Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Integrating Care through Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs): Opportunities and Challenges
Examines state and federal policy options for increasing alignment and integration of people eligible for Medicare and Medicaid through Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs). Reviews the literature on the topic, provides case studies from 5 states, reports on a meeting with officials from states working on D-SNPs, and addresses challenges for offering D-SNPs in rural areas.
Author(s): Nancy Archibald, Michelle Soper, Leah Smith, Alexandra Kruse, Joshua Wiener
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Examines state and federal policy options for increasing alignment and integration of people eligible for Medicare and Medicaid through Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs). Reviews the literature on the topic, provides case studies from 5 states, reports on a meeting with officials from states working on D-SNPs, and addresses challenges for offering D-SNPs in rural areas.
Author(s): Nancy Archibald, Michelle Soper, Leah Smith, Alexandra Kruse, Joshua Wiener
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Oral Health: Targeting Rural Areas
Compiles articles from a special issue of the Texas Public Health Journal focusing on rural oral health in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Covers emergency department use in Texas for oral health needs in rural versus urban counties, geriatric oral health and workforce options such as teledentistry, a Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment project under a state waiver targeting rural communities, partnerships to reach underserved areas and pregnant women, and oral health initiatives in Louisiana and Oklahoma.
Citation: Texas Public Health Journal, 71(2), 2-16
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Texas Public Health Association
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Compiles articles from a special issue of the Texas Public Health Journal focusing on rural oral health in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Covers emergency department use in Texas for oral health needs in rural versus urban counties, geriatric oral health and workforce options such as teledentistry, a Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment project under a state waiver targeting rural communities, partnerships to reach underserved areas and pregnant women, and oral health initiatives in Louisiana and Oklahoma.
Citation: Texas Public Health Journal, 71(2), 2-16
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Texas Public Health Association
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Data Report: 2018 Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensure Survey
Provides workforce demographics and practice characteristics as well as supply and distribution information from 13,031 behavioral therapists and counselors licensed in Indiana. Features statistics on professionals in various specialties, including breakdowns by number of providers delivering telemedicine services.
Author(s): Analise Dickinson, Sierra Vaughn, Hannah Maxey
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Provides workforce demographics and practice characteristics as well as supply and distribution information from 13,031 behavioral therapists and counselors licensed in Indiana. Features statistics on professionals in various specialties, including breakdowns by number of providers delivering telemedicine services.
Author(s): Analise Dickinson, Sierra Vaughn, Hannah Maxey
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Is Duration of Hospital Participation in Meaningful Use Associated with Value in Medicare?
Analyzes hospital participation in Medicare's meaningful use (MU) of electronic health records (EHRs) to determine the extent of their use of value-based initiatives in order to evaluate whether the duration of participation was linked with lower Medicare inpatient spending and lower readmission rates. Data was extracted from CMS sources including the Hospital Compare Website. Hospital-level data for analysis included inpatient spending, accreditation status, hospital location (urban/rural), ownership status, and hospital size.
Author(s): Yanick N. Brice, Karen E. Joynt Maddox
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA) Open, 2(2), 238-245
Date: 03/2019
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Analyzes hospital participation in Medicare's meaningful use (MU) of electronic health records (EHRs) to determine the extent of their use of value-based initiatives in order to evaluate whether the duration of participation was linked with lower Medicare inpatient spending and lower readmission rates. Data was extracted from CMS sources including the Hospital Compare Website. Hospital-level data for analysis included inpatient spending, accreditation status, hospital location (urban/rural), ownership status, and hospital size.
Author(s): Yanick N. Brice, Karen E. Joynt Maddox
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association (JAMIA) Open, 2(2), 238-245
Date: 03/2019
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Substance Use Disorder Treatment Policy Recommendations for the State of Louisiana: Final Report - March 2019
Assessment to inform recommendations for the state of Louisiana on timely, comprehensive, evidence-based, and sustainable treatment for opioid use disorder. Includes 8 recommendations, and discusses challenges in rural areas, such as high overdose rates, provider shortages, and lack of access to buprenorphine.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Pew
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Assessment to inform recommendations for the state of Louisiana on timely, comprehensive, evidence-based, and sustainable treatment for opioid use disorder. Includes 8 recommendations, and discusses challenges in rural areas, such as high overdose rates, provider shortages, and lack of access to buprenorphine.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Pew
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VA and Indian Health Service: Actions Needed to Strengthen Oversight and Coordination of Health Care for American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans
Report discusses the relationship between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) with regard to providing care to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. Details the cooperative agreement between the two entities and the ways their efforts could be improved.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Report discusses the relationship between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) with regard to providing care to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. Details the cooperative agreement between the two entities and the ways their efforts could be improved.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Addressing Low Case-Volume in Healthcare Performance Measurement of Rural Providers: Recommendations from the MAP Rural Health Technical Expert Panel
Final report recommending how to measure healthcare performance in low case-volume situations, such as rural providers. Reviews existing and proposed low-volume healthcare quality measures, how measures are calculated, data use, and data analysis techniques. Focuses on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) quality programs reporting requirements.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum MAP Rural Health Advisory Workgroup
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Final report recommending how to measure healthcare performance in low case-volume situations, such as rural providers. Reviews existing and proposed low-volume healthcare quality measures, how measures are calculated, data use, and data analysis techniques. Focuses on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) quality programs reporting requirements.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum MAP Rural Health Advisory Workgroup
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Tracking Federal Funding to Combat the Opioid Crisis
Features a report tracking the federally funded programs aimed at addressing the opioid crisis for the fiscal years 2017-2018. Highlights examples in five states where it compares total money spent by department on opioid treatment and reduction, as well as the number of opioid related deaths.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Features a report tracking the federally funded programs aimed at addressing the opioid crisis for the fiscal years 2017-2018. Highlights examples in five states where it compares total money spent by department on opioid treatment and reduction, as well as the number of opioid related deaths.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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STOP Playbook: How Health Plans Are Tackling the Opioid Crisis
Offers strategies used by health plans to address opioid misuse through the Safe, Transparent Opioid Prescribing (STOP) Initiative, which focuses on improving prescribing patterns and practices. Includes strategies and examples for increasing substance abuse treatment access in rural areas. Summarizes the health insurance impacts of the Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities legislation.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: AHIP
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Offers strategies used by health plans to address opioid misuse through the Safe, Transparent Opioid Prescribing (STOP) Initiative, which focuses on improving prescribing patterns and practices. Includes strategies and examples for increasing substance abuse treatment access in rural areas. Summarizes the health insurance impacts of the Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities legislation.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: AHIP
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Evaluation of the Initiative to Reduce Avoidable Hospitalizations among Nursing Facility Residents - Payment Reform
Second annual report evaluating a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Innovation payment model intended to reduce avoidable hospitalizations for long-term care nursing facility residents. Appendices include findings from participating programs in Alabama, Missouri, Indiana, Nevada, Colorado, New York, and Pennsylvania. Addresses challenges for rural participants throughout.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Second annual report evaluating a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Innovation payment model intended to reduce avoidable hospitalizations for long-term care nursing facility residents. Appendices include findings from participating programs in Alabama, Missouri, Indiana, Nevada, Colorado, New York, and Pennsylvania. Addresses challenges for rural participants throughout.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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