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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Virginia Rural Health Plan 2022-2026
Identifies key objectives and priorities for rural health in Virginia including broadband access, healthy housing, transportation, nutrition and food security, maternal and child health, access to healthcare services, behavioral health, aging in place, and workforce development. Features statistics with breakdowns by rural and nonrural areas.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Virginia State Office of Rural Health
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Sustainment Stories: A Qualitative Analysis of Barriers to Sustainment of the National Rural Transitions of Care Nurse Program
Explores a study evaluating the VA's Transitions Nurse Program (TNP) and its efficacy in rural areas. Details some of the program's early outcomes, barriers, and perceptions.
Author(s): Mary Ava Nunnery, Heather Gilmartin, Michaela McCarthy, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22, 119
Date: 01/2022
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COVID-19: Significant Improvements Are Needed for Overseeing Relief Funds and Leading Responses to Public Health Emergencies
Discusses the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides an overview of federal actions on healthcare and economic policy areas through early January 2022, including data on COVID-19 relief spending and vaccinations. Offers 5 new recommendations to federal agencies regarding emergency rental assistance, nutrition assistance, and tax relief for businesses. Also designates the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) leadership and coordination of a range of public health emergencies as high risk to ensure sustained executive branch and congressional attention so the nation is prepared for future emergencies.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Beneficiary Experiences with the Medicaid Enrollment and Renewal Processes
Presents findings from focus groups with Medicaid beneficiaries and their representatives about their preferences communicating with state Medicaid agencies during the enrollment and renewal processes. Discusses participants' access to technology and technology as a potential barrier, as well as their experiences during the application and renewal processes.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, PerryUndem
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Beneficiary Preferences for Communications Regarding Eligibility, Enrollment, and Renewal
Discusses federal requirements for states to provide multiple modes of communication for Medicaid eligibility and enrollment, as well as current state practices to facilitate this communication. Summarizes results of focus groups on Medicaid beneficiaries' preferences and experiences communicating with state Medicaid agencies and use of technology.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Health Workforce: Biden-Harris Administration 2021 HRSA Highlights
Fact sheet describing the Health Resources & Services Administration's efforts to support the health workforce and promote health equity. Includes descriptions of funding opportunities and efforts to promote expansion of graduate medical education programs in rural and underserved areas.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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Changes in Access to Medication Treatment during COVID-19 Telehealth Expansion and Disparities in Telehealth Use for Medicare Beneficiaries with Opioid Use Disorder
Discusses policies that allow access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) via telehealth before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Examines outpatient telehealth use and MOUD treatment among Medicare beneficiaries by dual eligibility status, rurality, and presence of comorbid health conditions between April-December 2020.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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CARES Act Telehealth Expansion: Trends in Post-Discharge Follow-Up and Association with 30-Day Readmissions for Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program Health Conditions
Provides an overview of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) and examines the impact of expanded Medicare payment for telehealth services on post-discharge follow-up and hospital readmissions for HRRP conditions. Describes trends in post-discharge follow-up before and after the telehealth expansion and compares trends by health condition, sociodemographic characteristics, rurality, and follow-up method.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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"It's the Relationships": Q&A with Peggy Broussard Wheeler
An interview with Peggy Broussard Wheeler, Vice President of Policy at the California Hospital Association. Covers the challenges rural hospitals face during the pandemic, health equity efforts, workforce issues, and more. Discusses how rural hospitals work together to address concerns.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Integrating Serious Illness Care into Primary Care Delivery: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summarizes presentations and discussions from a June 2021 workshop on challenges and opportunities to integrate serious illness care into primary care settings. Covers the shared principles of primary and serious illness care, the interdisciplinary teams in each discipline, policy issues that serve as barriers or incentives, and best practices. Includes examples of integrating serious illness care into primary care settings in rural areas.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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