Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Report to Congress: Social Risk Factors and Performance Under Medicare's Value-Based Purchasing Program
Uses Medicare data to examine the relationship between social risk factors and the performance of value-based purchasing programs. Discusses policy considerations that could help ensure value-based purchasing programs achieve their intended results, especially among high social risk populations. Categorizes rurality as a community risk factor and discusses whether beneficiaries with social risk factors such as rurality have worse outcomes due to their social risk profile, or because of the providers they see. Also provides rural-specific statistics and recommendations for using value-based purchasing to improve health outcomes among high social risk populations. Appendices summarize and provide additional details for each of the 9 programs evaluated. See the second report.
Additional links: Appendices
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Uses Medicare data to examine the relationship between social risk factors and the performance of value-based purchasing programs. Discusses policy considerations that could help ensure value-based purchasing programs achieve their intended results, especially among high social risk populations. Categorizes rurality as a community risk factor and discusses whether beneficiaries with social risk factors such as rurality have worse outcomes due to their social risk profile, or because of the providers they see. Also provides rural-specific statistics and recommendations for using value-based purchasing to improve health outcomes among high social risk populations. Appendices summarize and provide additional details for each of the 9 programs evaluated. See the second report.
Additional links: Appendices
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Medicare Value-Based Payment Models: Participation Challenges and Available Assistance for Small and Rural Practices
Identifies challenges faced by small and rural physician practices when participating in Medicare's new value-based payment models, and groups them into five key areas: financial resources and risk management, health IT and data, population health management care delivery, quality and efficiency performance measurement and reporting, and effects of model participation and managing compliance with requirements. Also identifies two types of organizations, partner and non-partner, along with the services they provide, that can help small and rural practices overcome these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Identifies challenges faced by small and rural physician practices when participating in Medicare's new value-based payment models, and groups them into five key areas: financial resources and risk management, health IT and data, population health management care delivery, quality and efficiency performance measurement and reporting, and effects of model participation and managing compliance with requirements. Also identifies two types of organizations, partner and non-partner, along with the services they provide, that can help small and rural practices overcome these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Improving Community Health through Hospital Community Benefit Spending: Charting a Path to Reform
Provides background on the origin and importance of nonprofit hospital community benefit spending, and explains the difference between community building and community benefit activities. Examines policy options that the IRS could use to enhance community benefit spending focused on improving social determinants of health community-wide. Includes rural-specific statistics and multiple comparisons of items identified in community health needs assessments (CHNAs).
Author(s): Sara Rosenbaum, Maureen Byrnes, Sara Rothenberg, Rachel Gunsalus
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organizations: George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management, Milken Institute School of Public Health
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Provides background on the origin and importance of nonprofit hospital community benefit spending, and explains the difference between community building and community benefit activities. Examines policy options that the IRS could use to enhance community benefit spending focused on improving social determinants of health community-wide. Includes rural-specific statistics and multiple comparisons of items identified in community health needs assessments (CHNAs).
Author(s): Sara Rosenbaum, Maureen Byrnes, Sara Rothenberg, Rachel Gunsalus
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organizations: George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management, Milken Institute School of Public Health
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Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) Lessons Learned
Provides an overview of Arizona's Health Impact Assessments (HIAs), which examines the health impacts of a potential policy, plan, program, or project, and offers lessons learned. Highlights challenges for rural HIAs on page 20.
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Vitalyst Health Foundation
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Provides an overview of Arizona's Health Impact Assessments (HIAs), which examines the health impacts of a potential policy, plan, program, or project, and offers lessons learned. Highlights challenges for rural HIAs on page 20.
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Vitalyst Health Foundation
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Healthcare Eligibility and Availability and Healthcare Reform: Are We Addressing Rural Women's Barriers to Accessing Care?
Reports the results from a focus group of women living in 7 rural Illinois counties to identify barriers in accessing healthcare prior to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Covers potential gaps in the legislation and how they can add to the existing barriers rural populations experience when accessing healthcare.
Author(s): Kristine Zimmermann, Leslie Carnahan, Ellen Paulsey, Yamile Molina
Citation: Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 27(4A), 204-219
Date: 11/2016
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Reports the results from a focus group of women living in 7 rural Illinois counties to identify barriers in accessing healthcare prior to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Covers potential gaps in the legislation and how they can add to the existing barriers rural populations experience when accessing healthcare.
Author(s): Kristine Zimmermann, Leslie Carnahan, Ellen Paulsey, Yamile Molina
Citation: Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 27(4A), 204-219
Date: 11/2016
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Growing the State Offices of Rural Health
Brief video overview of the State Office of Rural Health (SORH) program, which was launched by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in 1991. Discusses the mission of SORHs and the role of networking in improving rural health.
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Brief video overview of the State Office of Rural Health (SORH) program, which was launched by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in 1991. Discusses the mission of SORHs and the role of networking in improving rural health.
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Building the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
Brief video overview of the creation of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) in 1987. Also describes some of FORHP's early work, including the establishment of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and the Rural Health Research Center program.
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Brief video overview of the creation of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) in 1987. Also describes some of FORHP's early work, including the establishment of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and the Rural Health Research Center program.
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Evaluation of Hospital-Setting HCIA Awards: Third Annual Report, Final
Third and final report evaluating 10 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects undertaken in a hospital inpatient or emergency department. Presents awardee-specific information on program impact and lessons learned. Includes projects that involved Critical Access Hospitals and other rural hospitals. Includes projects focused on improved care for sepsis and projects using remote electronic intensive care unit (eICU) services.
Additional links: Addendum, March 2017
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Third and final report evaluating 10 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects undertaken in a hospital inpatient or emergency department. Presents awardee-specific information on program impact and lessons learned. Includes projects that involved Critical Access Hospitals and other rural hospitals. Includes projects focused on improved care for sepsis and projects using remote electronic intensive care unit (eICU) services.
Additional links: Addendum, March 2017
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Availability of Buprenorphine Treatment in Kentucky
Describes availability of opioid addiction treatment in Kentucky, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and other non-metropolitan areas, and distribution of various medical specialists authorized to prescribe buprenorphine in these areas.
Author(s): Elijah T. Myers, Tyrone F. Borders
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: University of Kentucky Institute for Rural Health Policy
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Describes availability of opioid addiction treatment in Kentucky, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and other non-metropolitan areas, and distribution of various medical specialists authorized to prescribe buprenorphine in these areas.
Author(s): Elijah T. Myers, Tyrone F. Borders
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: University of Kentucky Institute for Rural Health Policy
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Federal Requirement for Physician Supervision of CRNAs
Discusses the federal requirement affecting participation in the Medicare program by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) or Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) regarding physician supervision of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). Addresses the conditions for states to opt out of the physician supervision Medicare rule if they meet certain conditions and the research comparing the outcomes between states that opt-out and those that do not.
Author(s): Steve Barnett, John H Everett, Pat Schou
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Discusses the federal requirement affecting participation in the Medicare program by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) or Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) regarding physician supervision of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). Addresses the conditions for states to opt out of the physician supervision Medicare rule if they meet certain conditions and the research comparing the outcomes between states that opt-out and those that do not.
Author(s): Steve Barnett, John H Everett, Pat Schou
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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