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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

What Is the One Thing from the History of Rural Health That We Should Not Forget?
Features a panel of experts who discuss the history of rural health. Panelists include Tom Morris, Tim Size, Teryl Eisinger, Jan Probst, and Kristine Sande.
Author(s): Brandon Baumbach
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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A Critique of the Office of the Inspector General's Report on Swing Beds in Critical Access Hospitals
Evaluates the methods and data of a March 2015 report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, commenting on Medicare reimbursement policy for swing bed services in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Author(s): Kristin L. Reiter, G. Mark Holmes
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2015
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report.
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Could Have Saved Billions at Critical Access Hospitals If Swing-Bed Services Were Reimbursed Using the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System Rates
Reports the Inspector General's findings from a study of swing bed services and reimbursement at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Addresses changes in swing bed usage over time and examines the potential impact to Medicare of reimbursing swing bed services at skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system (PPS) rates.
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Medicaid Moving Forward
Provides an overview of the Medicaid program and key Affordable Care Act (ACA) reforms. Includes information on the populations served, covered services, access, costs, and finances.
Author(s): Julia Paradise
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Kaiser Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured
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Rural Economic Development
Policy brief identifying the critical elements for addressing quality of life challenges faced by rural communities. Covers four areas: community development, a diversified economic development plan, educational opportunities, and healthcare workforce development.
Author(s): Alison F. Davis
Date: 02/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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The Future of Rural Behavioral Health
Policy paper discussing the unique challenges of providing behavioral healthcare services in rural areas. Includes policy recommendations and interventions related to workforce development, reimbursement and financing, integration of care, and the use of technology in delivering behavioral healthcare.
Author(s): Will Wilson, Angela Bangs, Tammy Hatting
Date: 02/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Comprehensive Quality Improvement in Rural Health Care
Policy paper addresses comprehensive quality improvement for rural healthcare by incorporating and tailoring strategies from the National Quality Strategy (NQS) aims of better care, healthy people/communities and affordable care to better suit rural healthcare. Includes four broad steps to help guide rural facilities through the quality improvement process.
Author(s): Kevin Driesen, Gretchen Holmes, Mary Smith
Date: 02/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Family Medicine Graduate Proximity to Their Site of Training: Policy Options for Improving the Distribution of Primary Care Access
Assesses the geographic relationship between graduate practice location and family medicine graduate medical education training sites. Results show an uneven geographic distribution between urban and rural primary care physicians. Report also states that family physicians are more likely to work in rural areas.
Author(s): Ernest Blake Fagan, Claire Gibbons, Sean C. Finnegan, et al.
Citation: Family Medicine, 47(2), 124-130
Date: 02/2015
Type: Document
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Choice and Affordability in the ACA's Health Insurance Exchanges
Investigates how geographic boundaries of health insurance marketplaces, made available by the Affordable Care Act, affect availability and prices of plans for individuals living in rural areas.
Author(s): Michael Dickstein
Date: 02/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
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