Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Implementing Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Settings: A Focus on HIV and Hepatitis C Prevention and Treatment
Provides an overview of the epidemiology of opioid use disorder (OUD) with a focus on HIV and Hepatitis C transmission in the rural U.S. and particularly in rural Indiana. Identifies evidence-based treatments for OUD and their effectiveness in reducing other health issues associated with OUD. Discusses barriers to care and policy and research issues for increasing access to treatment of OUD in rural areas.
Author(s): Jennifer R. Havens, Sharon L. Walsh, P. Todd Korthuis, David A. Fiellin
Citation: Current HIV/AIDS Reports,15(4), 315–323
Date: 08/2018
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Provides an overview of the epidemiology of opioid use disorder (OUD) with a focus on HIV and Hepatitis C transmission in the rural U.S. and particularly in rural Indiana. Identifies evidence-based treatments for OUD and their effectiveness in reducing other health issues associated with OUD. Discusses barriers to care and policy and research issues for increasing access to treatment of OUD in rural areas.
Author(s): Jennifer R. Havens, Sharon L. Walsh, P. Todd Korthuis, David A. Fiellin
Citation: Current HIV/AIDS Reports,15(4), 315–323
Date: 08/2018
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2018 Update on Priority Strategies: North Carolina Rural Health Action Plan
Details the progress North Carolina has made in 6 priority areas outlined in the 2014 Rural Health Action Plan. These include investment in local industries, ensuring that childhood settings promote educational success, encouraging healthy eating and active living, screening for and treating substance abuse and mental health issues, educating people about insurance and safety net options, and creating incentives to support recruitment and retention of providers to underserved areas.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Institute of Medicine
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Details the progress North Carolina has made in 6 priority areas outlined in the 2014 Rural Health Action Plan. These include investment in local industries, ensuring that childhood settings promote educational success, encouraging healthy eating and active living, screening for and treating substance abuse and mental health issues, educating people about insurance and safety net options, and creating incentives to support recruitment and retention of providers to underserved areas.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Institute of Medicine
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Exploring the Rural Context for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Discusses adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how they may impact rural health. Provides policy recommendations focused on the rural dimensions of ACEs. Addresses categories of ACEs, prevalence in rural areas and for Native populations, federal efforts to address ACEs, and the opioid epidemic. Covers the role of school-based healthcare programs to increase access to pediatric specialty services or linking children to needed non-medical services. Profiles a committee site visit focused on a model ACEs program in New York in Appendix A.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Discusses adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how they may impact rural health. Provides policy recommendations focused on the rural dimensions of ACEs. Addresses categories of ACEs, prevalence in rural areas and for Native populations, federal efforts to address ACEs, and the opioid epidemic. Covers the role of school-based healthcare programs to increase access to pediatric specialty services or linking children to needed non-medical services. Profiles a committee site visit focused on a model ACEs program in New York in Appendix A.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Advanced Primary Care: A Key Contributor to Successful ACOs
Reviews the literature on accountable care organizations (ACOs) regarding characteristics of successful ACOs and outcomes for cost, quality, and utilization, including literature on rural ACOs. Analyzes Medicare and National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) data on ACO cost and quality outcomes to assess the role of advanced primary care models such as patient-centered medical homes on ACO success.
Additional links: Executive Summary, White Paper
Author(s): Yalda Jabbarpour, Megan Coffman, Andy Habib, et al.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Primary Care Collaborative, Robert Graham Center
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Reviews the literature on accountable care organizations (ACOs) regarding characteristics of successful ACOs and outcomes for cost, quality, and utilization, including literature on rural ACOs. Analyzes Medicare and National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) data on ACO cost and quality outcomes to assess the role of advanced primary care models such as patient-centered medical homes on ACO success.
