Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Mandated Report: Rural Emergency Hospitals: Chapter 15
Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Discusses the evolution of Medicare's support for rural hospitals through payment policies and the impact of declining inpatient volumes on rural hospitals' financial sustainability. Describes the characteristics of hospitals that converted to REH status in 2023, the first year of the designation.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Discusses the evolution of Medicare's support for rural hospitals through payment policies and the impact of declining inpatient volumes on rural hospitals' financial sustainability. Describes the characteristics of hospitals that converted to REH status in 2023, the first year of the designation.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2024
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D. Includes two mandated reports on special needs plans for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D. Includes two mandated reports on special needs plans for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Urban–Rural Differences in School Districts' Local Wellness Policies and Policy Implementation Environments
Compares urban and rural local wellness policies (LWPs) and implementation environments of 117 Texas school districts. Provides data on LWP goals, including nutrition and physical activity goals, as well as availability of district wellness plans, LWP assessments, and school health advisory councils. Highlights implications for rural school policy and student health.
Author(s): Swati Iyer, Timothy J. Walker, Alexandra L. MacMillan Uribe, et al.
Citation: Nutrients, 16(6), 801
Date: 03/2024
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Compares urban and rural local wellness policies (LWPs) and implementation environments of 117 Texas school districts. Provides data on LWP goals, including nutrition and physical activity goals, as well as availability of district wellness plans, LWP assessments, and school health advisory councils. Highlights implications for rural school policy and student health.
Author(s): Swati Iyer, Timothy J. Walker, Alexandra L. MacMillan Uribe, et al.
Citation: Nutrients, 16(6), 801
Date: 03/2024
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The 340B Drug Pricing Program: A Small Part of the Prescription Drug Market, Delivering Large Benefits to Patients and Communities
Analyzes impacts of the 340B Drug Pricing Program on access, hospital finance, drug companies, and public expenditures. Discusses how the 340B program is shaped by legislation, policy, finance, prescribing patterns, and market influences. Highlights rural and underserved communities throughout.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Analyzes impacts of the 340B Drug Pricing Program on access, hospital finance, drug companies, and public expenditures. Discusses how the 340B program is shaped by legislation, policy, finance, prescribing patterns, and market influences. Highlights rural and underserved communities throughout.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Hearing on Enhancing Access to Care at Home in Rural and Underserved Communities
Recording of a March 12, 2024, House Committee on Ways and Means hearing regarding opportunities and challenges to enhance access to care in patients' homes and modernizing care in rural and underserved communities, with a focus on telehealth and health information technology. Features testimony from two rural patients and representatives from Intermountain Health; Cadence, a company with expertise in chronic care management through remote physiologic monitoring; and Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Additional links: Ateev Mehrotra, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Testimony, Bell Maddux, Home Dialysis Patient - Testimony, Chris Altchek, Cadence - Testimony, Nathan Starr, Intermountain Health - Testimony, Roy Underhill, Hospital at Home Patient - Testimony
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee
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Recording of a March 12, 2024, House Committee on Ways and Means hearing regarding opportunities and challenges to enhance access to care in patients' homes and modernizing care in rural and underserved communities, with a focus on telehealth and health information technology. Features testimony from two rural patients and representatives from Intermountain Health; Cadence, a company with expertise in chronic care management through remote physiologic monitoring; and Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Additional links: Ateev Mehrotra, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Testimony, Bell Maddux, Home Dialysis Patient - Testimony, Chris Altchek, Cadence - Testimony, Nathan Starr, Intermountain Health - Testimony, Roy Underhill, Hospital at Home Patient - Testimony
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee
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Generic Drug Utilization and Spending Among Medicare Part D Enrollees in 2022
Issue brief on prescriptions for generic drugs filled by Medicare Part D enrollees using 2022 Part D prescription drug event (PDE) data. Covers commonly used prescription drugs, costs, and conditions treated, and includes data breakdowns by plan type, race and ethnicity, and level of rurality throughout. Discusses formulary design to improve access by promoting affordability and reducing confusion among enrollees.
Author(s): Yevgeniy Feyman, Bisma Sayed, Kenneth Finegold, et al.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Issue brief on prescriptions for generic drugs filled by Medicare Part D enrollees using 2022 Part D prescription drug event (PDE) data. Covers commonly used prescription drugs, costs, and conditions treated, and includes data breakdowns by plan type, race and ethnicity, and level of rurality throughout. Discusses formulary design to improve access by promoting affordability and reducing confusion among enrollees.
Author(s): Yevgeniy Feyman, Bisma Sayed, Kenneth Finegold, et al.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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2024-2026 Tennessee State Health Plan
Presents a plan for health improvement in Tennessee for the period 2024-2026. Describes the state of health in Tennessee, identifies priorities, and makes recommendations related to early life, care delivery, social determinants of health, and more. Highlights goals for nutrition, maternal and infant health, older adults and healthy aging, chronic conditions, cancer screening, transportation, and health workforce.
Additional links: State Health Plan Priority Areas
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Presents a plan for health improvement in Tennessee for the period 2024-2026. Describes the state of health in Tennessee, identifies priorities, and makes recommendations related to early life, care delivery, social determinants of health, and more. Highlights goals for nutrition, maternal and infant health, older adults and healthy aging, chronic conditions, cancer screening, transportation, and health workforce.
Additional links: State Health Plan Priority Areas
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Nonmetropolitan Premiums, Issuer Participation, and Enrollment in Health Insurance Marketplaces in 2022
Policy brief describing differences in unsubsidized and net-of-subsidy premiums in 2022 between nonmetropolitan and metropolitan counties in Health Insurance Marketplace plan design and availability. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Author(s): Abigail Barker, Ayushi Shrivastava, Eliot Jost, Timothy McBride, Keith Mueller
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Policy brief describing differences in unsubsidized and net-of-subsidy premiums in 2022 between nonmetropolitan and metropolitan counties in Health Insurance Marketplace plan design and availability. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Author(s): Abigail Barker, Ayushi Shrivastava, Eliot Jost, Timothy McBride, Keith Mueller
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Inflation Reduction Act Research Series: Projected Impacts for Rural Medicare Enrollees
Provides an overview of how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is intended to improve prescription drug affordability for Medicare enrollees. Describes Medicare enrollment in rural areas and rural residents' health status and access to care. Outlines the projected impact of drug-related IRA provisions for rural Medicare beneficiaries, including the expansion of financial assistance through the low-income subsidy program, out-of-pocket spending caps for insulin, changes in Part D benefit design, and more.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Provides an overview of how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is intended to improve prescription drug affordability for Medicare enrollees. Describes Medicare enrollment in rural areas and rural residents' health status and access to care. Outlines the projected impact of drug-related IRA provisions for rural Medicare beneficiaries, including the expansion of financial assistance through the low-income subsidy program, out-of-pocket spending caps for insulin, changes in Part D benefit design, and more.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Rural Health Leadership, with Steve Simonin
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Steve Simonin, President and CEO of Iowa Specialty Hospital and Clinics. Focuses on how healthcare systems can invest in their communities, strategies for ensuring long-term rural health sustainability, and the importance of maintaining communication with state and federal support systems.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Steve Simonin, President and CEO of Iowa Specialty Hospital and Clinics. Focuses on how healthcare systems can invest in their communities, strategies for ensuring long-term rural health sustainability, and the importance of maintaining communication with state and federal support systems.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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