Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Legislation and regulations
Distribution of Disproportionate Share Hospital Payments to Rural and Critical Access Hospitals
Provides information concerning the potential effects of Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payment on rural hospitals in 47 states. Features statistics on hospital Medicaid DSH payments by state and census region, with breakdowns for urban, rural, and Critical Access Hospitals.
Author(s): Erin M. Mobley, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 11/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Provides information concerning the potential effects of Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payment on rural hospitals in 47 states. Features statistics on hospital Medicaid DSH payments by state and census region, with breakdowns for urban, rural, and Critical Access Hospitals.
Author(s): Erin M. Mobley, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 11/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Telehealth Services Proposed for Medicare Part B Reimbursements, 2018: Fact Sheet
Identifies the five conditions that a telehealth service must meet in order to be covered by Medicare Part B, provides an overview of how telehealth services get added to Medicare's reimbursable list, and outlines proposed services that may be added for calendar year 2018.
Date: 11/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Identifies the five conditions that a telehealth service must meet in order to be covered by Medicare Part B, provides an overview of how telehealth services get added to Medicare's reimbursable list, and outlines proposed services that may be added for calendar year 2018.
Date: 11/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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The Opioid Epidemic and Federal Efforts to Address It: Frequently Asked Questions
Provides an overview of America's opioid problem, including information on abuse and supply, and discusses federal agencies and programs that address opioid abuse. Also discusses recent federal legislation and state-level policies that seek to combat the opioid problem.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of America's opioid problem, including information on abuse and supply, and discusses federal agencies and programs that address opioid abuse. Also discusses recent federal legislation and state-level policies that seek to combat the opioid problem.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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National Disability Policy: A Progress Report
Reports on the state of disability policy in key areas, examining the intersection between disability and poverty. Focuses on education, employment, financial assistance and incentives, healthcare, long-term services and supports, transportation, and housing, as factors enhancing economic independence among people with disabilities. Includes sections on barriers related to finding transportation and appropriate housing in rural areas.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
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Reports on the state of disability policy in key areas, examining the intersection between disability and poverty. Focuses on education, employment, financial assistance and incentives, healthcare, long-term services and supports, transportation, and housing, as factors enhancing economic independence among people with disabilities. Includes sections on barriers related to finding transportation and appropriate housing in rural areas.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
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Medicare Inappropriately Paid Acute-Care Hospitals for Outpatient Services They Provided to Beneficiaries Who Were Inpatients of Other Facilities
Results of an audit to determine whether Medicare made payments appropriately to acute-care hospitals for outpatient services provided to other facilities' inpatients, from January 2013 through August 2016. Includes recommendations from the Office of Inspector General, and CMS's responses.
Author(s): Daniel R. Levinson
Date: 09/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Results of an audit to determine whether Medicare made payments appropriately to acute-care hospitals for outpatient services provided to other facilities' inpatients, from January 2013 through August 2016. Includes recommendations from the Office of Inspector General, and CMS's responses.
Author(s): Daniel R. Levinson
Date: 09/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Telehealth Private Payer Laws: Impact and Issues
Analyzes the body of state-level telehealth reimbursement policies, which has grown rapidly in both size and scope since 2010. Seeks to understand how these policies impact telehealth utilization, and the effect private payer laws have on selected commercial payers. Includes information on payment parity laws, modalities, site restrictions, Medicaid policies, and more.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center, Milbank Memorial Fund
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Analyzes the body of state-level telehealth reimbursement policies, which has grown rapidly in both size and scope since 2010. Seeks to understand how these policies impact telehealth utilization, and the effect private payer laws have on selected commercial payers. Includes information on payment parity laws, modalities, site restrictions, Medicaid policies, and more.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center, Milbank Memorial Fund
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Regulating Network Adequacy for Rural Populations: Perspectives of Five States
Policy brief describing how California, Kentucky, Montana, Texas, and Wisconsin define insurance network adequacy and how much consideration is given to rural issues in regulating their networks. Features statistics including these states' rural population, rural percent of total population, rural area in square miles, number of marketplace networks, and percent that are narrow networks.
Author(s): Michelle Casey, Carrie Henning-Smith, Jean Abraham, Ira Moscovice
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Policy brief describing how California, Kentucky, Montana, Texas, and Wisconsin define insurance network adequacy and how much consideration is given to rural issues in regulating their networks. Features statistics including these states' rural population, rural percent of total population, rural area in square miles, number of marketplace networks, and percent that are narrow networks.
Author(s): Michelle Casey, Carrie Henning-Smith, Jean Abraham, Ira Moscovice
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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After Hospital Closure: Pursuing High Performance Rural Health Systems without Inpatient Care
Describes ways for rural communities to develop optimal healthcare delivery systems after a local hospital closure. Features 3 case studies from Arizona, Michigan, and Illinois. Includes tables showing options currently available under federal and state laws and policies under consideration.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Charlie Alfero, Andrew F. Coburn, et al.
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Describes ways for rural communities to develop optimal healthcare delivery systems after a local hospital closure. Features 3 case studies from Arizona, Michigan, and Illinois. Includes tables showing options currently available under federal and state laws and policies under consideration.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Charlie Alfero, Andrew F. Coburn, et al.
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Telepharmacy Rules and Statutes: A 50-State Survey
Policy brief identifying state-enacted regulations and legislation authorizing use of community telepharmacy initiatives, and describing implications for patients in underserved rural communities. Includes a table listing states with telepharmacy permitted in some capacity, pilot programs that enable telepharmacy initiatives, waivers enabling telepharmacy initiatives, or no rules or legislation authorizing telepharmacy use.
Additional links: Table Supplement
Author(s): George Tzanetakos, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Policy brief identifying state-enacted regulations and legislation authorizing use of community telepharmacy initiatives, and describing implications for patients in underserved rural communities. Includes a table listing states with telepharmacy permitted in some capacity, pilot programs that enable telepharmacy initiatives, waivers enabling telepharmacy initiatives, or no rules or legislation authorizing telepharmacy use.
Additional links: Table Supplement
Author(s): George Tzanetakos, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Health Care: Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring Use in Medicare and Selected Federal Programs
Examines factors affecting the provision of telehealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM) in Medicare and emerging payment and delivery models that could affect its future use. Analyzes data collected through review of agency documents and regulations, and interviews with officials representing 9 general and medical specialty associations familiar with telehealth. Includes state Medicaid reimbursement examples. Rural-specific implications are discussed throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines factors affecting the provision of telehealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM) in Medicare and emerging payment and delivery models that could affect its future use. Analyzes data collected through review of agency documents and regulations, and interviews with officials representing 9 general and medical specialty associations familiar with telehealth. Includes state Medicaid reimbursement examples. Rural-specific implications are discussed throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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