Additional links: Executive Summary, White Paper
Author(s): Yalda Jabbarpour, Megan Coffman, Andy Habib, et al.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Primary Care Collaborative, Robert Graham Center
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Rural Health Insurance Market Challenges
Policy brief examining challenges affecting rural health insurance markets with a focus on Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, Medicaid Managed Care, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. Provides recommendations related to health insurance availability, network development and adequacy, and consumer and provider engagement.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Policy brief examining challenges affecting rural health insurance markets with a focus on Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, Medicaid Managed Care, and the Health Insurance Marketplace. Provides recommendations related to health insurance availability, network development and adequacy, and consumer and provider engagement.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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A Core Set of Rural-Relevant Measures and Measuring and Improving Access to Care: 2018 Recommendations from the MAP Rural Health Workgroup
Identifies a set of core measures focused on rural access to care and recommends how to measure them while coordinating data collection efforts. Third in a series of 3 reports documenting the Measures Applications Partnerships Rural Health Workgroup's efforts, a public-private partnership of healthcare stakeholders.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum MAP Rural Health Advisory Workgroup
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Identifies a set of core measures focused on rural access to care and recommends how to measure them while coordinating data collection efforts. Third in a series of 3 reports documenting the Measures Applications Partnerships Rural Health Workgroup's efforts, a public-private partnership of healthcare stakeholders.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum MAP Rural Health Advisory Workgroup
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Field Oversight Hearing on "Overcrowded Housing and the Impacts on American Indian and Alaska Natives."
Presents the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs field hearing in Savoonga, AK on the effect the lack of housing is having on the Native Village of Savoonga. Features testimony from representatives from Savoonga, AK, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Bering Straits Regional Housing Authority, and the Norton Sound Health Corporation.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
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Presents the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs field hearing in Savoonga, AK on the effect the lack of housing is having on the Native Village of Savoonga. Features testimony from representatives from Savoonga, AK, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Bering Straits Regional Housing Authority, and the Norton Sound Health Corporation.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
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Evaluation of the Accountable Care Organization Investment Model: AIM Impacts in the First Performance Year
Evaluation examining the first year performance of the 47 Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) participating in the ACO Investment Model (AIM), which tests the use of prepaid shared savings to encourage new ACOs to form in rural and underserved areas (Test 1) and to encourage current Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs to transition to arrangements with greater financial risk (Test 2). Describes provider characteristics, beneficiary characteristics, and impacts of the 41 Test 1 AIM ACOs. Includes data on rurality for both Test 1 and Test 2 AIM ACOs.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings At-A-Glance
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Evaluation examining the first year performance of the 47 Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) participating in the ACO Investment Model (AIM), which tests the use of prepaid shared savings to encourage new ACOs to form in rural and underserved areas (Test 1) and to encourage current Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs to transition to arrangements with greater financial risk (Test 2). Describes provider characteristics, beneficiary characteristics, and impacts of the 41 Test 1 AIM ACOs. Includes data on rurality for both Test 1 and Test 2 AIM ACOs.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings At-A-Glance
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the CY 2019 Home Health PPS Update and 2020 Case Mix Refinements
Comment on a July 12, 2018, Federal Register proposed rule revising payments for home health services. Includes a section addressing a proposed rural add-on payment policy.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comment on a July 12, 2018, Federal Register proposed rule revising payments for home health services. Includes a section addressing a proposed rural add-on payment policy.
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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First Annual Report: Next Generation Accountable Care Organization (NGACO) Model Evaluation
Reports initial descriptive and analytic findings for the 18 Next Generation ACOs (NGACOs) that launched in 2016. Includes information on NGACO organizational characteristics, market characteristics, model implementation, and performance. Offers some data and discussion related to the inclusion of rural areas. Also provides information on institutional providers by type of facility, including Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Volume II: Technical Appendices, January 2018
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Reports initial descriptive and analytic findings for the 18 Next Generation ACOs (NGACOs) that launched in 2016. Includes information on NGACO organizational characteristics, market characteristics, model implementation, and performance. Offers some data and discussion related to the inclusion of rural areas. Also provides information on institutional providers by type of facility, including Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Volume II: Technical Appendices, January 2018
Date: 08/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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