Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Rural Implications of the Blueprints for State-Based Health Insurance Marketplaces
Presents different states' approaches to the health insurance marketplaces including service areas and rating areas, network adequacy requirements, rural consumer outreach, rural representation on the marketplace governing board, certification and oversight of qualified health plans, and design of the small business health options program.
Author(s): Andy Potter, Matt Nattinger, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
view details
CMS Has Yet to Enforce a Statutory Provision Related to Rural Health Clinics
A study to determine the extent to which Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) no longer meet the location requirements. Also discusses whether the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has taken steps to address a prior Office of Inspector General recommendation to issue regulations defining the criteria for RHCs to be deemed "essential providers."
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
view details
North Dakota Oral Health Report: Needs and Proposed Models, 2014
Provides an overview of the oral health needs in the state and identifies potential models that could be used to address specific concerns.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder, Yvonne Jonk, Kristin Schuller, et al.
Date: 08/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
view details
North Carolina Rural Health Action Plan: A Report of the NCIOM Task Force on Rural Health
Contains the North Carolina rural health action plan to improve rural health outcomes and identifies six key strategies at the state and local levels to address rural health disparities. See also: 2018 Update on Priority Strategies.
Date: 08/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Institute of Medicine
view details
Access to Rural Health Care – A Literature Review and New Synthesis
Reviews relevant literature to help clarify the meaning of access in the context of rural healthcare. Focuses on four dimensions of access including people, place, provider, and payment, and notes that changes in one dimension affects the others. Recommends that policymakers address all dimensions of access throughout the policymaking process to ensure best outcomes.
Author(s): A. Clinton MacKinney, Andrew Coburn, Jennifer Lundblad, et al.
Date: 08/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
view details
How Did Rural Residents Fare on the Health Insurance Marketplaces?
Examines 2014 premiums, issuers, and plans offered to residents of urban and rural counties. Highlights disparities between states with a small rural population and those with a significant rural population.
Date: 08/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
view details
Indian Health Care 101
Overview of the essential elements that make up the healthcare delivery system for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Addresses topics such as intergovernmental relations, Indian Health Service (IHS), areas of need, and funding.
Date: 07/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Indian Health Board
view details
State Innovation Models (SIM) Initiative Evaluation: Model Design and Model Pre-Test Evaluation Report
Reports on the experiences of 19 states that received federal support to work on state health care innovation plans focused on developing innovative healthcare delivery and payment models. Discusses rural concerns in these states, as well as strategies to address rural healthcare needs. Some topics addressed include patient-centered medical homes, accountable care organizations, workforce, broadband access, electronic health record adoption, and telehealth.
Date: 07/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
view details
Homelessness in Rural America
Discusses the unique needs and characteristics of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in rural America. Makes recommendation to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services on ways to improve access to healthcare and other human services for America's rural homeless populations.
Date: 07/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details
Affordable Care Act Plans and Premiums in Rural America
Discusses insurance premium pricing for rural populations following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, with a focus on rating area design to create adequate networks. Examines preliminary findings from a study focused on premium prices in rural Iowa and Nebraska. Offers recommendations to maximize the number of rural Americans who receive accessible, affordable health insurance.
Date: 07/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details