Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Rural Carve-Out Funding
Policy brief discussing rural health funding inequities and the potential to target federal funding to rural and underserved communities to improve community-level health behaviors, workforce, technology, and financial resources. Offers policy recommendations to improve the equitable distribution of federal funding and promote best practices.
Author(s): Michael Meit, Crystal Barter, Sally Buck, Mark Woodring
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing rural health funding inequities and the potential to target federal funding to rural and underserved communities to improve community-level health behaviors, workforce, technology, and financial resources. Offers policy recommendations to improve the equitable distribution of federal funding and promote best practices.
Author(s): Michael Meit, Crystal Barter, Sally Buck, Mark Woodring
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Restoring Access to Maternity Care in Rural America
Examines regional partnerships to build rural access to maternity care through hub-and-spoke models of education and support from urban healthcare organizations to rural maternity providers, investments in telehealth, and remote monitoring systems. Discusses barriers to maternity care access in rural areas and highlights local examples of maternal health provider networks, investments in the rural maternity workforce, and policy implications of developing rural maternity care.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Examines regional partnerships to build rural access to maternity care through hub-and-spoke models of education and support from urban healthcare organizations to rural maternity providers, investments in telehealth, and remote monitoring systems. Discusses barriers to maternity care access in rural areas and highlights local examples of maternal health provider networks, investments in the rural maternity workforce, and policy implications of developing rural maternity care.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Obstacles Persist for Rural Patients to Access Hospice
Discusses challenges to delivering hospice care in rural areas. Highlights changes to allow providers at Rural Health Centers and Federal Qualified Health Centers to serve as attending physicians for hospice patients. Explores the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of hospice services, including the use of telehealth services and workforce concerns.
Author(s): Jim Parker
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Hospice News
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Discusses challenges to delivering hospice care in rural areas. Highlights changes to allow providers at Rural Health Centers and Federal Qualified Health Centers to serve as attending physicians for hospice patients. Explores the impact of COVID-19 on the delivery of hospice services, including the use of telehealth services and workforce concerns.
Author(s): Jim Parker
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Hospice News
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Veteran Suicide Prevention: Innovative Research and Expanded Public Health Efforts
Presents a full committee hearing discussing expanded public health efforts to address veteran suicide by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Features testimonies by representatives of the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Wounded Warrior Project, the National Indian Health Board, and the Rand Corporation.
Additional links: Bill Smith Testimony, Jennifer Silva Testimony, Kaitlynne Hetrick Testimony, Kameron Matthews Testimony, Rajeev Ramchand Testimony, Tammy Barlet Testimony
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
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Presents a full committee hearing discussing expanded public health efforts to address veteran suicide by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Features testimonies by representatives of the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the Wounded Warrior Project, the National Indian Health Board, and the Rand Corporation.
Additional links: Bill Smith Testimony, Jennifer Silva Testimony, Kaitlynne Hetrick Testimony, Kameron Matthews Testimony, Rajeev Ramchand Testimony, Tammy Barlet Testimony
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
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Hyperlocal Covid-19 Testing and Vaccination Strategies to Reach Communities with Low Vaccine Uptake
Describes promising state and local strategies to promote equitable and accessible COVID-19 testing and vaccination programs among communities with low vaccination rates. Presents examples of how states and communities use existing infrastructure and modify strategies to meet community needs. Includes rural examples and highlights rural-focused strategies for vaccinations.
Author(s): Andrea Thoumi, Kamaria Kaalund, Christina Silcox, et al.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy
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Describes promising state and local strategies to promote equitable and accessible COVID-19 testing and vaccination programs among communities with low vaccination rates. Presents examples of how states and communities use existing infrastructure and modify strategies to meet community needs. Includes rural examples and highlights rural-focused strategies for vaccinations.
Author(s): Andrea Thoumi, Kamaria Kaalund, Christina Silcox, et al.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy
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Housing Affordability, Adequacy, and Access to the Internet in Homes of Medicaid Enrollees
Examines the housing adequacy, affordability, and internet access among Medicaid enrollees in 2019. Describes the impact of housing conditions on health, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses policy options for Medicaid programs to address housing challenges. Presents data by Medicaid enrollee demographic characteristics, including race/ethnicity, age, sex, and metro/non-metro status.
Author(s): Bradley Corallo
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Examines the housing adequacy, affordability, and internet access among Medicaid enrollees in 2019. Describes the impact of housing conditions on health, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses policy options for Medicaid programs to address housing challenges. Presents data by Medicaid enrollee demographic characteristics, including race/ethnicity, age, sex, and metro/non-metro status.
Author(s): Bradley Corallo
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Evaluation and Oversight of Telehealth for Behavioral Health in Medicaid
Explores how 37 states evaluated and conducted oversight of telehealth for behavioral health services for Medicaid enrollees in January and February 2020. Discusses states' experiences with telehealth and the impacts of telehealth on access to care, as well as concerns regarding the impact of these services on cost and quality of care. Provides recommendations for states the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to meet the behavioral health needs of Medicaid enrollees and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Explores how 37 states evaluated and conducted oversight of telehealth for behavioral health services for Medicaid enrollees in January and February 2020. Discusses states' experiences with telehealth and the impacts of telehealth on access to care, as well as concerns regarding the impact of these services on cost and quality of care. Provides recommendations for states the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to meet the behavioral health needs of Medicaid enrollees and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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States Reported Multiple Challenges with Using Telehealth to Provide Behavioral Health Services to Medicaid Enrollees
Summarizes results of a January-February 2020 survey of State Medicaid Directors in 37 states that provide behavioral health services via telehealth through managed care organizations. Describes challenges with using telehealth to serve Medicaid enrollees, including provider and enrollee training, internet connectivity, privacy, and technology costs. Offers recommendations for the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help states address these challenges.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Summarizes results of a January-February 2020 survey of State Medicaid Directors in 37 states that provide behavioral health services via telehealth through managed care organizations. Describes challenges with using telehealth to serve Medicaid enrollees, including provider and enrollee training, internet connectivity, privacy, and technology costs. Offers recommendations for the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to help states address these challenges.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Indian Health Service Use of Critical Care Response Teams Has Helped to Meet Facility Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Provides an overview of the Indian Health Service's (IHS) Critical Care Response Teams (CCRTs) program, which was developed to support IHS and Tribal facilities in caring for critically ill COVID-19 patients. Examines the first five CCRT deployments from June -September 2020. Offers recommendations to leverage CCRT program success to support other IHS care improvement efforts.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Provides an overview of the Indian Health Service's (IHS) Critical Care Response Teams (CCRTs) program, which was developed to support IHS and Tribal facilities in caring for critically ill COVID-19 patients. Examines the first five CCRT deployments from June -September 2020. Offers recommendations to leverage CCRT program success to support other IHS care improvement efforts.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Evaluation of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration: Report Covering 2005-2017 (Interim Report 1)
Provides an overview of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD). Describes the characteristics of RCHD participants that entered the demonstration between 2005-2012, the Medicare payments received under program, and the impact of the RCHD on hospital finances between 2005-2017.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration (RCHD). Describes the characteristics of RCHD participants that entered the demonstration between 2005-2012, the Medicare payments received under program, and the impact of the RCHD on hospital finances between 2005-2017.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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