Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Broadband: National Strategy Needed to Guide Federal Efforts to Reduce Digital Divide
Provides an overview of federal agencies and programs that support the deployment of broadband in the United States. Discusses the extent to which these programs are fragmented or overlap, as well as how agencies coordinate their efforts. Offers recommendations to improve the alignment of the various broadband programs, including the development of a national broadband strategy.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Provides an overview of federal agencies and programs that support the deployment of broadband in the United States. Discusses the extent to which these programs are fragmented or overlap, as well as how agencies coordinate their efforts. Offers recommendations to improve the alignment of the various broadband programs, including the development of a national broadband strategy.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility PPS for FY 2023
Comments on an April 6, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule addressing updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2023. Includes comments on the IRF teaching and rural payment adjustments.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Comments on an April 6, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule addressing updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2023. Includes comments on the IRF teaching and rural payment adjustments.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility PPS for FY 2023
Comment on an April 4, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS) for fiscal year 2023. Includes a discussion of rural and Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) IPF PPS payment adjustments.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Comment on an April 4, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS) for fiscal year 2023. Includes a discussion of rural and Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) IPF PPS payment adjustments.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
State Medicaid Managed Care and Access to Rural Behavioral Health Services
Details how states with Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) are using MCO contract language to increase access to behavioral healthcare through service access requirements, provider network requirements, and telehealth utilization policies. Includes links to available MCO contracts and requests for applications.
Author(s): Eliza Mette, Jodi Manz
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
view details
Details how states with Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) are using MCO contract language to increase access to behavioral healthcare through service access requirements, provider network requirements, and telehealth utilization policies. Includes links to available MCO contracts and requests for applications.
Author(s): Eliza Mette, Jodi Manz
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
view details
Advancing Rural Maternal Health Equity
Summarizes the activities implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health between June 2019 and November 2021 as part of its Rural Maternal Health Initiative. Outlines next steps to address rural maternal health disparities. Includes potential solutions for rural providers and stakeholders from the Rural Obstetric Readiness Workgroup.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Summarizes the activities implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health between June 2019 and November 2021 as part of its Rural Maternal Health Initiative. Outlines next steps to address rural maternal health disparities. Includes potential solutions for rural providers and stakeholders from the Rural Obstetric Readiness Workgroup.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Independent Evaluation of Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+): Fourth Annual Report
Reports on the first four program years of the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model, a CMS primary care payment and delivery reform effort. Discusses CPC+ participating practices, payer partners, and health information technology (HIT) vendors supporting the program. Describes practice changes regarding care delivery and outcomes for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
view details
Reports on the first four program years of the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model, a CMS primary care payment and delivery reform effort. Discusses CPC+ participating practices, payer partners, and health information technology (HIT) vendors supporting the program. Describes practice changes regarding care delivery and outcomes for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
view details
The Future of Telehealth Roundtable: The Potential Impact of Emerging Technologies on Health Equity
Presents insights and key ideas from a roundtable on the future of telehealth following the COVID-19 pandemic, covering barriers to telehealth delivery, opportunities for equitable care, and policy and regulatory issues impacting telehealth access. Includes rural mentions throughout.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Committee for Quality Assurance
view details
Presents insights and key ideas from a roundtable on the future of telehealth following the COVID-19 pandemic, covering barriers to telehealth delivery, opportunities for equitable care, and policy and regulatory issues impacting telehealth access. Includes rural mentions throughout.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Committee for Quality Assurance
view details
Assessing the Effectiveness of Policies to Improve Access to Primary Care for Underserved Populations: Case Study Analysis: Grant County, New Mexico
Case study of policy initiatives to increase access to primary care, focusing on rural Grant County, New Mexico. Discusses challenges to expanding the primary care workforce, bringing outpatient clinics into communities, mobile clinics and telehealth, affordability, and more.
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Megan Houston, Jalisa Clark, Emma Walsh-Alker
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
view details
Case study of policy initiatives to increase access to primary care, focusing on rural Grant County, New Mexico. Discusses challenges to expanding the primary care workforce, bringing outpatient clinics into communities, mobile clinics and telehealth, affordability, and more.
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Megan Houston, Jalisa Clark, Emma Walsh-Alker
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
view details
ARPA's Enhanced Premium Subsidies Provide Particularly Large Benefits to Residents of Rural Areas
Compares the differences between average Marketplace benchmark monthly premiums in urban and rural areas in each state in 2022. Discusses the impact of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) expanded premium subsidies in rural areas.
Author(s): John Holahan, Erik Wengle, Claire O'Brien
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
view details
Compares the differences between average Marketplace benchmark monthly premiums in urban and rural areas in each state in 2022. Discusses the impact of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) expanded premium subsidies in rural areas.
Author(s): John Holahan, Erik Wengle, Claire O'Brien
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
view details
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Rural Health Care Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities
Presents an overview of key findings from interviews with stakeholders in eight states - Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming - regarding the rural healthcare landscape. Discusses rural hospital financial health, rural hospital transformation models, challenges facing the rural healthcare workforce, and the role of telehealth in increasing access to care. Provides recommendations aimed at further advancing the use of virtual care in all communities, including rural and frontier areas, beyond the temporary federal COVID-19 public health emergency flexibilities.
Author(s): Sabah Bhatnagar, Julia Harris, Tara Hartnett, et al.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
view details
Presents an overview of key findings from interviews with stakeholders in eight states - Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming - regarding the rural healthcare landscape. Discusses rural hospital financial health, rural hospital transformation models, challenges facing the rural healthcare workforce, and the role of telehealth in increasing access to care. Provides recommendations aimed at further advancing the use of virtual care in all communities, including rural and frontier areas, beyond the temporary federal COVID-19 public health emergency flexibilities.
Author(s): Sabah Bhatnagar, Julia Harris, Tara Hartnett, et al.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
view details