Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Telehealth
Impact of Telemedicine on Retention in Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Treatment with Buprenorphine in the Times of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Chart Review
Study examining treatment retention for medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) patients via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on electronic health records of patients at a rural Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Pennsylvania. Discusses the impacts of telemedicine on retention rates, COVID-19-related challenges to treatment delivery systems, and policy measures to support telehealth and MOUD interventions.
Author(s): Jagdeep Kaur, Irakli Mania, Raghavendra Tirupathi, Lakshmi Polavarapu
Citation: Journal of Rural Mental Health, 46(2), 75-81
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
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Study examining treatment retention for medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) patients via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on electronic health records of patients at a rural Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Pennsylvania. Discusses the impacts of telemedicine on retention rates, COVID-19-related challenges to treatment delivery systems, and policy measures to support telehealth and MOUD interventions.
Author(s): Jagdeep Kaur, Irakli Mania, Raghavendra Tirupathi, Lakshmi Polavarapu
Citation: Journal of Rural Mental Health, 46(2), 75-81
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
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Learning From COVID-19-Related Flexibilities: Moving Toward More Person-Centered Medicare and Medicaid Programs
Presents a person-centered framework to facilitate policymakers' decisions regarding the future of COVID-19-related temporary regulatory flexibilities. Identifies priority flexibilities that should be considered for permanence, modification, or further evaluation. Covers regulatory flexibilities regarding telehealth, scope of practice, Medicare Advantage requirements, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Health Management Associates, Manatt Health, The Scan Foundation
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Presents a person-centered framework to facilitate policymakers' decisions regarding the future of COVID-19-related temporary regulatory flexibilities. Identifies priority flexibilities that should be considered for permanence, modification, or further evaluation. Covers regulatory flexibilities regarding telehealth, scope of practice, Medicare Advantage requirements, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Health Management Associates, Manatt Health, The Scan Foundation
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Mental Health Care in the United States: The Case for Federal Action
Bipartisan report summarizing findings from three Senate Finance Committee hearings and a request for information regarding challenges in the mental healthcare system. Describes the prevalence of behavioral health conditions in the United States, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and spending on behavioral health. Outlines key challenges across five cross-cutting areas: the behavioral health workforce; children, adolescents, and young adults; access to care, integration, and care coordination; mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity; and telehealth. Includes information on challenges facing rural and underserved communities.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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Bipartisan report summarizing findings from three Senate Finance Committee hearings and a request for information regarding challenges in the mental healthcare system. Describes the prevalence of behavioral health conditions in the United States, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and spending on behavioral health. Outlines key challenges across five cross-cutting areas: the behavioral health workforce; children, adolescents, and young adults; access to care, integration, and care coordination; mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity; and telehealth. Includes information on challenges facing rural and underserved communities.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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COVID-19 and the Rural Health Workforce: The Impact of Federal Pandemic Funding to Address Workforce Needs
Policy brief describing workforce challenges faced by rural healthcare delivery systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, and discussing how pre-pandemic financial instability in rural healthcare facilities may have contributed to these challenges. Discusses the availability of federal pandemic funding to address rural health workforce needs, the ability of rural facilities to access and utilize the funding, and the long-term needs of the rural health workforce and delivery system. Addresses telehealth solutions to workforce challenges, and funding sources for mental health needs of health professionals
Author(s): Natalia V. Oster, Davis G. Patterson, Susan M. Skillman, Bianca K. Frogner
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Policy brief describing workforce challenges faced by rural healthcare delivery systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, and discussing how pre-pandemic financial instability in rural healthcare facilities may have contributed to these challenges. Discusses the availability of federal pandemic funding to address rural health workforce needs, the ability of rural facilities to access and utilize the funding, and the long-term needs of the rural health workforce and delivery system. Addresses telehealth solutions to workforce challenges, and funding sources for mental health needs of health professionals
Author(s): Natalia V. Oster, Davis G. Patterson, Susan M. Skillman, Bianca K. Frogner
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Indian Health Service: Relief Funding and Agency Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
