Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Consensus-Based Entity 2024 Annual Report to Congress and the Secretary of Health and Human Services
Summarizes the work of Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) to measure healthcare quality in 2024. Includes discussions on exploring the unique challenges experienced in rural and low-volume settings and prioritizing effective measures for rural communities.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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Summarizes the work of Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) to measure healthcare quality in 2024. Includes discussions on exploring the unique challenges experienced in rural and low-volume settings and prioritizing effective measures for rural communities.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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February 2025 MACPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) February 2025 meeting. Covers transitions of care for children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN), hospital non-disproportionate share hospital supplemental payments and directed payment targeting, improving access to medications for opioid use disorder, healthcare access for children in foster care, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Hospital Non-DSH Supplemental Payment and Directed Payment Targeting Analyses
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) February 2025 meeting. Covers transitions of care for children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN), hospital non-disproportionate share hospital supplemental payments and directed payment targeting, improving access to medications for opioid use disorder, healthcare access for children in foster care, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Hospital Non-DSH Supplemental Payment and Directed Payment Targeting Analyses
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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State Legislatures Moving to Increase Rural Health Care Access
Discusses policy measures and potential impacts on rural healthcare access at the state level related to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) payment, telehealth, and other financial supports for the rural health workforce.
Author(s): Lana McKinney
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Discusses policy measures and potential impacts on rural healthcare access at the state level related to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) payment, telehealth, and other financial supports for the rural health workforce.
Author(s): Lana McKinney
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Cross-State Travel for Cancer Care and Implications for Telehealth Reciprocity
Examines the extent to which Medicare beneficiaries with breast, colon, lung, or pancreatic cancer travel out of state to receive cancer services between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2020. Compares cross-state travel by cancer site, service type, and patient rurality. Describes the potential implications of these findings for telehealth policies and reciprocity.
Author(s): Erika L. Moen, Qianfei Wang, Lingbo Liu, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(2), e2461021
Date: 02/2025
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Examines the extent to which Medicare beneficiaries with breast, colon, lung, or pancreatic cancer travel out of state to receive cancer services between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2020. Compares cross-state travel by cancer site, service type, and patient rurality. Describes the potential implications of these findings for telehealth policies and reciprocity.
Author(s): Erika L. Moen, Qianfei Wang, Lingbo Liu, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(2), e2461021
Date: 02/2025
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2025 Stability of the Rural Health Safety Net: State and National Data Tables
Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies such as sequestration and bad debt reimbursement on rural hospital revenues, jobs, and gross domestic product. Presented at the February 2025 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies such as sequestration and bad debt reimbursement on rural hospital revenues, jobs, and gross domestic product. Presented at the February 2025 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Instability Continues to Threaten Rural Health Safety Net: Reduced Reimbursements, Dwindling Access to Care and Deteriorating Population Health Status
Examines factors contributing to the instability of the rural healthcare safety net, including policy-related reimbursement cuts and changes to payer mixes. Presents data on rural hospitals that have stopped offering obstetrics and chemotherapy services. Explores aspects of rural population health and social drivers of health as they relate to rural healthcare delivery challenges.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Examines factors contributing to the instability of the rural healthcare safety net, including policy-related reimbursement cuts and changes to payer mixes. Presents data on rural hospitals that have stopped offering obstetrics and chemotherapy services. Explores aspects of rural population health and social drivers of health as they relate to rural healthcare delivery challenges.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Complete Streets Policy Planning Process for Rural Communities
Discusses the process of creating complete streets in rural areas that are accessible to all modes of transportation and people of all abilities. Provides templates to consider policy issues such as agency coordination, land use integration, design guidance, implementation, and more. Includes information about the infrastructure value of complete streets to the health and well-being of rural communities.
Author(s): Krishna Kunapareddy
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Discusses the process of creating complete streets in rural areas that are accessible to all modes of transportation and people of all abilities. Provides templates to consider policy issues such as agency coordination, land use integration, design guidance, implementation, and more. Includes information about the infrastructure value of complete streets to the health and well-being of rural communities.
Author(s): Krishna Kunapareddy
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Enhancing Rural Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of issues related to opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural areas. Discusses access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), MOUD workforce, telehealth to support access to MOUD, and Medicaid 1115 demonstrations that address OUD. Offers policy recommendations related to regulatory barriers, reimbursement flexibility, workforce, and service site expansion to increase access to MOUD in rural areas.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Provides an overview of issues related to opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural areas. Discusses access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), MOUD workforce, telehealth to support access to MOUD, and Medicaid 1115 demonstrations that address OUD. Offers policy recommendations related to regulatory barriers, reimbursement flexibility, workforce, and service site expansion to increase access to MOUD in rural areas.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Assessing the Needs of Rural Families Affected by the Opioid Crisis: Issue Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Explores the considerations for addressing social determinants of health that influence opioid use disorder (OUD) and the role of community efforts in prevention, treatment, and recovery in rural areas, with a focus on prevention efforts in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Discusses youth and family prevention and well-being; stigma; adverse childhood experience; school-based health centers and youth and family resource centers; access to stable housing, food, and other social supports; the importance of trusted community resources for support; and workforce. Offers recommendations related to reducing stigma and promoting the enhanced utilization of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) to help rural communities address OUD and substance use disorders.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Explores the considerations for addressing social determinants of health that influence opioid use disorder (OUD) and the role of community efforts in prevention, treatment, and recovery in rural areas, with a focus on prevention efforts in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Discusses youth and family prevention and well-being; stigma; adverse childhood experience; school-based health centers and youth and family resource centers; access to stable housing, food, and other social supports; the importance of trusted community resources for support; and workforce. Offers recommendations related to reducing stigma and promoting the enhanced utilization of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) to help rural communities address OUD and substance use disorders.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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AHRQ Summit to Address Emergency Department Boarding: Technical Report
Report from an October 2024 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) summit to discuss emergency department boarding. Examines some of emergency physicians' biggest concerns and highlights possible solutions to address boarding head-on, including enhancing measurement and standards, re-aligning hospital incentives, and increasing support to empower emergency physicians to do their jobs effectively. Includes sections on rural patients and rural areas.
Author(s): Robin M. Weinick, Sean Bruna, Rachael M. Boicourt, Sean S. Michael, Laura L. Sessums
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Report from an October 2024 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) summit to discuss emergency department boarding. Examines some of emergency physicians' biggest concerns and highlights possible solutions to address boarding head-on, including enhancing measurement and standards, re-aligning hospital incentives, and increasing support to empower emergency physicians to do their jobs effectively. Includes sections on rural patients and rural areas.
Author(s): Robin M. Weinick, Sean Bruna, Rachael M. Boicourt, Sean S. Michael, Laura L. Sessums
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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