Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Medicare Payment Basics: Ambulance Services Payment System
Provides an overview of Medicare payments for ambulance services. Discusses rural add-on payment policies, geographic categories determining payment rates, super-rural ZIP codes, and ambulance fee schedules.
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Provides an overview of Medicare payments for ambulance services. Discusses rural add-on payment policies, geographic categories determining payment rates, super-rural ZIP codes, and ambulance fee schedules.
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Accountable Care Organizations Payment Systems
Provides an overview of Medicare's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs. Discusses the payment mechanics of ACOs, including the maximum shared savings and losses of Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs by track and level.
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Provides an overview of Medicare's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs. Discusses the payment mechanics of ACOs, including the maximum shared savings and losses of Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs by track and level.
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Critical Access Hospitals Payment System
Presents an overview of Medicare payments for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Compares differences in Medicare payments for CAHs, Sole Community Hospitals, and Medicare-Dependent Hospitals.
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Presents an overview of Medicare payments for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Compares differences in Medicare payments for CAHs, Sole Community Hospitals, and Medicare-Dependent Hospitals.
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting Summary, Santa Fe and Las Vegas, New Mexico, September 4-6, 2024
Summarizes the 95th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Santa Fe and Las Vegas, New Mexico. Presents an overview of national, state, and community perspectives on the rural opioid and substance use crisis.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Summarizes the 95th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Santa Fe and Las Vegas, New Mexico. Presents an overview of national, state, and community perspectives on the rural opioid and substance use crisis.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Public Health Policy that Leads with Equity in Rural Appalachia: Recommendations to Confirm Vaccination Status in an Equitable Manner
Discusses vaccination policy related to COVID-19 in rural Appalachia. Focuses on strategies to create equitable vaccine policies and reach underserved populations such as migrant and immigrant farmworkers.
Author(s): Jennifer Schroeder Tyson, Danny Scalise, Adam Hege, Maggie Sugg, Manan Roy
Citation: Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 18, e284
Date: 09/2024
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Discusses vaccination policy related to COVID-19 in rural Appalachia. Focuses on strategies to create equitable vaccine policies and reach underserved populations such as migrant and immigrant farmworkers.
Author(s): Jennifer Schroeder Tyson, Danny Scalise, Adam Hege, Maggie Sugg, Manan Roy
Citation: Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 18, e284
Date: 09/2024
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States Could Better Leverage Coverage and Access Requirements To Promote Maternal Health Care Access in Medicaid Managed Care
Describes challenges to maternal healthcare access. Explores the provider coverage rules and network adequacy standards state Medicaid agencies have set for maternal healthcare in Medicaid managed care. Examines state oversight of quantitative network adequacy standards. Offers recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure access to pregnancy and postpartum care in Medicaid managed care. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Report in Brief
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Describes challenges to maternal healthcare access. Explores the provider coverage rules and network adequacy standards state Medicaid agencies have set for maternal healthcare in Medicaid managed care. Examines state oversight of quantitative network adequacy standards. Offers recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure access to pregnancy and postpartum care in Medicaid managed care. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Report in Brief
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Hearing Aid Use Trends Among Older Adults by Income and Metropolitan vs Nonmetropolitan Residence
Evaluates 3 years of National Health & Aging Trends Study survey results to determine hearing aid use trends among older adults with a breakdown by 3 income levels and metropolitan or nonmetropolitan residence. Discusses changes between 2011 and 2022 and potential impacts of policies to expand access to hearing care.
Author(s): Sarah Y. Bessen, Wuyang Zhang, Emmanuel Garcia-Morales, Jennifer A. Deal, NIcholas S. Reed
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(9)
Date: 09/2024
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Evaluates 3 years of National Health & Aging Trends Study survey results to determine hearing aid use trends among older adults with a breakdown by 3 income levels and metropolitan or nonmetropolitan residence. Discusses changes between 2011 and 2022 and potential impacts of policies to expand access to hearing care.
Author(s): Sarah Y. Bessen, Wuyang Zhang, Emmanuel Garcia-Morales, Jennifer A. Deal, NIcholas S. Reed
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(9)
Date: 09/2024
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Leveraging Medicaid to Support Housing and Nutrition in Ohio
Describes the Ohio Medicaid program and the federal Medicaid health-related social needs (HRSN) framework. Discusses how Medicaid coverage in Ohio can cover aspects of housing and nutrition needs as of 2023. Includes county-level map depicting percent of income spent on housing in Ohio as well as examples of programs addressing HRSNs in rural areas.
Author(s): Hailey Akah, Robin Blair-Ackison, Edith Nkenganyi, et al.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Describes the Ohio Medicaid program and the federal Medicaid health-related social needs (HRSN) framework. Discusses how Medicaid coverage in Ohio can cover aspects of housing and nutrition needs as of 2023. Includes county-level map depicting percent of income spent on housing in Ohio as well as examples of programs addressing HRSNs in rural areas.
Author(s): Hailey Akah, Robin Blair-Ackison, Edith Nkenganyi, et al.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Gallup Indian Medical Center—an IHS-Operated Health Facility—Did Not Timely Conduct Required Background Checks of Staff and Supervise Certain Staff
Presents findings of an audit to determine whether Gallup Indian Medical Center, an Indian Health Service (IHS) operated facility, met federal requirements for conducting background investigations and supervision of staff in contact with Indian children. Offers recommendations to the IHS regarding completing background investigations, documenting provision staff supervision, and updating standard operating procedures for background investigations.
Additional links: Report in Brief
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Presents findings of an audit to determine whether Gallup Indian Medical Center, an Indian Health Service (IHS) operated facility, met federal requirements for conducting background investigations and supervision of staff in contact with Indian children. Offers recommendations to the IHS regarding completing background investigations, documenting provision staff supervision, and updating standard operating procedures for background investigations.
Additional links: Report in Brief
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Nonemergency Medical Transportation: Leading Practices Would Help the Federal Transit Administration Evaluate Its Pilot Program
Provides an overview of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant programs that can be used to support NEMT services. Evaluates the design and implementation of the FTA's Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) pilot program, the only FTA program that includes NEMT as a primary objective. Discusses how FTA communicates the availability and use of its funding for NEMT. Offers recommendations for FTA related to evaluating ICAM and consolidating and publishing information about FTA funding for NEMT.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant programs that can be used to support NEMT services. Evaluates the design and implementation of the FTA's Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) pilot program, the only FTA program that includes NEMT as a primary objective. Discusses how FTA communicates the availability and use of its funding for NEMT. Offers recommendations for FTA related to evaluating ICAM and consolidating and publishing information about FTA funding for NEMT.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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