Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Interim Final Rule on Non-Congregate Summer Meals: Top Takeaways for Operators
Provides information on the interim final rule (IFR) regarding non-congregate summer meals, established in December 2023 by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Discusses IFR highlights for food program operators, such as rural definitions, congregate service access, meal service options, approved sites, and more.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Provides information on the interim final rule (IFR) regarding non-congregate summer meals, established in December 2023 by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Discusses IFR highlights for food program operators, such as rural definitions, congregate service access, meal service options, approved sites, and more.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Beneficiary and Clinician Perspectives on Medicare and Other Issues: Findings from 2023 Focus Groups in Select States
Summarizes findings from 24 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between May and July 2023, including three virtual focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, organization of care, and prescription drugs.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Summarizes findings from 24 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between May and July 2023, including three virtual focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, organization of care, and prescription drugs.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Evaluation of the Primary Care First Model: Second Annual Report
Provides an overview of the Primary Care First (PCF) model, which aims to enhance primary care and move primary care practitioners toward value-based payment. Describes the PCF model implementation experiences for Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 practices. Explores the preliminary impact of the PCF Model on acute hospitalizations and Medicare Part A and B expenditures relative to a comparison group. Estimates the impacts of the model on a set of seven leading indicators to provide an early assessment of whether care delivery changes are resulting in meaningful early outcome changes. Highlights implications from this report for the Primary Care First model and future models.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Provides an overview of the Primary Care First (PCF) model, which aims to enhance primary care and move primary care practitioners toward value-based payment. Describes the PCF model implementation experiences for Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 practices. Explores the preliminary impact of the PCF Model on acute hospitalizations and Medicare Part A and B expenditures relative to a comparison group. Estimates the impacts of the model on a set of seven leading indicators to provide an early assessment of whether care delivery changes are resulting in meaningful early outcome changes. Highlights implications from this report for the Primary Care First model and future models.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Small Business Administration: Targeted Outreach about Disaster Assistance Could Benefit Rural Communities
Examines disaster loan trends in rural and urban areas using geocoded Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan application data for fiscal years 2017 through 2022. Describes challenges rural communities may face in seeking disaster assistance from SBA and actions SBA could take to address these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines disaster loan trends in rural and urban areas using geocoded Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan application data for fiscal years 2017 through 2022. Describes challenges rural communities may face in seeking disaster assistance from SBA and actions SBA could take to address these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Mobile Units and Your RHC - Is It a Good Fit?
Recording of a February 21, 2024, webinar reviewing regulations and guidance regarding Rural Health Clinic (RHC) mobile units. Explores operational considerations regarding whether a mobile unit is a good fit for an RHC. Profiles the experiences of Baptist Health opening a mobile RHC unit in rural Kentucky. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of a February 21, 2024, webinar reviewing regulations and guidance regarding Rural Health Clinic (RHC) mobile units. Explores operational considerations regarding whether a mobile unit is a good fit for an RHC. Profiles the experiences of Baptist Health opening a mobile RHC unit in rural Kentucky. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Policy and Research Update: Financial Models for Rural Hospitals
Slides presented at the 2024 American Hospital Association's Rural Health Care Leadership conference that discuss healthcare payment policies, value-based care, alternative payment models, Medicare Advantage, and more. Provides discussion on how rural hospitals are are adapting to financial models, statistics on insurance adoption, and related resources.
Author(s): Christina Campos, Kristen Dillon, Keith Mueller, George Pink
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Iowa College of Public Health, Rural Policy Research Institute
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Slides presented at the 2024 American Hospital Association's Rural Health Care Leadership conference that discuss healthcare payment policies, value-based care, alternative payment models, Medicare Advantage, and more. Provides discussion on how rural hospitals are are adapting to financial models, statistics on insurance adoption, and related resources.
Author(s): Christina Campos, Kristen Dillon, Keith Mueller, George Pink
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Iowa College of Public Health, Rural Policy Research Institute
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Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model: Evaluation Report 2
Presents findings from the first year of the implementation of the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model, which aims to improve health outcomes for Medicaid-enrolled children with complex physical and behavioral health needs. Provides an overview of the InCK Model and profiles each InCK award recipient's model, community context, approach to assessing beneficiary needs, and alternative payment model design. Identifies models serving rural areas and service gaps in these areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Presents findings from the first year of the implementation of the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model, which aims to improve health outcomes for Medicaid-enrolled children with complex physical and behavioral health needs. Provides an overview of the InCK Model and profiles each InCK award recipient's model, community context, approach to assessing beneficiary needs, and alternative payment model design. Identifies models serving rural areas and service gaps in these areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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2024 Stability of the Rural Health Safety Net: State and National Data Tables
Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies such as sequestration and bad debt reimbursement on rural hospital revenues, jobs, and gross domestic product. Presented at the February 2024 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies such as sequestration and bad debt reimbursement on rural hospital revenues, jobs, and gross domestic product. Presented at the February 2024 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Nursing Home Workforce Issues and Inequities
Offers an overview of issues related to the direct care workforce in nursing homes including staffing shortages, recruitment and retention, low wages, job training, interdisciplinary care, and more. Discusses proposed policies offering workforce-related reforms. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Jasmine L. Travers, Rita Choula, Edem Hado
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Offers an overview of issues related to the direct care workforce in nursing homes including staffing shortages, recruitment and retention, low wages, job training, interdisciplinary care, and more. Discusses proposed policies offering workforce-related reforms. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Jasmine L. Travers, Rita Choula, Edem Hado
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit
Toolkit to support state policymakers in expanding the use of telehealth to deliver Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) services. Provides information on telehealth flexibilities under Medicaid and CHIP; billing best practices; strategies for telehealth in value-based care; best practices from states during the COVID-19 public health emergency; strategies to promote the delivery of accessible and culturally competent care via telehealth; evaluation strategies to understand how telehealth affects quality, outcomes, and cost, and more. Offers state policy and operational considerations; information about common telehealth modalities; frequently asked questions for states to consider as they explore whether to expand the use of telehealth; Medicaid managed care and fee-for-service state checklists; and other planning tools. Includes information about using telehealth to deliver services to medically underserved and rural communities, older adults, and other specific populations.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Toolkit to support state policymakers in expanding the use of telehealth to deliver Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) services. Provides information on telehealth flexibilities under Medicaid and CHIP; billing best practices; strategies for telehealth in value-based care; best practices from states during the COVID-19 public health emergency; strategies to promote the delivery of accessible and culturally competent care via telehealth; evaluation strategies to understand how telehealth affects quality, outcomes, and cost, and more. Offers state policy and operational considerations; information about common telehealth modalities; frequently asked questions for states to consider as they explore whether to expand the use of telehealth; Medicaid managed care and fee-for-service state checklists; and other planning tools. Includes information about using telehealth to deliver services to medically underserved and rural communities, older adults, and other specific populations.
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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