Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Compendium of Priority Recommendations: March 2014
Annual report identifying the top 25 unimplemented recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) that, in OIG's view, would have the most substantial positive impact on Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Positive impact may refer to cost savings, program efficacy and efficiency, and/or quality improvement. Primary areas of interest in the March 2014 edition include: improving quality assurance programs in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and updating location requirements and conditions of participation for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 03/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
view details

MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2014
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report.
Date: 03/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details

Health Insurance Coverage of Low-Income Rural Children Increases and Is More Continuous Following CHIP Implementation
Compares insurance coverage of low-income children before and after the passage of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), with rural/urban comparisons. Addresses the uninsurance rate and health insurance continuity for low-income children in rural areas over time using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller
Date: 03/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details

Realizing Rural Care Coordination: Considerations and Action Steps for State Policy-Makers
Identifies action steps and policy considerations for coordinating care in rural areas based on the experiences of six states: Colorado, Alabama, New Mexico, Montana, Vermont, and North Carolina.
Author(s): Michael Stanek, Carrie Hanlon, Tess Shiras
Date: 03/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
view details

Children Growing Up in Rural America: Characteristics and Challenges of a Changing Population
Discusses rural children and poverty rates. Addresses differences by region and race/ethnicity, as well as contributing factors and federal programs that help address rural poverty.
Author(s): Marybeth Mattingly, Cynthia Duncan
Citation: Rural Voices, 19(1), 4-6
Date: 03/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
view details

Strategies for Behavioral Health Organizations to Promote New Health Insurance Opportunities: In American Indian and Alaska Native Communities
Provides examples of successful outreach and enrollment strategies for organizations to use when introducing health insurance options to American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Date: 03/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
view details

Effects of Potential Federal Funding Cuts on Graduate Medical Education: Results of a Survey of Designated Institutional Officials
Results of a 2011 survey that assessed how future federal funding reductions for physician education would affect the number of residency programs.
Author(s): Kathleen D. Holt, Rebecca S. Miller, Ingrid Philibert, Thomas J. Nasca
Citation: Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 6(1), 183-188
Date: 03/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
view details

'It's about the Smoke, Not the Smoker': Messages That Motivate Rural Communities to Support Smoke-free Policies
Discusses the results of a series of focus groups and surveys with community activists in three rural Kentucky counties regarding the use of promotional materials used to endorse smoke-free policies.
Author(s): Ganna Kostygina, Ellen J. Hahn, Mary Kay
Citation: Health Education Research, 29(1), 58-71
Date: 02/2014
Type: Document
view details

Rural Implications of Medicaid Expansion under the Affordable Care Act
Report discusses how ACA Medicaid expansion will meet the distinctive needs of rural residents. Using 2007-2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data and data from state Medicaid policies and primary care providers, this report examines rural-urban differences in patient populations, reviews previous public health insurance programs affecting rural populations, and considers the availability of healthcare access in rural areas.
Author(s): Erika Ziller, Jennifer Lenardson, Andrew Coburn
Date: 02/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: State Health Access Reform Evaluation
view details

A 21st Century Health Care Workforce for the Nation
Highlights proposals in the President's 2015 budget related to healthcare workforce, particularly primary care services. Discusses funding for graduate medical education and the National Health Service Corps to increase the number of trained providers in rural areas.
Date: 02/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
view details