Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Dental Therapy Resource Guide
Describes the role of dental therapists in expanding access to dental health care in rural communities. Outlines the status of state laws and regulations regarding dental therapy education and practice as of August 2021. Compares the scope of practice of dental therapists to other dental care providers.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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Describes the role of dental therapists in expanding access to dental health care in rural communities. Outlines the status of state laws and regulations regarding dental therapy education and practice as of August 2021. Compares the scope of practice of dental therapists to other dental care providers.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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History of the National Survey of Early Care and Education, Part II: The Development of the 2019 NSECE and the NSECE COVID-19 Longitudinal Follow-Up
Provides information on the different versions of the National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE), including policy developments, funding, program expansions, survey methodology, and findings. Includes discussion of ECE in rural areas.
Author(s): Martha Zaslow, Tamara Halle, Rebecca Madill, Nicole Forry
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, Child Trends
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Provides information on the different versions of the National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE), including policy developments, funding, program expansions, survey methodology, and findings. Includes discussion of ECE in rural areas.
Author(s): Martha Zaslow, Tamara Halle, Rebecca Madill, Nicole Forry
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, Child Trends
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Swimming Upstream on the Path to Thriving
Explores challenges and opportunities for equitable economic development in rural, disadvantaged communities. Discusses the impact of persistent poverty, local entrepreneurship supports, community development strategies and policies, and investment models. Highlights the relationship between community health and prosperity, including discussion of the value of local hospitals and medical centers.
Author(s): May Erouart, Amanda Weinstein
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation
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Explores challenges and opportunities for equitable economic development in rural, disadvantaged communities. Discusses the impact of persistent poverty, local entrepreneurship supports, community development strategies and policies, and investment models. Highlights the relationship between community health and prosperity, including discussion of the value of local hospitals and medical centers.
Author(s): May Erouart, Amanda Weinstein
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation
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Interim Final Rule on Non-Congregate Summer Meals: What It Means for You This Summer
A recorded webinar that discusses the interim final rule (IFR) on non-congregate summer meals in rural areas. Provides information on definitions, eligibility, and allowable models and flexibilities. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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A recorded webinar that discusses the interim final rule (IFR) on non-congregate summer meals in rural areas. Provides information on definitions, eligibility, and allowable models and flexibilities. Transcript available below description.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Successful Non-Congregate Meal Service Models for Rural Areas: Implementation Guide
Provides models and examples of non-congregate meal service implementation in rural areas. Includes background on policy decisions and legislative definitions.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Provides models and examples of non-congregate meal service implementation in rural areas. Includes background on policy decisions and legislative definitions.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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A Lack of Behavioral Health Providers in Medicare and Medicaid Impedes Enrollees' Access to Care
Examines the availability of behavioral health providers who actively serve Medicare or Medicaid enrollees in 20 counties, 10 urban and 10 rural, across 10 states in 2021. Explores the extent to which traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid enrollees received behavioral health services and whether they used telehealth or in-person services. Offers recommendations to encourage more behavioral health providers to serve these enrollees and expand coverage to additional behavioral health provider types. Includes rural and urban comparisons throughout.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Examines the availability of behavioral health providers who actively serve Medicare or Medicaid enrollees in 20 counties, 10 urban and 10 rural, across 10 states in 2021. Explores the extent to which traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid enrollees received behavioral health services and whether they used telehealth or in-person services. Offers recommendations to encourage more behavioral health providers to serve these enrollees and expand coverage to additional behavioral health provider types. Includes rural and urban comparisons throughout.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Rural Partners Network with Farah Ahmad
Podcast episode featuring Farah Ahmad, Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Discusses the Rural Partners Network, an alliance of 25 federal agencies working together with 36 communities across 10 states and Puerto Rico to help rural communities build prosperity through job creation, infrastructure development, and community improvement. Describes how USDA Rural Development and the Rural Partners Network are working to address housing and transportation concerns in rural areas.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Impact! Communications, Inc.
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Podcast episode featuring Farah Ahmad, Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Discusses the Rural Partners Network, an alliance of 25 federal agencies working together with 36 communities across 10 states and Puerto Rico to help rural communities build prosperity through job creation, infrastructure development, and community improvement. Describes how USDA Rural Development and the Rural Partners Network are working to address housing and transportation concerns in rural areas.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Impact! Communications, Inc.
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Maternal and Infant Health: HHS Should Strengthen Processes for Measuring Program Performance
Provides an overview of the Healthy Start program, which aims to reduce rates of infant death, improve maternal health outcomes, and reduce racial and ethnic disparities. Describes Healthy Start grantees and participants served during the April 2019-March 2024 grant period, as well as services that grantees are expected to provide and changes to these expectations for the 2024-2029 grant period. Explores the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services's (HHS) efforts to measure program performance, the extent to which Healthy Start performance measures meet key attributes of effective measures, and HHS' efforts to align Healthy Start performance measures with those of related HHS programs. Includes information on Healthy Start programs and participants by organization type, race, and rurality. Offers recommendations regarding reviewing and coordinating Healthy Start performance measures across Healthy Start and related programs.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of the Healthy Start program, which aims to reduce rates of infant death, improve maternal health outcomes, and reduce racial and ethnic disparities. Describes Healthy Start grantees and participants served during the April 2019-March 2024 grant period, as well as services that grantees are expected to provide and changes to these expectations for the 2024-2029 grant period. Explores the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services's (HHS) efforts to measure program performance, the extent to which Healthy Start performance measures meet key attributes of effective measures, and HHS' efforts to align Healthy Start performance measures with those of related HHS programs. Includes information on Healthy Start programs and participants by organization type, race, and rurality. Offers recommendations regarding reviewing and coordinating Healthy Start performance measures across Healthy Start and related programs.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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North Carolina Healthcare Association Critical Workforce Needs Assessment
Reports on healthcare workforce trends in North Carolina, including discussion of state demographics, policy changes, and strategies influencing workforce needs and availability. Highlights the rural aging population and a need for health workers in rural communities.
Author(s): Patrick McHugh, Alison Bean de Hernandez, Chrystall Davis, Michael Hogan, Sara Nienow
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Healthcare Association
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Reports on healthcare workforce trends in North Carolina, including discussion of state demographics, policy changes, and strategies influencing workforce needs and availability. Highlights the rural aging population and a need for health workers in rural communities.
Author(s): Patrick McHugh, Alison Bean de Hernandez, Chrystall Davis, Michael Hogan, Sara Nienow
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Healthcare Association
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Environmental Scan on Developing and Implementing Performance Measures for Population-Based Total Cost of Care (PB-TCOC) Models
Presents results of an environmental scan regarding the development and implementation of population-based total cost of care (PB-TCOC) payment models. Describes types of performance measures used in value-based payment models and pay-for-reporting programs, data sources used for constructing performance measures, features of PB-TCOC models, challenges in developing and implementing performance measures and opportunities for Alternative Payment Models (APMs) and PB-TCOC models to address these challenges, trends in existing performance measures across several Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) models and Medicare value-based care programs, and more. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Presents results of an environmental scan regarding the development and implementation of population-based total cost of care (PB-TCOC) payment models. Describes types of performance measures used in value-based payment models and pay-for-reporting programs, data sources used for constructing performance measures, features of PB-TCOC models, challenges in developing and implementing performance measures and opportunities for Alternative Payment Models (APMs) and PB-TCOC models to address these challenges, trends in existing performance measures across several Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) models and Medicare value-based care programs, and more. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, NORC at the University of Chicago
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