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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Legislation and regulations

Public Law 114-10: Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015
Full text of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, commonly referred to as MACRA. MACRA seeks to transition healthcare from fee-for-service to value-based care by repealing the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and replacing it with the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The QPP streamlines data collection efforts and rewards providers based on value instead of volume through the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (Advanced APMs).
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Congress
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Federal Guidelines for Opioid Treatment Programs
Highlights guidelines for planning and implementing an opioid treatment program. Features information on the use of telemedicine, as well as exemptions for serving rural areas.
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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LSC Agricultural Worker Population Estimate Update
Identifies the population of agricultural workers and their dependents, and provides an estimate of the size and distribution of this population to be used as a basis for allocating resources supported by federal programs targeting farmworkers, including health and human services programs.
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Legal Services Corporation
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International Classification of Disease: CMS's Efforts to Prepare for the New Version of the Disease and Procedure Codes
Review of the efforts undertaken by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to prepare for the transition to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes. Evaluates the materials developed and activities undertaken by CMS to help providers' transition and describes concerns of stakeholder organizations, including rural-specific considerations.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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20 Years of Rural Voices
Highlights and revisits articles from the last two decades of the Rural Voices journal. Covers topics including self-help housing, low-income housing, tax credits, housing trust funds, the Fair Housing Act, and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Author(s): Bennie G. Thompson, Leslie Newman, Kim Herman, et al.
Citation: Rural Voices, 20(3), 1-36
Date: 2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Many Eligible Children Don't Participate in School Nutrition Programs: Reauthorization Offers Opportunities to Improve
Reports on rates of participation in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, comparing rural, urban, and suburban eligible households. Discusses reauthorization of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 as an opportunity to expand participation in these programs generally and particularly for rural eligible children.
Author(s): Jessica A. Carson
Date: 2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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ADA Guide for Rural Demand-Response Transportation Service Providers
A guide to help demand-response transportation service providers serving rural areas understand and apply the federal requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) when meeting the transportation needs of people with disabilities. Explains ADA regulations for vehicles, service policies, and etiquette for smaller, rural operators.
Date: 10/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Easter Seals Project ACTION, National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Medicare Beneficiaries Paid Nearly Half of the Costs for Outpatient Services at Critical Access Hospitals Report
Compares the system Medicare used to calculate outpatient coinsurance amounts for patients who receive services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) with the system used for acute-care hospital patients. Recommends that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services seek legislative authority to modify the coinsurance calculation.
Date: 10/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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CMS Has Yet to Enforce a Statutory Provision Related to Rural Health Clinics
A study to determine the extent to which Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) no longer meet the location requirements. Also discusses whether the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has taken steps to address a prior Office of Inspector General recommendation to issue regulations defining the criteria for RHCs to be deemed "essential providers."
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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American Indian Health Policy: Historical Trends and Contemporary Issues
Discusses the past, present, and future development of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) health policy. Identifies federal policy and legislation affecting Indian Health Service (IHS) funding and other federal funding that supports the healthcare received by AI/AN populations.
Author(s): Donald Warne, Linda Bane Frizzell
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 104(Suppl 3), 263–267
Date: 06/2014
Type: Document
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