This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Trends in Special Medicare Payments and Service Utilization for Rural Areas in the 1990s
Presents the findings of an analysis of payment trends for providers qualifying under Medicare special payment provisions for rural providers. Covers payment trends for rural hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and physicians.
Author(s): Donna O. Farley, Lisa R. Shugarman, Pat Taylor, et al.
Date: 06/2002
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
view details
Financial Incentives for Rural Hospitals to Expand the Scope of Their Services
Examines the financial incentives that rural hospitals have to conduct surgery and treat more complex medical conditions. Evaluates whether rural hospitals that offer broader services are more profitable than hospitals with very limited inpatient services. A low-volume adjustment considered by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commissions (MedPAC) is discussed.
Author(s): Jeffrey Stensland, Michelle Brasure, Ira Moscovice, Tiffany Radcliff
Date: 06/2002
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
view details
Rural Research Focus: Rural Physician Shortages
Discusses a model for understanding how many physicians a rural community can support, based on research at the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center.
Author(s): George E. Wright, C. Holly A. Andrilla, L. Gary Hart
Date: 05/2002
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
view details
A Targeted Look at the Rural Health Care Safety Net
Report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Discusses the safety net, the web of professionals and institutions that provide care to the poor and uninsured regardless of ability of pay. Also covers key safety net programs under the purview of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Its findings fall into three categories: ensuring access to hospital services, ensuring access to primary care, and maintaining an adequate workforce.
Date: 04/2002
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details
Access to Emergency Medical Services in Rural Areas: The Supporting Role of State EMS Agencies
Reports on a survey of state EMS directors regarding access to rural EMS, programs and initiatives by state EMS agencies that target rural and volunteer EMS providers, integration initiatives by rural EMS providers, issues in medical direction for rural EMS, and anticipated effects of the new Medicare fee schedule on rural EMS providers.
Author(s): Astrid Knott
Date: 02/2002
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
view details
Patterns of Health Insurance Coverage Among Rural and Urban Children
Assesses differences in the patterns of insurance coverage and uninsured periods among rural and urban children and examines the implications of those differences for the design and implementation of public insurance programs such as the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP).
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Timothy McBride, Erika Ziller
Date: 11/2001
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details
Addressing Mental Health Workforce Needs in Underserved Rural Areas: Accomplishments and Challenges
Reviews efforts to address mental health workforce needs in underserved rural areas. Includes a history of federal efforts to address rural mental health workforce needs. Discusses Mental Health Professional Shortage Area (MHPSA) designations.
Author(s): Donna C. Bird, Patricia Dempsey, David Hartley
Date: 10/2001
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details
Comments on the June 2001 Report of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission: Medicare in Rural America
A response to recommendations and findings presented in the June 2001 report of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, Medicare in Rural America, with the intent of advancing a policy discussion regarding how Medicare could be more responsive to the special needs of rural America.
Author(s): Andrew Coburn, Charles Fluharty, J. Patrick Hart, et al.
Date: 09/2001
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
view details
Access to Rural Pharmacy Services in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota
Describes the status of rural retail pharmacies in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Discusses pharmacy organizational characteristics, staffing, services provided, financial status, and planned future changes. Also examines the availability of pharmacy services in rural areas of these states, including changes over a three year period in the distribution of pharmacies. Briefly analyzes regulatory and policy issues that affect the delivery of pharmacy services in rural areas.
Author(s): Michelle M. Casey, Jill Klingner, Ira Moscovice
Date: 07/2001
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
view details
MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare in Rural America, 2001
Overview of Medicare and rural healthcare. Covers rural access to care, quality of care, and Medicare payments. Also examines rural beneficiaries' access to Medicare+Choice health plans.
Date: 06/2001
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details