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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Measuring Access to Care in National Surveys: Implications for Rural Health
Policy position brief reviewing access measures used in major national surveys and discussing implications for rural research on access to care. Features tables showing surveys, populations studied, and geographic measures; example survey questions for each access domain; and access to care measures in nationally-representative surveys.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Ashley M. Hernandez, Hannah Neprash, Megan Lahr
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Broadband Deployment: Status and Federal Programs
Addresses the availability of broadband in rural, urban, and tribal areas of the U.S.; percent of households with broadband; and federal programs supporting broadband development and adoption.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Broadband Availability and Access in Rural Pennsylvania
Report details broadband access in rural Pennsylvania. Discussed broadband speed and the role it plays in rural telehealth services. Features a literature review and policy recommendations.
Author(s): Sascha D. Meinrath, Hannah Bonestroo, Georgia Bullen, et al.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Investing in America's Health Care
Recording of a U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing on a wide variety of healthcare bills addressing funding for community health centers, teaching health centers, the National Health Service Corps, a tribal diabetes program, the National Quality Forum, Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments, and more. Includes testimony from Shasta Community Health Center, Vidant Health, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, Medicare Rights Center, and others.
Additional links: C. Dean Germano Testimony, Diana Autin Testimony, Fred Riccardi Testimony, Michael Waldrum Testimony, Thomas Barker Testimony
Date: 06/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Infectious Diseases Society of America Position Statement on Telehealth and Telemedicine as Applied to the Practice of Infectious Diseases
Position statement to educate members of the Infectious Diseases Society of America on telehealth and to promote use of this technology in clinical care, research, and education. Explores the potential to increase access to subspecialist care in rural areas, and describes reimbursement policies of private insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid, for telehealth services provided to patients in rural areas. Also describes HIPAA requirements for telehealth interactions and protected health information.
Author(s): Jeremy D. Young, Rima Abdel-Massih, Thomas Herchline, et al.
Citation: Clinical Infectious Diseases, 68(9), 1437-1443
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
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A Closer Look: Perspectives on the 2019 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period
Examines outreach and enrollment strategies and their effectiveness for the 2019 open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act (ACA) related health insurance coverage. Addresses enrollment numbers, navigator funding, advertisement spending, the individual mandate repeal, and the impact of short-term plans. Identifies strategies used by navigators in rural areas.
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Mathematica
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Rural Access to Primary Care in New York State
Report highlights the state of primary care access across rural New York State. Discusses key issues and makes policy recommendations. Requires a no-cost registration to download report.
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Primary Care Development Corporation
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Older Americans Act: HHS Could Help Rural Service Providers by Centralizing Information on Promising Practices
Focuses on services and resources authorized by the Older Americans Act to help older adults age in place in rural communities. Addresses challenges accessing home and community-based services in rural areas and information on strategies for addressing those challenges. Covers home-delivered meals, congregate meals, transportation, family caregiver services, case management, and homemaker services. Research included interviews with ACL officials, rural area agencies on aging (AAA) in 8 states, rural health experts, and stakeholder groups; a literature review; and site visits.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Leveraging Medicaid Financing and Coverage Benefits to Deliver PrEP Intervention Services
Shows how stakeholders in Medicaid agencies, Medicaid managed care organizations, and public health departments can identify barriers to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication and clinical services, in an effort to prevent HIV. Includes a section on provision of PrEP through Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Centers, and through telehealth.
Author(s): Naomi Seiler
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: AcademyHealth
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Improving the Health of Alaska Native People Through Use of a Policy Change Model and Capacity Building
Examines efforts by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium in 2014-2017 to promote health and wellness through policy, systems, and environmental strategies. Describes a model outlining steps for policy change, including engaging the community, building support, and assessing education and outreach needed for decision makers and the public.
Author(s): Diane Redwood, Kristen Mitchell-Box, Erin Peterson, Ellen Provost
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 16
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
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