Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Telehealth
Confronting Rural America's Health Care Crisis
Offers policy recommendations to stabilize the rural healthcare infrastructure and ensuring local access to care. Discusses strategies to provide financial relief to rural providers, preserve obstetric services, expand telehealth services, and address workforce shortages. Includes brief references to policy actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional links: Rural Hospital Transformation Models, Summary, The Case for Expanding Telehealth Services, July 2020
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center Rural Health Task Force
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Offers policy recommendations to stabilize the rural healthcare infrastructure and ensuring local access to care. Discusses strategies to provide financial relief to rural providers, preserve obstetric services, expand telehealth services, and address workforce shortages. Includes brief references to policy actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional links: Rural Hospital Transformation Models, Summary, The Case for Expanding Telehealth Services, July 2020
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center Rural Health Task Force
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Health Care Provisions in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, P.L. 116-127
Provides an overview of the healthcare-related provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Focuses on coverage of COVID-19 testing and related items for individuals covered by Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, CHIP, TRICARE, Veterans healthcare, the IHS, and most private plans. Includes a discussion of changes to Medicare coverage of telehealth services.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of the healthcare-related provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Focuses on coverage of COVID-19 testing and related items for individuals covered by Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, CHIP, TRICARE, Veterans healthcare, the IHS, and most private plans. Includes a discussion of changes to Medicare coverage of telehealth services.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Rapid Deployment of Telehealth Services for Rural Hospitals Fighting COVID-19
Profiles how a Critical Access Hospital in Minnesota implemented a telehealth network in preparation for COVID-19. Offers lessons learned for other healthcare providers looking to implement virtual healthcare models.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Profiles how a Critical Access Hospital in Minnesota implemented a telehealth network in preparation for COVID-19. Offers lessons learned for other healthcare providers looking to implement virtual healthcare models.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on Contract Year 2021 and 2022 Policy and Technical Changes to Medicare Advantage and Part D
Responds to a proposed rule to revise regulations for Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit program (Part D). Provides comments on CMS proposals regarding out-of-network telehealth benefits, updates to the quality rating models for MA and Part D plans, and changes to MA network adequacy standards. Discusses how changes to network adequacy standards would impact access to dialysis facilities for beneficiaries in micropolitan counties, rural counties, and counties with extreme access considerations (CEAC).
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Responds to a proposed rule to revise regulations for Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit program (Part D). Provides comments on CMS proposals regarding out-of-network telehealth benefits, updates to the quality rating models for MA and Part D plans, and changes to MA network adequacy standards. Discusses how changes to network adequacy standards would impact access to dialysis facilities for beneficiaries in micropolitan counties, rural counties, and counties with extreme access considerations (CEAC).
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural Health Care and Medicaid Telehealth Flexibilities, and Guidance Regarding Section 1009 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act (Pub. L. 115-271), entitled Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment via Telehealth
Discusses the benefits of utilizing telehealth services to expand access to Medicaid services in rural areas and the flexibility states have in covering these services. Provides guidance on options states have to receive federal reimbursement for substance use disorder treatments provided via telehealth services.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Discusses the benefits of utilizing telehealth services to expand access to Medicaid services in rural areas and the flexibility states have in covering these services. Provides guidance on options states have to receive federal reimbursement for substance use disorder treatments provided via telehealth services.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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CARES Act: Provisions to Help Rural Hospitals
Provides an overview of aspects of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act designed to support rural hospitals. Highlights provisions related to access to capital, Medicare payments, and telehealth, among others.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Provides an overview of aspects of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act designed to support rural hospitals. Highlights provisions related to access to capital, Medicare payments, and telehealth, among others.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Public Law 116-136: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
Text of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136 (March 27, 2020). Outlines telehealth flexibilities to support providers and enhance access to care during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Among other things, the CARES Act allows Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to serve as distant sites to provide telehealth services to patients in their homes during the public health emergency (PHE); establishes the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); extends the ability to order home health services to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and certified nurse specialists; and provides additional funding to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enable the provision of telehealth services.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Congress
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Text of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136 (March 27, 2020). Outlines telehealth flexibilities to support providers and enhance access to care during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Among other things, the CARES Act allows Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to serve as distant sites to provide telehealth services to patients in their homes during the public health emergency (PHE); establishes the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); extends the ability to order home health services to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and certified nurse specialists; and provides additional funding to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to enable the provision of telehealth services.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Congress
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Fast-Track to Teledentistry - Removing Barriers to Care While Maximizing Overall Health
Details the barriers to oral healthcare access and discusses the ways teledentistry can help overcome them. Highlights the role teledentistry can play during public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and in rural communities. Presents examples of successful uses of teledentistry and provides guidance for teledentistry implementation.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
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Details the barriers to oral healthcare access and discusses the ways teledentistry can help overcome them. Highlights the role teledentistry can play during public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and in rural communities. Presents examples of successful uses of teledentistry and provides guidance for teledentistry implementation.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
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Identifying Measures and Data Elements for the HRSA Evidence-Based Tele-Emergency Network Grant Program
Research brief identifying the standardized set of measures used for data collection by the Evidence-Based Tele-Emergency Network Grant Program grantees. Explores ways in which emergency department-based telehealth services can be used in rural hospital emergency departments.
Author(s): Marcia M. Ward, Fred Ullrich, Kimberly A.S. Merchant, et al.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telehealth Research Center
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Research brief identifying the standardized set of measures used for data collection by the Evidence-Based Tele-Emergency Network Grant Program grantees. Explores ways in which emergency department-based telehealth services can be used in rural hospital emergency departments.
Author(s): Marcia M. Ward, Fred Ullrich, Kimberly A.S. Merchant, et al.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telehealth Research Center
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Issue Brief: Creating a High-value Telehealth Strategy
Explores how hospitals can use telehealth services to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. Discusses approaches to deliver telehealth services and provides guidelines to consider when developing a telehealth strategy. Provides examples of how rural hospitals are using telehealth services to meet community needs.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Explores how hospitals can use telehealth services to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. Discusses approaches to deliver telehealth services and provides guidelines to consider when developing a telehealth strategy. Provides examples of how rural hospitals are using telehealth services to meet community needs.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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