Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Rural Long-Term Care Services and Supports
Policy position paper regarding challenges related to providing high-quality long-term care for older adults in rural areas. Describes how workforce shortages, long-term care financing, and administrative burden impact rural providers. Outlines policy recommendations for policy reforms to address these challenges and improve access to quality long-term care services.
Author(s): Shakeerah McCoy, Jeff Dunbar, Lex Pierre
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
Policy position paper regarding challenges related to providing high-quality long-term care for older adults in rural areas. Describes how workforce shortages, long-term care financing, and administrative burden impact rural providers. Outlines policy recommendations for policy reforms to address these challenges and improve access to quality long-term care services.
Author(s): Shakeerah McCoy, Jeff Dunbar, Lex Pierre
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
Addressing the National Rural Health Care Worker Shortage with A Focus on Kindergarten Through 12th Grade Educational Strategies
Policy position paper regarding addressing rural healthcare workforce shortages through K-12 pipeline programs. Discusses educational, programmatic, and financial challenges to engaging K-12 students and implementing pipeline programs. Offers policy recommendations for the U.S. Congress and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to promote student preparedness and interest in health careers.
Author(s): Nicole Thill, Michelle Fortune, Abigail Radcliffe
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
Policy position paper regarding addressing rural healthcare workforce shortages through K-12 pipeline programs. Discusses educational, programmatic, and financial challenges to engaging K-12 students and implementing pipeline programs. Offers policy recommendations for the U.S. Congress and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to promote student preparedness and interest in health careers.
Author(s): Nicole Thill, Michelle Fortune, Abigail Radcliffe
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
Medicare Advantage Growth and Its Impact on Rural Health Care
Policy position paper regarding the impact of the increase of Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment in rural areas on healthcare access, delivery, and financial viability. Offers policy recommendations to support rural MA beneficiaries, healthcare providers, and hospitals at a local level, as well as rural healthcare provision within the MA framework.
Author(s): Carrie Shaver, Kevin Lambing, Lisa Rantz
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
Policy position paper regarding the impact of the increase of Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment in rural areas on healthcare access, delivery, and financial viability. Offers policy recommendations to support rural MA beneficiaries, healthcare providers, and hospitals at a local level, as well as rural healthcare provision within the MA framework.
Author(s): Carrie Shaver, Kevin Lambing, Lisa Rantz
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
What's in it for Rural? Analyzing the Opportunities for Rural America in IIJA, CHIPS, and IRA
Evaluates the significance to rural areas of appropriations and authorizations approved by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Identifies rural-significant funding by agency and sector, and discusses economic and financial aspects of allocations and funding structure. Summarizes major appropriations in infrastructure, energy, broadband, environment, and more. Provides recommendations for use and reporting of funds by officials, agencies, and policymakers.
Author(s): Anthony F. Pipa, Elise Pietro
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: The Brookings Institution
view details
Evaluates the significance to rural areas of appropriations and authorizations approved by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Identifies rural-significant funding by agency and sector, and discusses economic and financial aspects of allocations and funding structure. Summarizes major appropriations in infrastructure, energy, broadband, environment, and more. Provides recommendations for use and reporting of funds by officials, agencies, and policymakers.
Author(s): Anthony F. Pipa, Elise Pietro
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: The Brookings Institution
view details
December 2023 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2023 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, hospice services, outpatient dialysis services, ambulatory surgical center services, skilled nursing facilities, skilled nursing facility services, home health services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2023 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, hospice services, outpatient dialysis services, ambulatory surgical center services, skilled nursing facilities, skilled nursing facility services, home health services, and inpatient rehabilitation facility services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Supporting Health Care Teams for Today and Pathways for Tomorrow: Twenty-Second Annual Report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Congress
Offers policy recommendations regarding activities related to healthcare workforce education and training. Recommendations cover three programmatic areas - behavioral health workforce, geriatrics, and Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) - and are related to engaging potential trainees across the life course, recognizing and training caregivers as workforce participants, revising financial support to critical programs for recruitment and retention, and updating policy terms to better address challenges.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary Community-Based Linkages
view details
Offers policy recommendations regarding activities related to healthcare workforce education and training. Recommendations cover three programmatic areas - behavioral health workforce, geriatrics, and Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) - and are related to engaging potential trainees across the life course, recognizing and training caregivers as workforce participants, revising financial support to critical programs for recruitment and retention, and updating policy terms to better address challenges.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary Community-Based Linkages
view details
Fact Sheet: How to Define Rurality
Fact sheet defines rural in the context of the Veterans Health Administration. Discusses RUCA codes, Census tracts, and how the VA assigns rurality.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
view details
Fact sheet defines rural in the context of the Veterans Health Administration. Discusses RUCA codes, Census tracts, and how the VA assigns rurality.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
view details
2023 Nebraska Rural Poll Research Report: Perceptions of the Farm Bill Among Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans
Analyzes 2023 Nebraska Rural Poll results related to how rural Nebraskans perceive federal agricultural policy and farm bill programs. Includes survey data and demographic information on survey respondents.
Author(s): Rebecca Vogt, Heather Akin, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, et al.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
view details
Analyzes 2023 Nebraska Rural Poll results related to how rural Nebraskans perceive federal agricultural policy and farm bill programs. Includes survey data and demographic information on survey respondents.
Author(s): Rebecca Vogt, Heather Akin, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, et al.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
view details
2023 Technical Expert Panel Meetings: Expanded Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model Summary Report
Provides an overview of the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model and the Expanded HHVBP Model. Summarizes discussions and feedback from the Expanded HHVBP Technical Expert Panel in 2023, including health equity approaches, performance measures, measure weights, and performance reporting. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Provides an overview of the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model and the Expanded HHVBP Model. Summarizes discussions and feedback from the Expanded HHVBP Technical Expert Panel in 2023, including health equity approaches, performance measures, measure weights, and performance reporting. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Confronting Workforce Shortages and Health Worker Well-Being
Six videos addressing the impact of healthcare worker shortages and how those shortages affect individual well-being and the ability to provide care in rural communities. Includes a keynote presentation by the Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Health Service. Transcripts available under the descriptions of the videos.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
view details
Six videos addressing the impact of healthcare worker shortages and how those shortages affect individual well-being and the ability to provide care in rural communities. Includes a keynote presentation by the Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Health Service. Transcripts available under the descriptions of the videos.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
view details