https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/healthcare-access Healthcare Access in Rural Communities resources related to rural health, with information provided by the Rural Health Information Hub en Copyright 2024 Rural Health Information Hub https://dailyyonder.com/rural-communities-face-primary-care-physician-shortage/2024/04/22/ Discusses recent research finding the shortage of primary care physicians is greater in rural areas. Includes analysis of findings by study authors, discussing rural-specific needs, Medicare reimbursement, and recruiting rural residents into healthcare. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/news/36475 Mon, 22 Apr 2024 09:26:43 -0500 https://oig.hhs.gov/documents/evaluation/9844/OEI-02-22-00050.pdf Examines the availability of behavioral health providers who actively serve Medicare or Medicaid enrollees in 20 counties, 10 urban and 10 rural, across 10 states in 2021. Explores the extent to which traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid enrollees received behavioral health services and whether they used telehealth or in-person services. Offers recommendations to encourage more behavioral health providers to serve these enrollees and expand coverage to additional behavioral health provider types. Includes rural and urban comparisons throughout. -- Office of Inspector General (HHS) https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22938 Thu, 04 Apr 2024 10:45:33 -0500 https://www.newschannel5.com/news/where-are-the-mental-health-resources-for-rural-communities-i-looked-into-one Highlights the challenges with access mental healthcare in rural communities. Describes a rural Tennessee program aiming to connect people with mental health needs in jails with local resources, noting that hospital closures limits healthcare options. Discusses mental health and other re-entry services offered after successful grant funding to fill gaps in care. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/news/36397 Wed, 03 Apr 2024 09:25:03 -0500 https://www.kbsi23.com/news/new-rural-health-program-directs-resources-to-rural-communities-to-improve-health/ The Missouri Department of Social Services announced the approval of a waiver amendment allowing for full deployment of the Transformation of Rural Community Health (ToRCH) pilot project. This primary care case management model addresses social care challenges that affect people's ability to remain healthy and manage chronic conditions. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/news/36388 Mon, 01 Apr 2024 11:14:27 -0500 https://www.minnpost.com/greater-minnesota/2024/03/filling-a-gap-in-mental-health-care-for-minnesotas-migrant-workers/ Describes the Minnesota Bienvenido program, which provides support for rural Latino workers who are in high stress jobs with few support structures. Installments help participants connect with the community and learn skills to help manage stress and other emotions. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/news/36386 Mon, 01 Apr 2024 10:43:51 -0500 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/02/2024-06566/medicaid-program-streamlining-the-medicaid-childrens-health-insurance-program-and-basic-health Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making changes to simplify the eligibility and enrollment processes in Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Basic Health Program. This rule aligns enrollment and renewal requirements for most individuals in Medicaid; creates timeliness requirements for redeterminations of eligibility; makes transitions between programs easier; eliminates access barriers for children enrolled in CHIP by prohibiting premium lock-out periods, benefit limitations, and waiting periods; and modernizes recordkeeping requirements to ensure proper documentation of eligibility determinations. These regulations are effective June 3, 2024. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/news/36370 Wed, 27 Mar 2024 08:49:48 -0500 https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/rural-monitor/hearing-care Discusses barriers to rural hearing care access and the importance of hearing conservation. Features a hearing clinic in South Dakota, a telehealth program in Alaska, and a nationally available agriculture safety program working to address rural hearing care. -- Rural Health Information Hub https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22763 Wed, 13 Mar 2024 15:31:31 -0500 https://waysandmeans.house.gov/event/hearing-on-enhancing-access-to-care-at-home-in-rural-and-underserved-communities/ Recording of a March 12, 2024, House Committee on Ways and Means hearing regarding opportunities and challenges to enhance access to care in patients' homes and modernizing care in rural and underserved communities, with a focus on telehealth and health information technology. Features testimony from two rural patients and representatives from Intermountain Health; Cadence, a company with expertise in chronic care management through remote physiologic monitoring; and Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. -- House Ways and Means Committee https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22756 Tue, 12 Mar 2024 15:08:05 -0500 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1475-6773.14299 Explores disparities in access to substance use disorder treatments among privately insured individuals in rural and urban areas between 2016-2018. Compares rates of initial and ongoing treatment for alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, and other drug use disorders overall and from out-of-network providers for urban and rural patients. