Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
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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Home Cooked: A 50-Year History of Meth in America
Podcast series presents a discussion on the history of the use, production, and proliferation of methamphetamine in the U.S. The 5-episode series explores how the social perception of meth in America compares with the reality of its use throughout the 20th and 21st centuries and how this has affected rural communities.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Assembly, The Daily Yonder
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Podcast series presents a discussion on the history of the use, production, and proliferation of methamphetamine in the U.S. The 5-episode series explores how the social perception of meth in America compares with the reality of its use throughout the 20th and 21st centuries and how this has affected rural communities.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Assembly, The Daily Yonder
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Home Cooked: A 50-Year History of Meth in America - Ep. 3: Lab School
Podcast series presents a discussion on the history of the use, production, and proliferation of methamphetamine in the U.S. Episode 3 discusses the home meth lab surge in the rural Midwest and how this changed the distribution and policing of the illicit meth market.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Assembly, The Daily Yonder
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Podcast series presents a discussion on the history of the use, production, and proliferation of methamphetamine in the U.S. Episode 3 discusses the home meth lab surge in the rural Midwest and how this changed the distribution and policing of the illicit meth market.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Assembly, The Daily Yonder
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Home Cooked: A 50-Year History of Meth in America - Ep. 2: Made in the U.S.A.
Podcast series presents a discussion on the history of the use, production, and proliferation of methamphetamine in the U.S. Episode 2 discusses the history of legal methamphetamine production and use in the 1930s and follows the drug's production and distribution post-criminalization.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Assembly, The Daily Yonder
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Podcast series presents a discussion on the history of the use, production, and proliferation of methamphetamine in the U.S. Episode 2 discusses the history of legal methamphetamine production and use in the 1930s and follows the drug's production and distribution post-criminalization.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Assembly, The Daily Yonder
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American Clusters: Using Machine Learning to Understand Health and Health Care Disparities in the United States
Demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of using machine learning (ML) to identify social determinants of health, healthcare access, healthcare infrastructure, and geography factors contributing to health inequalities. Discusses use of ML in policy, with different levels of geography, and in future research.
Author(s): Diane M. Bowser, Kaili Maurico, Brielle A. Ruscitti, William H. Crown
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(3)
Date: 03/2024
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Demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of using machine learning (ML) to identify social determinants of health, healthcare access, healthcare infrastructure, and geography factors contributing to health inequalities. Discusses use of ML in policy, with different levels of geography, and in future research.
Author(s): Diane M. Bowser, Kaili Maurico, Brielle A. Ruscitti, William H. Crown
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(3)
Date: 03/2024
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March 2024 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2024 meeting. Covers proposed approaches and research topics related to evaluating rural hospital and clinician payment policies, an assessment of the completeness of Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data and other sources of information about MA enrollees' healthcare utilization, a preliminary analysis of MA quality, the Acute Hospital Care at Home program, and Medicare inpatient psychiatric service trends and issues.
Additional links: Rural Hospital and Clinician Payment Policy: A Workplan for 2024–2025 - Presentation Slides
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2024 meeting. Covers proposed approaches and research topics related to evaluating rural hospital and clinician payment policies, an assessment of the completeness of Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data and other sources of information about MA enrollees' healthcare utilization, a preliminary analysis of MA quality, the Acute Hospital Care at Home program, and Medicare inpatient psychiatric service trends and issues.
Additional links: Rural Hospital and Clinician Payment Policy: A Workplan for 2024–2025 - Presentation Slides
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Addressing the Shortage of Direct Care Workers: Insights from Seven States
Brief assessing efforts for strengthening and identifying federal policy opportunities related to the direct care workforce through interviews with 20 stakeholders in 7 states. Discusses federal funding, collaboration, workforce pipelines, equity, credentials, training, family caregivers, and home- and community-based services. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Barbara Lyons, Molly O'Malley Watts
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Brief assessing efforts for strengthening and identifying federal policy opportunities related to the direct care workforce through interviews with 20 stakeholders in 7 states. Discusses federal funding, collaboration, workforce pipelines, equity, credentials, training, family caregivers, and home- and community-based services. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Barbara Lyons, Molly O'Malley Watts
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Ohio Health Policy Brief: Connections Between Water Quality and Health
Examines water quality in Ohio, the health impacts of polluted water, and water policy to address potential harm. Provides data on harmful algal bloom, percent of households without complete plumbing facilities by county type, per capita H2Ohio funding for lead service line replacements by county type, and counties with drinking water violations. Includes discussion about environmental health disparities in disadvantaged populations, such as Appalachian and rural.
Author(s): Lexi Chirakos, Robin Blair-Ackison, Tonni Oberly, Jacob Santiago, Anna Sheeran
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Examines water quality in Ohio, the health impacts of polluted water, and water policy to address potential harm. Provides data on harmful algal bloom, percent of households without complete plumbing facilities by county type, per capita H2Ohio funding for lead service line replacements by county type, and counties with drinking water violations. Includes discussion about environmental health disparities in disadvantaged populations, such as Appalachian and rural.
Author(s): Lexi Chirakos, Robin Blair-Ackison, Tonni Oberly, Jacob Santiago, Anna Sheeran
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Ready or Not 2024: Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism
Report explores the readiness of state public health systems to respond to emergencies, such as diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism. Focuses on measures such as hospital safety scores, vaccination rates, and water system maintenance, among others. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Author(s): Matt McKillop, Rhea K. Farberman, Dara Alpert Lieberman
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Report explores the readiness of state public health systems to respond to emergencies, such as diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism. Focuses on measures such as hospital safety scores, vaccination rates, and water system maintenance, among others. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Author(s): Matt McKillop, Rhea K. Farberman, Dara Alpert Lieberman
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, March 2024
Reports on three aspects of Medicaid of interest to Congress: 1) improving the Medicaid beneficiary experience through Medical Care Advisory Committees (MCACs) and federal government actions to aid states, 2) increasing the transparency and improving the monitoring of the denials and appeals process in Medicaid managed care, and 3) reviewing hospital payment policy for the nation's safety-net hospitals. Chapter 3 examines the relationship between disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments to states and the number of uninsured individuals, the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs, and the number of hospitals with high levels of uncompensated care that also provide essential community services. Table 3-1 details DSH spending for urban and rural hospitals and for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Reports on three aspects of Medicaid of interest to Congress: 1) improving the Medicaid beneficiary experience through Medical Care Advisory Committees (MCACs) and federal government actions to aid states, 2) increasing the transparency and improving the monitoring of the denials and appeals process in Medicaid managed care, and 3) reviewing hospital payment policy for the nation's safety-net hospitals. Chapter 3 examines the relationship between disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments to states and the number of uninsured individuals, the amounts and sources of hospitals' uncompensated care costs, and the number of hospitals with high levels of uncompensated care that also provide essential community services. Table 3-1 details DSH spending for urban and rural hospitals and for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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