Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. 2024
Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, travel time to maternity care, chronic conditions of birthing people, social drivers of health, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of the maternal health workforce as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, travel time to maternity care, chronic conditions of birthing people, social drivers of health, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of the maternal health workforce as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Ensuring Access To Care: 340B Arrangements with Community and Specialty Pharmacies Improve Access to Care for Underserved Patients
Provides an overview of the 340B Drug Pricing Program, related legislation, benefits to underserved communities, relationship to specialty and community pharmacies, and more. Includes discussion on the value of the 340B program for rural pharmacies.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Provides an overview of the 340B Drug Pricing Program, related legislation, benefits to underserved communities, relationship to specialty and community pharmacies, and more. Includes discussion on the value of the 340B program for rural pharmacies.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Revised: Guidance for Rural Emergency Hospital Provisions, Conversion Process and Conditions of Participation
Provides guidance regarding the enrollment and conversion processes for facilities interested in participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs as a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). Covers eligibility, enrollment, conversion action plans, action plans, and attestation. Includes answers to frequently asked questions about the REH program.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides guidance regarding the enrollment and conversion processes for facilities interested in participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs as a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH). Covers eligibility, enrollment, conversion action plans, action plans, and attestation. Includes answers to frequently asked questions about the REH program.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (ACTPCMD) Meeting Minutes, August 1-2, 2024
Summarizes the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (ACTPCMD) meeting held on August 1-2, 2024. Features updates from the Bureau of Health Workforce on programs to address healthcare workforce shortages, presentations and discussions on Title VII Sections 747 and 748 grant programs, and a presentation on the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program, among other things.
Additional links: Presentations
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry
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Summarizes the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (ACTPCMD) meeting held on August 1-2, 2024. Features updates from the Bureau of Health Workforce on programs to address healthcare workforce shortages, presentations and discussions on Title VII Sections 747 and 748 grant programs, and a presentation on the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program, among other things.
Additional links: Presentations
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry
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The Burden of Cardiovascular Disease in the United States: Patterns and Barriers to Care
Provides an overview of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including related adverse health outcomes, risk factors, and prevention and treatment options. Discusses disparities in CVD burden, barriers patients may face in accessing care, and the economic costs of insufficient CVD prevention and treatment. Presents an analysis of 2019 data on the prevalence of CVD, risk factors, complications, and healthcare utilization and spending among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries by sex, age, race/ethnicity, Medicaid enrollment, and rural/urban residence. Highlights U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiatives to address CVD.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Provides an overview of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including related adverse health outcomes, risk factors, and prevention and treatment options. Discusses disparities in CVD burden, barriers patients may face in accessing care, and the economic costs of insufficient CVD prevention and treatment. Presents an analysis of 2019 data on the prevalence of CVD, risk factors, complications, and healthcare utilization and spending among fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries by sex, age, race/ethnicity, Medicaid enrollment, and rural/urban residence. Highlights U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiatives to address CVD.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Creating a Financially Prosperous Ohio: Strategies to Improve Family Financial Security
Discusses the connection between financial insecurity and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in Ohio. Provides information on social determinants of health, including median wages, childhood poverty, parental incarceration, housing, education and employment, racial discrimination, and more. Includes county-level map showing percent of households below Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Discusses policy actions to help improve financial self-sufficiency for Ohio families.
Author(s): Jacob Santiago, Carrie Almasi, Robin Blair-Ackison, et al.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Discusses the connection between financial insecurity and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in Ohio. Provides information on social determinants of health, including median wages, childhood poverty, parental incarceration, housing, education and employment, racial discrimination, and more. Includes county-level map showing percent of households below Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Discusses policy actions to help improve financial self-sufficiency for Ohio families.
Author(s): Jacob Santiago, Carrie Almasi, Robin Blair-Ackison, et al.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Research Insights: How Do Ransomware Attacks Impact Rural Hospitals?
Provides an overview of a study regarding the likelihood of ransomware attacks on, and the degree to which such attacks result in operational disruptions at, urban and rural hospitals. Describes how the findings of this study can inform cybersecurity regulations and protocols in rural settings.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation
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Provides an overview of a study regarding the likelihood of ransomware attacks on, and the degree to which such attacks result in operational disruptions at, urban and rural hospitals. Describes how the findings of this study can inform cybersecurity regulations and protocols in rural settings.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation
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Rural Health Disparities in Hawai'i
Highlights rural health disparities in Hawaii related to overall health perception, physical health, and mental health. Includes discussion of disparities within rural areas for people with disabilities and people with incomes below the poverty line. Offers rural and urban comparisons, sociodemographic characteristics of surveyed individuals, and policy implications for study findings.
Author(s): Daniela Bond-Smith, Steven Bond-Smith, Ruben Juarez
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organizations: The Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai'i, UH Rural Health Research and Policy Center
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Highlights rural health disparities in Hawaii related to overall health perception, physical health, and mental health. Includes discussion of disparities within rural areas for people with disabilities and people with incomes below the poverty line. Offers rural and urban comparisons, sociodemographic characteristics of surveyed individuals, and policy implications for study findings.
Author(s): Daniela Bond-Smith, Steven Bond-Smith, Ruben Juarez
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organizations: The Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai'i, UH Rural Health Research and Policy Center
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Hawaiʻi Strategic Prevention Framework Partnerships for Success: Community Health Improvement Plan
Presents a plan to improve substance use prevention in Hawaiʻi, outlining goals and guiding decision-making and project administration. Includes discussion of rural and Native Hawaiian populations affected by substance use and treatment disparities.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: State of Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (ADAD)
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Presents a plan to improve substance use prevention in Hawaiʻi, outlining goals and guiding decision-making and project administration. Includes discussion of rural and Native Hawaiian populations affected by substance use and treatment disparities.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: State of Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (ADAD)
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Payment System for End-Stage Renal Disease for CY 2025
Comments on a July 5, 2024, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Includes comments addressing modifications to the outlier policy, updates to the low-volume payment adjustment (LVPA), and updates to the wage index methodology.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on a July 5, 2024, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Includes comments addressing modifications to the outlier policy, updates to the low-volume payment adjustment (LVPA), and updates to the wage index methodology.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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