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22751 Mon, 11 Mar 2024 11:47:05 -0500 https://rupri.public-health.uiowa.edu/publications/policybriefs/2024/Nonmetro_Premiums_Issuer_Participation_Enrollment_in_Marketplaces.pdf Policy brief describing differences in unsubsidized and net-of-subsidy premiums in 2022 between nonmetropolitan and metropolitan counties in Health Insurance Marketplace plan design and availability. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas. -- RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22734 Thu, 07 Mar 2024 13:34:05 -0600 https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/3aac7c72748fefc60808eec36fe22d0a/demo-factsheet-rural-medicare-enrollees.pdf Provides an overview of how the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is intended to improve prescription drug affordability for Medicare enrollees. Describes Medicare enrollment in rural areas and rural residents' health status and access to care. Outlines the projected impact of drug-related IRA provisions for rural Medicare beneficiaries, including the expansion of financial assistance through the low-income subsidy program, out-of-pocket spending caps for insulin, changes in Part D benefit design, and more. -- HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22699 Tue, 05 Mar 2024 09:10:01 -0600 https://www.macpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Access-in-Brief-Adults-with-Intellectual-Disabilities-and-Developmental-Disabilities.pdf Issue brief examining access to Medicaid coverage for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (ID/DD), using data for fiscal years 2017-2018. Compares characteristics of adult Medicaid beneficiaries with ID/DD across racial and ethnic groups and by Medicaid-only or dually eligible status. Includes a section on home and community-based services and features demographics including breakdowns by rural or urban residence. -- Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22588 Wed, 14 Feb 2024 08:33:55 -0600 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3hH1WwGQ9s Highlights the benefits to hospitals and their community of operating rural pulmonary rehab programs, and shares practical advice and tips on how Critical Access Hospitals and small rural hospitals can successfully build and sustain their own pulmonary rehab programs. Features Sparta Community Hospital in Illinois and Hood Memorial Hospital in Louisiana, which opened pulmonary rehab programs in 2023. Includes transcript. -- National Rural Health Resource Center https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22571 Mon, 12 Feb 2024 10:49:48 -0600 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOYJdvsOM6I Provides an overview of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms and causes, and explains how rural-based pulmonary rehabilitation services help to restore independence and quality of life in COPD patients. Highlights the prevalence of COPD in rural communities and the steps that Critical Access Hospitals and other small rural hospitals can take to improve access to much-needed pulmonary rehabilitation services. Includes transcript. -- National Rural Health Resource Center https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22569 Mon, 12 Feb 2024 10:49:31 -0600 https://rupri.public-health.uiowa.edu/publications/policybriefs/2023/Distribution_analysis_of_MA_Enrollment.pdf Policy brief identifying penetration rates, number of plans, and enrollment patterns and trends in Medicare Advantage participation in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties from 2017-2022. Features statistics with breakdowns by year and metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas. -- RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/21282 Mon, 05 Feb 2024 14:10:17 -0600 https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/cost-affect-access-care/ Explores trends in how costs affect access to healthcare using data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Covers the percentage of adults who delayed or went without care due to cost. Presents data by income level, health status, race and ethnicity, insurance status, and urban/rural residence. Also discusses insulin users who rationed insulin due to costs and the impact of medical debt on accessing care. -- KFF https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22425 Thu, 25 Jan 2024 11:26:00 -0600 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD9i1kIZX7Q Video featuring a program that places health liaisons in libraries throughout South Carolina to provide residents with services that include health information, telehealth, reproductive and behavioral health, assistance with social needs, and connections with providers. -- Rural Health Information Hub https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22373 Wed, 17 Jan 2024 13:23:26 -0600 https://www.hhs.gov/programs/health-insurance/medicaid-chip-renewal-transition-resources-partners/index.html Offers resources for states, beneficiary and provider organizations, and other partners to better assist people with Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage to renew their healthcare coverage or transition to insurance options that better suit their needs. Includes outreach materials for different population categories, including racial and ethnic populations, people with disabilities and older adults, and rural populations. -- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22366 Wed, 17 Jan 2024 08:56:49 -0600 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jrh.12822 Examines distance to care for residents needing post-acute care (PAC) and long-term care (LTC) services. Analyzes nursing home closures from 2008 to 2018 and identifies closest PAC and LTC services in rural versus urban areas, with data broken down by population demographics, nursing home characteristics, and distance to providers. