NRHA's Rural Health Voices blog offers informed commentary on the latest news in rural health care from NRHA staff and editorials from selected contributors.
Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the Rural Action Plan, the first HHS-wide assessment of rural healthcare efforts in more than 18 years and the product of HHS’s Rural Task Force, a group of experts and leaders across the department first put together by HHS Secretary Alex Azar in 2019. The plan features a strategy with four main points: building a sustainable health and human services model for...
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With stark images of urban hospitals overrun with patients, the national media coverage of COVID-19 has focused largely on cities. Less discussed and less understood is the impact on rural communities, which have been grossly underprepared for a pandemic. As we contemplate an additional wave of the virus, now is the time to assess how rural communities can achieve greater resilience.
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Author:
Mason Zeagler
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Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled the details of the Trump Administration's long-awaited, new rural health payment model, the Community Health and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model. The CHART Model aims to, "[Unleash] innovation through new funding opportunities that will increase access and improve quality," by allowing a limited number of rural health providers to participate in one of two tracks, the Community Transformation Track and...
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Author:
Mason Zeagler
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Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed to cut Medicare Part B payments to hospitals for 340B-purchased drugs next year and in subsequent years by 6.2 percent below the current rate. However, as in the past, Critical Access Hospitals and rural Sole Community Hospitals were exempted from the cuts and will continue to be paid at reasonable cost and the default ASP plus 6 percent rate in the proposal. CMS made the announcement in its Hospital Outpatient...
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Author:
Josh Jorgensen
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Last night, President Trump signed an Executive Order to enhance the health of all Americans by improving access to care, particularly for those living in rural areas. The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) applauds the ‘Executive Order on Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access’ and hopes that Congress will contribute to the momentum made by President Trump in future legislative packages.
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Over the last 10 years, more than 129 rural and community hospitals have closed their doors, with the highest number in 2019. The current COVID-19 pandemic is certain to accelerate this rate of insolvency, so it is important to revisit the role of these vital providers in their respective communities. Without answers to important questions, the continued loss of these hospitals may jeopardize the health of rural residents and devastate communities across the country.
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The allure of being a child social worker in a rural area is strong. Social workers who decide to work in smaller communities may forgo an abundance of resources to support families, but they gain slower-paced, socially supportive neighborhoods with strong connections to the natural environment. So what happens during a first-in-our-lifetime pandemic in communities already lacking in resources? It gets complicated.
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Author:
Donna Douglas
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The Journal of Rural Health , NRHA’s quarterly, scholarly publication, recognizes its 2020 Article of the Year, selected by the JRH Editorial Board from all articles published online last year. The 2020 Article of the Year is “Utilization of Interactive Clinical Video Telemedicine by Rural and Urban Veterans in the Veterans Health Administration Health Care System” by Scott V. Adams, PhD; Michael J. Mader, MS; Mary J. Bollinger, PhD; Edwin S. Wong, PhD; Teresa J. Hudson...
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Author:
Brock Slabach
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Individuals in rural communities often face barriers to health stemming from economic factors, environmental differences, and feelings of isolation. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a generational challenge and exacerbated these concerns, revealing a critical need for rapid response efforts. With the support of a generous grant of $200,000 from CoBank, NRHA is helping rural health care providers overcome barriers they face through the creation...
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Author:
Alex T. Olson
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NRHA stands in solidarity with communities of color as we fight against the systematic, individually mediated, and internalized racism deeply embedded within our country and its institutions. Structural racism is a public health crisis, and its effects are detrimental to the physical and mental health of all individuals and communities. It is an underlying condition contributing to health inequities and the disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality borne by racial minorities.
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