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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Estimate of Federal Payment Reductions to Hospitals Following the ACA 2010-2028: Estimates and Methodology
Examines cumulative federal payment reductions to hospitals for 2010-2028. Addresses the impact of sequestration, changes in Medicare payments for bad debt including to Critical Access Hospitals, federal Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) allotments, and other legislation affecting hospital reimbursement.
Author(s): Allen Dobson, Joan DaVanzo, Randy Haught, Phap-Hoa Luu
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organizations: American Hospital Association, Dobson DaVanzo & Associates, Federation of American Hospitals
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Quantifying Disparities in Accessibility and Availability of Pediatric Primary Care across Multiple States with Implications for Targeted Interventions
Examines disparities in accessing pediatric primary care for rural and urban communities and children with public versus private insurance. Uses data on accessibility and availability for children in 7 states: California, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Discusses the policy implications of the findings both generally and for the states studied.
Author(s): Monica Gentili, Pravara Harati, Nicoleta Serban, Jean O'Connor, Julie Swann
Citation: Health Services Research, 53(3), 1458-1477
Date: 06/2018
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Impact of Nurse Practitioner Practice Regulations on Rural Population Health Outcomes
Analyzes data from Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) in eight Southeastern states to determine if clinical outcomes of Medicare beneficiaries vary by level of practice autonomy that states grant to nurse practitioners (NPs).
Author(s): Judith Ortiz, Richard Hofler, Angeline Bushy, et al.
Citation: Healthcare, 6(2), 65
Date: 06/2018
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Spurring Innovation: The Role of Child Health Policy
Identifies four target areas to improve child health: Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) delivery and payment reforms; consumer digital health; precision medicine in pediatrics; and addiction and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Provides recommendations to further develop child health research and policy. Discusses removing barriers and expanding access to telehealth services to deliver care to children living in rural areas, and the rural incidence of NAS.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: AcademyHealth
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Drug Discount Program: Federal Oversight of Compliance at 340B Contract Pharmacies Needs Improvement
Focuses on the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which allows certain facilities such as Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSHs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to purchase prescription and non-prescription medications at reduced cost. Describes financial arrangements participating facilities have with contract pharmacies, the extent to which they provide discounts on 340B drugs dispensed by contract pharmacies to low-income, uninsured patients, and examines the Health Resources and Services Administration's efforts to ensure compliance with 340B Program requirements at contract pharmacies.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Veterans Health Administration: Steps Taken to Improve Physician Staffing, Recruitment, and Retention, but Challenges Remain
Highlights a report on the effectiveness of improvements made by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in the areas of staffing, recruitment, and retention. Discusses the successes and shortcomings of the VHA's interventions.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Evaluation of the Round Two Health Care Innovation Awards (HCIA R2): Third Annual Report
Summarizes the third year evaluation results of 38 Health Care Innovation Awards Round Two projects, one awardee of the original 39 having left the program in September 2016. Focuses on implementation effectiveness, developing payment models, planning for sustainability, and some preliminary work related to evaluating program impacts. Provides findings for the individual awardees, which include projects that serve rural areas.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica Policy Research
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Opportunities and Challenges to Utilizing Telehealth Technologies in the Provision of Medication Assisted Therapies in the Medi-Cal Program
Describes advantages and barriers to using telehealth for delivery of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to California's Medicaid enrollees, especially those in rural and underserved areas. Includes recommendations for changes to California state laws in order to alleviate the challenges. Appendix C lists states allowing telehealth prescribing.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2018
Evaluates Medicare payment issues and offers recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Includes a chapter on ensuring appropriate access to and use of hospital emergency department (ED) services that provides extensive information on rural access to ED services and identifies examples of rural off-campus emergency departments. Other sections of the report addressing rural concerns focus on post-acute care, quality and value payment programs, and medical device payment policies. Also includes a report on the effects of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, June 2018
Provides an in-depth examination of and makes recommendations on two critical issues, the high cost of prescription drugs and the opioid epidemic, as they relate to Medicaid. The opioid section includes discussion of rural access to treatment for substance use disorder. Also discusses Medicaid's role as the nation's largest payer for long-term services and supports.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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