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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy

Home Health Payment Reform: Trends in the Supply of Rural Agencies and Availability of Home-Based Skilled Services
Reports on changes in the supply of home health agencies in rural and urban areas before and after the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997, which changed reimbursement for home health. Also looks at provision of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and medical social work by rural and urban home health agencies.
Author(s): Janet P. Sutton
Date: 03/2005
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Medicare Physician Fees: Geographic Adjustment Indices Are Valid in Design, but Data and Methods Need Refinement
Discusses Medicare's geographic practice cost indices (GPCI). Includes discussion of how these indices impact rural physicians, physician incomes, location, recruitment, and retention.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2005
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Impacts of the Medicare Modernization Act on Rural Health Systems and Beneficiaries
Offers an analysis of rural-pertinent provisions of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. Summarizes legislative and regulatory provisions of special significance to rural beneficiaries and health care systems.
Author(s): Keith Mueller, Andrew Coburn, Charles Fluharty, et al.
Date: 02/2005
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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A Guide for Enhancing Rural Emergency Medical Services
Offers guidance for implementation of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Provides strategies that can be employed to enhance rural emergency medical services.
Date: 2005
Sponsoring organization: Transportation Research Board
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Quality Through Collaboration: The Future of Rural Health Care
Examines healthcare quality in rural America and offers a strategy to address the quality challenges in rural communities. Includes key findings on rural healthcare quality and patient safety, as well as recommendations.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2005
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Arizona Rural Health Plan 2005-2007
Reports on how to strengthen the rural health infrastructure in the state as well as how to enhance access to health services by rural residents.
Author(s): Howard J. Eng, Julie Jacobs, Jennifer Peashock
Date: 12/2004
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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FCC Rural Health Care Support Mechanism: Second Report and Order, Order on Reconsiderations, & Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
FCC report identifying the expansion of funding for rural telemedicine services to improve the effectiveness of the rural healthcare universal service support mechanism. The mechanism provides discounts to rural healthcare providers to access modern telecommunications for medical and health maintenance purposes. Defines "Rural Area."
Date: 12/2004
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Medicare Hospice Care: Modifications to Payment Methodology May Be Warranted
Discusses proposed adjustments to Medicare payments for hospice services. Includes some information on rural aspects of hospice and Medicare reimbursement.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2004
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Broken Promises: Evaluating the Native American Health Care System
Describes the health disparities facing the Native American community, contributing barriers to healthcare access, and recommendations for improvement.
Date: 09/2004
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
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Welfare Reform: Rural TANF Programs Have Developed Many Strategies to Address Rural Challenges
Describes the rural caseload for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and how the caseload has changed over time. Includes data on rural-urban TANF cases for each state. Describes challenges facing rural TANF programs, including health-related challenges, and strategies used to address these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2004
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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