and Regulatory Considerations for States
Author(s): Vicki Veltri, Rebekah Falkner
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Home Health Prospective Payment System for FY 2024
Comments on a July 10, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for home health agencies. Includes comments on expanding the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model nationwide, wage index adjustments, the Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP), and more.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on a July 10, 2023, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for home health agencies. Includes comments on expanding the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model nationwide, wage index adjustments, the Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP), and more.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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