In 2017, the death rate for opioid overdoses in Appalachian counties was an astounding 72 percent higher than in non-Appalachian counties. “A good job can change a lot”, said Greg Puckett, Commissioner for Mercer County, West Virginia during a seminar event hosted this week by the National Association of Counties (NACo) and ARC focusing on the opioid crisis in Appalachia. The seminar, which included two panel discussions, focused on effective solutions and  how counties can best look toward the future to strengthen communities for long-term growth. It was a capstone event of on an ongoing partnership between partnership between NACo and ARC offering recommendations, best practices, and case studies to counties to help address the situation.

A new fact sheets series is available recapping ARC’s regional and state specific investments showing that ARC invested nearly $177 million into the region, attracting nearly $247 million in matching funds and over $542.5 million in leveraged private investment during fiscal year 2019. These investments are projected to create or retain more than 17,300 jobs and train/educate over 51,000 students and workers. 70 percent of ARC’s FY 2019 investment dollars will benefit distressed counties and areas throughout the region.

Provides an overview of the unique challenges rural communities face serving parents with substance abuse issues, including provider shortages, limited access to health insurance, transportation and technological barriers, and lack of routine cross-systems collaboration with the child welfare system. Offers strategies to overcome these challenges in rural communities.

Jan 14, 2020 — Discusses the projected decline in the number of physicians in rural areas, a Montana State University professor attributes the drop to minimal career opportunities for spouses, isolation, and lack of entertainment in rural areas. Describes how policy and recruitment programs have attempted to lure physicians to rural areas, but the need is more prominent as health disparities increase.

Feb 3, 2020 — Many rural residents struggle to access healthcare services, often traveling far distances, due to a shortage of providers. Features strategies used by medical schools across the country that encourage young doctors to practice in rural areas.

National Rural Health Association CEO Alan Morgan discusses his organization’s work on the national and global stages and shares his rural health predictions for 2020.

CMS seeks comment on proposed updates to the hierarchical condition categories (HCC) model and the use of encounter data for risk adjusting MA plan payments in the 2021 plan year.  The proposed changes to the risk adjustment methodology are intended to better predict the cost to care for Medicare Advantage enrollees based on their health status and other factors   Research has found that HCC risk scores vary between rural and urban providers.  Other proposed payment methodology changes for the 2021 plan year will be released at a later date in Part II of the Advance Notice. Read more here.

The Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payment adjustment is intended to compensate those hospitals serving a disproportionate number of low-income patients. Begun in 1986, the program was amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to impose a 12% cap on the payment, with exception for large hospitals and Rural Referral Centers. This policy brief from the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis describes the number and location of urban and rural hospitals affected by that cap. Read more here.

On December 30, 2020, the Rural Health Research Gateway released two policy briefs from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center.  The first presents findings from an online survey of Rural Health Clinics describing clinic data and characteristics related to healthcare access.  A second brief examines access issues for rural Medicare beneficiaries seeking care from specialty providers. Read more here.