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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Legislation and regulations

Availability of Buprenorphine Treatment in Kentucky
Describes availability of opioid addiction treatment in Kentucky, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and other non-metropolitan areas, and distribution of various medical specialists authorized to prescribe buprenorphine in these areas.
Author(s): Elijah T. Myers, Tyrone F. Borders
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Kentucky Institute for Rural Health Policy
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Federal Requirement for Physician Supervision of CRNAs
Discusses the federal requirement affecting participation in the Medicare program by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) or Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) regarding physician supervision of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). Addresses the conditions for states to opt out of the physician supervision Medicare rule if they meet certain conditions and the research comparing the outcomes between states that opt-out and those that do not.
Author(s): Steve Barnett, John H Everett, Pat Schou
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Opioid Addiction: Laws, Regulations, and Other Factors Can Affect Medication-Assisted Treatment Access
Examines current federal laws and regulations related to the medication-assisted treatment (MAT) of opioid dependency, and discusses how these laws affect access to treatment, including in rural areas. Also explores other factors that affect access to treatment such as cost, insurance coverage, practitioner availability, and perceived value. Provides detailed descriptions about the uses and concerns of the three medications currently approved by the FDA for use in opioid MAT - methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Preparing Nurses for New Roles in Population Health Management
Report based on two meetings of the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice in 2016. Emphasizes changes in policy, legislation, and research to promote nursing's role in leading and practicing population health initiatives and addresses potential changes in nursing education to shift away from illness-focused acute care skills. Includes a section on population health in rural and underserved areas.
Date: 09/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice
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Telehealth Parity Laws
Policy brief discussing federal and state activities related to telehealth, as well as Medicaid and private insurer reimbursement for telehealth services. Identifies the arguments in favor of and against paying for telehealth at parity with in-person care. Discusses the role telehealth can play in rural access to healthcare.
Citation: Health Affairs
Date: 08/2016
Type: Document
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Medicaid Outpatient Payment Policy
Provides an overview of Medicaid payment policies for outpatient hospital services. Attached Excel sheet includes details for each state, including adjustments for rural geography and for Critical Access Hospitals.
Additional links: State Medicaid Payment Policies for Outpatient Hospital Services
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Achieving Equity in Health for Children and Families in New Mexico Through the Affordable Care Act
Discusses the expansion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions focused on developing health equity for children and families in New Mexico. Addresses impacts for rural and frontier areas, border health, and Native Americans.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Lisa Cacari Stone, Margaret Osterfoss
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Con Alma Health Foundation
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Medicare Accountable Care Organizations: Beneficiary Assignment Update
Clarifies the changes issued in June 2015 regarding Accountable Care Organization's (ACO) beneficiary assignment under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ACO regulations. Addresses how the changes make it easier for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to participate in ACOs.
Author(s): Thomas Vaughn, A. Clinton MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller, Fred Ullrich, Xi Zhu
Date: 06/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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FQHC and RHC Supplemental Payment Requirements and FQHC, RHC, and FBC Network Sufficiency under Medicaid and CHIP Managed Care
Provides state health officials with guidance on Federally-qualified Health Center (FQHC) and Rural Health Clinic (RHC) payment methodologies under both Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) managed care delivery systems. Also provides guidance on FQHC, RHC, and freestanding birth center (FBC) network sufficiency standards applicable to a Medicaid managed care delivery system.
Date: 04/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Entry Regulation and Rural Health Care: Certificate-of-Need Laws, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Community Hospitals
Examines the effect of regulations on entry and expansion of "hospital substitutes," including ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), and analyzes whether certificate-of-need (CON) programs have achieved their goal of protecting access to hospitals in rural areas. Features demographics on ASC patients, and state-level information on CON regulations and requirements for ASCs.
Date: 02/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Mercatus Center
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