Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Medicare Program: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs; Organ Acquisition; Rural Emergency Hospitals: Payment Policies, Conditions of Participation, Provider Enrollment, Physician Self-Referral; New Service Category for Hospital Outpatient Department Prior Authorization Process; Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating; COVID-19
Establishes the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) provider type. Outlines REH payment policy, Conditions of Participation (CoPs), quality measures, and enrollment policy. Outlines changes to the Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) CoPs regarding location and distance requirements, patient's rights requirements, and flexibilities for CAHs that are part of a larger health system. Among other things, this rule also revises the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2023 and finalizes provisions included in the COVID-19 interim final rules.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Establishes the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) provider type. Outlines REH payment policy, Conditions of Participation (CoPs), quality measures, and enrollment policy. Outlines changes to the Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) CoPs regarding location and distance requirements, patient's rights requirements, and flexibilities for CAHs that are part of a larger health system. Among other things, this rule also revises the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2023 and finalizes provisions included in the COVID-19 interim final rules.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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CY 2023 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Final Rule (CMS 1772-FC) Rural Emergency Hospitals — New Medicare Provider Type
Provides an overview of Rural Emergency Hospitals, a Medicare provider type established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. Details key policies outlined in the Calendar Year 2023 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System Final Rule, including payment policies, conditions of participation, REH provider enrollment, and exceptions to the physician self-referral law.
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of Rural Emergency Hospitals, a Medicare provider type established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. Details key policies outlined in the Calendar Year 2023 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System Final Rule, including payment policies, conditions of participation, REH provider enrollment, and exceptions to the physician self-referral law.
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Factors Associated with Compliance to the Hospital Price Transparency Final Rule: A National Landscape Study
Examines 3,558 short-term acute-care hospitals' compliance with the Hospital Price Transparency Rule, which requires that hospitals publicly post a machine-readable file containing commercial negotiated prices for 300 services. Compares hospital compliance by state and hospital referral region. Describes factors associated with compliance, including health information technology preparedness, profit status, system affiliation, hospital size, and rural location.
Author(s): John Xuefeng Jiang, Daniel Polsky, Jeff Littlejohn, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 37(14), 3577–3584
Date: 11/2022
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Examines 3,558 short-term acute-care hospitals' compliance with the Hospital Price Transparency Rule, which requires that hospitals publicly post a machine-readable file containing commercial negotiated prices for 300 services. Compares hospital compliance by state and hospital referral region. Describes factors associated with compliance, including health information technology preparedness, profit status, system affiliation, hospital size, and rural location.
Author(s): John Xuefeng Jiang, Daniel Polsky, Jeff Littlejohn, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 37(14), 3577–3584
Date: 11/2022
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Virtual Communication Services in Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
Provides information for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) regarding billing and payment for virtual communication services as established in the 2019 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule.
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides information for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) regarding billing and payment for virtual communication services as established in the 2019 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule.
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Strategies to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Ohio
Examines strategies to reduce adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in Ohio. Focuses on caregiver skills training, violence prevention programs, social-emotional learning in schools, and mentoring programs. Includes county-level data on families enrolled in prevention services as well as discussions centered on rural and/or Appalachian areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Examines strategies to reduce adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in Ohio. Focuses on caregiver skills training, violence prevention programs, social-emotional learning in schools, and mentoring programs. Includes county-level data on families enrolled in prevention services as well as discussions centered on rural and/or Appalachian areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Using Maps to Inform Decisions about Child Care and Early Education
Discusses how utilizing maps can assist childcare and early education (CCEE) leaders and partners in the planning of policy, resource allocation, supply building, and family support strategies. Provides county-level examples of maps and discusses technical considerations related to making local decisions about CCEE availability and access.
Author(s): Van-Kim Lin, Erin Bumgarner, Dayne Ornelas Gonzalez, Kelly Maxwell
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, Child Trends
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Discusses how utilizing maps can assist childcare and early education (CCEE) leaders and partners in the planning of policy, resource allocation, supply building, and family support strategies. Provides county-level examples of maps and discusses technical considerations related to making local decisions about CCEE availability and access.
Author(s): Van-Kim Lin, Erin Bumgarner, Dayne Ornelas Gonzalez, Kelly Maxwell
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, Child Trends
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October 2022 MACPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) October 2022 meeting. Covers Medicaid race and ethnicity data collection and reporting, improving access to Medicaid coverage and care for adults leaving incarceration, the unwinding of the Public Health Emergency, streamlining the delivery of home- and community-based services, potential recommendations for structuring Disproportionate Share Hospital allotments during economic crises, and more. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) October 2022 meeting. Covers Medicaid race and ethnicity data collection and reporting, improving access to Medicaid coverage and care for adults leaving incarceration, the unwinding of the Public Health Emergency, streamlining the delivery of home- and community-based services, potential recommendations for structuring Disproportionate Share Hospital allotments during economic crises, and more. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Broadband: USDA Should Set Performance Goals and Improve Fraud Risk Management for Funding Program
Provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ReConnect program, which awards grants and loans to provide broadband service in rural areas. Analyzes ReConnect award and application data from 2018 through 2021 to examine the program's performance goals and alignment with selected leading fraud risk management practices. Offers recommendations to USDA on ReConnect's performance goals and fraud risk management.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ReConnect program, which awards grants and loans to provide broadband service in rural areas. Analyzes ReConnect award and application data from 2018 through 2021 to examine the program's performance goals and alignment with selected leading fraud risk management practices. Offers recommendations to USDA on ReConnect's performance goals and fraud risk management.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Teledentistry Trends in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Reviews the use of teledentistry during and following the COVID-19 pandemic in California, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and examines reimbursement issues and supports needed to enhance dental care in a post-COVID-19 world. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Miranda Werts, Prashanta Patel, Elizabeth Mertz
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Oral Health Workforce Research Center
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Reviews the use of teledentistry during and following the COVID-19 pandemic in California, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and examines reimbursement issues and supports needed to enhance dental care in a post-COVID-19 world. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Miranda Werts, Prashanta Patel, Elizabeth Mertz
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Oral Health Workforce Research Center
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Federal Policy & Telehealth: What to be Aware of Going Forward
Webinar describing the telehealth policy landscape following the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated public health emergency, highlighting federal policy issues as of October 2022. Describes policy flexibilities, Medicare telehealth during the pandemic, and research initiatives examining telehealth.
Additional links: Presentation Slide Deck
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Webinar describing the telehealth policy landscape following the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated public health emergency, highlighting federal policy issues as of October 2022. Describes policy flexibilities, Medicare telehealth during the pandemic, and research initiatives examining telehealth.
Additional links: Presentation Slide Deck
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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