Describes the COVID-19 relief funding for Indian Health Service (IHS), tribal, and urban Indian organization health facilities and how the funds were used to meet immediate and longstanding system needs. Discusses the initial IHS response to the pandemic and steps IHS took to address challenges that its hospitals faced responding to the pandemic.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Describes the COVID-19 relief funding for Indian Health Service (IHS), tribal, and urban Indian organization health facilities and how the funds were used to meet immediate and longstanding system needs. Discusses the initial IHS response to the pandemic and steps IHS took to address challenges that its hospitals faced responding to the pandemic.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Mental Health Care: Access Challenges for Covered Consumers and Relevant Federal Efforts
Explores the experiences of consumers with health insurance coverage in accessing timely and appropriate mental health care. Describes challenges accessing mental health services, including workforce shortages and broadband availability in rural areas. Identifies ongoing and planned federal efforts to address these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Explores the experiences of consumers with health insurance coverage in accessing timely and appropriate mental health care. Describes challenges accessing mental health services, including workforce shortages and broadband availability in rural areas. Identifies ongoing and planned federal efforts to address these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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VA Recommendations to the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission
Presents Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) recommendations to the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission to modernize and realign the VA health care system. Recommendations cover investing in the VA outpatient care infrastructure, enhancing care for veterans with complex needs, providing equitable access to inpatient medical and surgical care, and strengthening the VA's ability to execute its education, research, and emergency preparedness missions. Volume I outlines the legislative history; the present and future of VA health care, including the access needs of rural veterans; the methodology used to conduct the market assessments; and a national summary of the recommendations. Volume II details the recommendations and is organized by the 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs).
Additional links: Appendices, Volume I, Volume II
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Presents Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) recommendations to the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission to modernize and realign the VA health care system. Recommendations cover investing in the VA outpatient care infrastructure, enhancing care for veterans with complex needs, providing equitable access to inpatient medical and surgical care, and strengthening the VA's ability to execute its education, research, and emergency preparedness missions. Volume I outlines the legislative history; the present and future of VA health care, including the access needs of rural veterans; the methodology used to conduct the market assessments; and a national summary of the recommendations. Volume II details the recommendations and is organized by the 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs).
Additional links: Appendices, Volume I, Volume II
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Telehealth for FQHCs/RHCs: School-Based Telehealth
Offers a 3-part video series on school-based telehealth for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). Topics covered in part 1 include school-based telehealth resources and opportunities; part 2 offers information on school-based health clinic benefits, program development, payment, and technology considerations; and part 3 covers school based primary care, integrated behavioral health, virtual learning, and evolution of telehealth services. If viewed through YouTube, transcripts are available by clicking the three dots and selecting "show transcript."
Additional links: Telehealth for FQHCs/RHCs: School-Based Telehealth Part 2, Telehealth for FQHCs/RHCs: School-Based Telehealth Part 3
Date: 03/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers
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Offers a 3-part video series on school-based telehealth for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). Topics covered in part 1 include school-based telehealth resources and opportunities; part 2 offers information on school-based health clinic benefits, program development, payment, and technology considerations; and part 3 covers school based primary care, integrated behavioral health, virtual learning, and evolution of telehealth services. If viewed through YouTube, transcripts are available by clicking the three dots and selecting "show transcript."
Additional links: Telehealth for FQHCs/RHCs: School-Based Telehealth Part 2, Telehealth for FQHCs/RHCs: School-Based Telehealth Part 3
Date: 03/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2022
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 healthcare facilities and services, improving Medicare payment for post-acute care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and the impact of healthcare provider consolidation.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
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 healthcare facilities and services, improving Medicare payment for post-acute care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and the impact of healthcare provider consolidation.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Telehealth Has Played an Outsized Role Meeting Mental Health Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Explores usage of telehealth for physical and mental health outpatient visits between March 2019 and August 2021. Figure 3 shows use of mental health and substance use telehealth visits versus other outpatient telehealth visits, with rural versus urban comparisons. Includes a discussion about payment models for telehealth via private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Author(s): Justin Lo, Matthew Rae, Krutika Amin, et al.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Explores usage of telehealth for physical and mental health outpatient visits between March 2019 and August 2021. Figure 3 shows use of mental health and substance use telehealth visits versus other outpatient telehealth visits, with rural versus urban comparisons. Includes a discussion about payment models for telehealth via private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Author(s): Justin Lo, Matthew Rae, Krutika Amin, et al.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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