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22351 Tue, 16 Jan 2024 09:36:13 -0600 https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/data-and-reports/2024/etc-2nd-eval-rpt Evaluation of the End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices (ETC) Model, incorporating analyses of home dialysis use, transplantation, acute care hospitalizations, outpatient ED visits, and hospital readmissions. Features results from interviews and surveys involving model participants and beneficiaries, and examines impacts of the ETC Model during calendar years 2021 and 2022. Includes facility-level statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas. -- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22320 Wed, 10 Jan 2024 09:33:22 -0600 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jrh.12820 Examines how rurality and/or distance to care impacts perinatal outcomes such as pre-eclampsia, preterm labor, neonatal intensive care, birth weight, and more. Analyzes outcomes from 2,497 patients during the COVID-19 pandemic period of May 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021, with results broken down by distance to care and metropolitan, micropolitan, or rural location. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22228 Thu, 28 Dec 2023 08:48:22 -0600 https://www.ugpti.org/resources/reports/downloads/surtcom23-17.pdf Overview of how public transportation affects health in rural and small urban areas. Summarizes findings from a literature review that looked at public transportation as it relates to the social determinants of health, healthcare access, physical activity, social isolation, and mental health. Also reports results from a survey of rural older adults supplemented by data analysis looking at travel for healthcare, challenges related to public transportation, and the impacts of missed or delayed healthcare trips. -- Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22223 Wed, 27 Dec 2023 09:33:58 -0600 https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqdr23/index.html Provides a comprehensive summary and data analysis of healthcare quality and access in the U.S. Addresses access to healthcare, patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, effective treatment, healthy living, and care affordability. Focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare and healthcare systems. -- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22174 Tue, 19 Dec 2023 09:40:18 -0600 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanam/article/PIIS2667-193X(23)00222-3/fulltext Examines the effectiveness of utilizing mobile health clinics (MHC) for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) treatment in underserved areas. Analyzes HCV screening and treatment rates of an MHC program initiated by Clemson Rural Health in South Carolina and discusses the impact of MHCs to provide healthcare access in rural and underserved areas. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22155 Mon, 18 Dec 2023 08:53:41 -0600 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QZNopKXhOI A recorded webinar that provides strategies and best practices to improve outreach in an effort to enroll American Indian/Alaska Native communities (AI/AN) in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Discusses the importance of healthcare access and offers resources and tools for enrollment outreach. -- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Rural Health Association https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22144 Thu, 14 Dec 2023 14:04:30 -0600 https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(23)00399-3/fulltext Examines how health systems partner with community services such as libraries, barber shops, dollar stores, and others to improve access and reduce health disparities in minority and rural populations. Discusses strategies to increase the use of community health partners, such as co-designing with input from the community, procuring funding, building awareness of available programs, and utilizing novel means to conduct day-to-day operations. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22079 Wed, 06 Dec 2023 09:31:19 -0600 https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/health-coverage-among-american-indian-and-alaska-native-and-native-hawaiian-and-other-pacific-islander-people/ Provides an overview of health insurance coverage for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) people. Provides additional information on demographics, work status, income, and English proficiency. Discusses issues of access, equity, and geographic isolation for these communities. -- KFF https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22057 Fri, 01 Dec 2023 11:35:34 -0600 https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/rural-monitor/odu-mobile-clinic Features Old Dominion University's mobile health clinic, which provides healthcare services in rural southeastern Virginia while providing clinical opportunities to nursing students. -- Rural Health Information Hub https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22044 Wed, 29 Nov 2023 13:57:53 -0600 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10552-023-01689-9 Analyzes the relationship between travel time and rurality for breast cancer patients seeking contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM). Utilizes 2007-2017 National Cancer Database data to examine demographic factors, patient rurality, surgery characteristics, and more. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/22013 Mon, 27 Nov 2023 12:02:40 -0600 https://www.rrh.org.au/journal/article/8227 Explores the role distance plays in access to HIV testing for gay, transgender, and gender non-conforming people in the rural southern U.S. Breaks down data by age, race, and distance traveled to receive care, among other measures. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/21997 Wed, 22 Nov 2023 18:53:57 -0600