Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Digital Access: A Super Determinant of Health
Discusses how the digital divide intersects with health equity and behavioral health and how telehealth can bridge health disparities. Describes local, state, and federal examples of efforts to reduce the digital divide. Includes a list of funding opportunities and resources promoting broadband access.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Discusses how the digital divide intersects with health equity and behavioral health and how telehealth can bridge health disparities. Describes local, state, and federal examples of efforts to reduce the digital divide. Includes a list of funding opportunities and resources promoting broadband access.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program: Final Report
Examines the effectiveness of the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) to develop community responses and create Continuums of Care (CoCs) plans for unhoused youth in urban and rural sites. Discusses engagement of youth to create local policy; networking and collaboration among child welfare, education, behavioral health, and juvenile justice agencies; and outreach services and housing interventions.
Author(s): Kathryn A. Henderson, Debra J. Rog, Harihar Bhattarai, et al.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Examines the effectiveness of the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) to develop community responses and create Continuums of Care (CoCs) plans for unhoused youth in urban and rural sites. Discusses engagement of youth to create local policy; networking and collaboration among child welfare, education, behavioral health, and juvenile justice agencies; and outreach services and housing interventions.
Author(s): Kathryn A. Henderson, Debra J. Rog, Harihar Bhattarai, et al.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility, Enrollment, and Renewal Policies as States Prepare for the Unwinding of the Pandemic-Era Continuous Enrollment Provision
Provides a detailed overview of state policies related to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Covers policies related to eligibility, enrollment, and renewal. Includes information on how states are preparing for the lifting of the continuous enrollment provision. Includes data tables on state Medicaid and CHIP policies.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
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Provides a detailed overview of state policies related to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Covers policies related to eligibility, enrollment, and renewal. Includes information on how states are preparing for the lifting of the continuous enrollment provision. Includes data tables on state Medicaid and CHIP policies.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Family Foundation
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The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)
Provides an overview of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Describes ONC focus areas, statutory authorities, funding, and select policy considerations.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Describes ONC focus areas, statutory authorities, funding, and select policy considerations.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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VA Health Care: Improved Data, Planning, and Communication Needed for Infrastructure Modernization and Realignment
Describes the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recommendations to modernize and realign its infrastructure. Examines the data that the VA used to inform its recommendations, any plans that VA has to improve such data, and the extent of the VA's planning to modernize and realign its infrastructure. Discusses rural-specific recommendations and compares data on facility closure and service line change recommendations by rurality.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Describes the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recommendations to modernize and realign its infrastructure. Examines the data that the VA used to inform its recommendations, any plans that VA has to improve such data, and the extent of the VA's planning to modernize and realign its infrastructure. Discusses rural-specific recommendations and compares data on facility closure and service line change recommendations by rurality.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Home Health Care Services: Chapter 8
Discusses payment adequacy for home health care services and information on supplemental payments for home health services provided in low-use rural areas. Features statistics on Medicare margins for home health agencies between 2019-2021 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas and the number of home health periods provided to rural beneficiaries by state Review Choice Demonstration status in 2021.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Discusses payment adequacy for home health care services and information on supplemental payments for home health services provided in low-use rural areas. Features statistics on Medicare margins for home health agencies between 2019-2021 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas and the number of home health periods provided to rural beneficiaries by state Review Choice Demonstration status in 2021.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Hospice Services: Chapter 10
Discusses payment adequacy for hospice and palliative support services. Includes statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural locations and demographics on Medicare decedents who used hospice during 2010 and between 2017-2021. Compares the actual hospice utilization rates in micropolitan, rural adjacent, rural nonadjacent, and frontier areas to urban hospice utilization rates. Presents data on costs by day, aggregate margins, and the aggregate cap by urban and rural status.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Discusses payment adequacy for hospice and palliative support services. Includes statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural locations and demographics on Medicare decedents who used hospice during 2010 and between 2017-2021. Compares the actual hospice utilization rates in micropolitan, rural adjacent, rural nonadjacent, and frontier areas to urban hospice utilization rates. Presents data on costs by day, aggregate margins, and the aggregate cap by urban and rural status.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2023
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for healthcare facilities and services; Medicare Advantage (MA), including a mandated report comparing per enrollee spending in the MA program with that of traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare; and Medicare Part D.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for healthcare facilities and services; Medicare Advantage (MA), including a mandated report comparing per enrollee spending in the MA program with that of traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare; and Medicare Part D.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, March 2023
Reports on four aspects of Medicaid: 1) collecting and reporting Medicaid race and ethnicity data, 2) increasing the transparency and improving the collection of nursing facility payment data, 3) strengthening evidence under Medicaid drug coverage, and 4) reviewing hospital payment policy for the nation's safety-net hospitals. Chapter 4 examines the relationship between disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments to states and the number of uninsured individuals, the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs, and the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs. Table 4-1 details DSH spending for urban and rural hospitals and for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Reports on four aspects of Medicaid: 1) collecting and reporting Medicaid race and ethnicity data, 2) increasing the transparency and improving the collection of nursing facility payment data, 3) strengthening evidence under Medicaid drug coverage, and 4) reviewing hospital payment policy for the nation's safety-net hospitals. Chapter 4 examines the relationship between disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments to states and the number of uninsured individuals, the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs, and the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs. Table 4-1 details DSH spending for urban and rural hospitals and for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Gun Violence in Arizona: Data to Inform Prevention Policies
Provides information on firearm violence in Arizona, including mass and school shootings, suicides, homicides, injuries, police shootings, and more, with data broken down by demographics, county, and rural versus urban location. Discusses gun safety policies and prevention strategies.
Author(s): Julia Jackman, Allan N. Williams
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Public Health Association
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Provides information on firearm violence in Arizona, including mass and school shootings, suicides, homicides, injuries, police shootings, and more, with data broken down by demographics, county, and rural versus urban location. Discusses gun safety policies and prevention strategies.
Author(s): Julia Jackman, Allan N. Williams
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Public Health Association
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