Health Policy Commons^™

Access To Health Care Services For Adults In Maine [Policy Brief], Erika C. Ziller Phd, Barbara Leonard Mph, Amanda Burgess Mppm, Nathan Paluso Mph

Access / Insurance

This data brief by researchers at the Maine Health Access Foundation and the University of Southern Maine's Maine Rural Health Research Center found ongoing inequality in the ability of people in Maine to get quality health care. The report examines data from 2014-2016 and shows that Maine people, of all income groups, report difficulties in paying medical costs. Research has also found the ability to seek timely and appropriate health care is impacted by income levels, educational background, race and ethnicity.
This brief provides an update to the 2016 study (available in Digital Commons: https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1038&context=insurance)

For more information, please …

Rural Health Clinic Participation In The Merit-Based Incentive System And Other Quality Reporting Initiatives: Challenges And Opportunities, John A. Gale Ms, Zachariah T. Croll Mph, Andrew F. Coburn Phd

Rural Health Clinics

Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) are an important source of primary care in underserved rural communities with more than 4,200 RHCs providing primary care services to rural Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in 44 states. In light of the growing emphasis on quality reporting, it is important to understand factors influencing RHC readiness to participate in quality reporting including the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), Medicaid, and commercial payer quality reporting programs. The exclusion of RHCs from CMS’s quality reporting programs and value-based initiatives may potentially create a perception among consumers and policymakers that RHCs are unable to meet the requirements of …

Residential Settings And Healthcare Use Of The Rural "Oldest-Old" Medicare Population, Nathan Paluso Mph, Zachariah T. Croll Mph, Deborah Thayer Mba, Jean A. Talbot Phd, Mph, Andrew F. Coburn Phd

Long Term Services and Supports

The aging of the baby boom generation is projected to dramatically increase the population aged 65 and older in the coming decades. In particular, those aged 85 and older (the ‘oldest old’) are expanding at a faster rate than any other age group and by 2050 are expected to make up 4.5 percent of the population, compared to 1.9 percent in 2012. Faster growth in the percentage of older people (65+) in rural than in urban areas is likely to challenge the healthcare and long term services and supports (LTSS) capacity in many rural communities.

This study used Medicare Current …

The Role Of Rural Hospitals In Addressing Opioid And Other Substance Use Problems, John A. Gale Ms

Mental Health / Substance Use Disorders

Webinar presentation to the Small Rural Hospital Transition project addressing issues of rural opioid and other substance use issues, focusing on the role of rural hospitals, and the importance of community engagement. Component parts of an effective opioid/substance use system of care include prevention, treatment, and recovery. Models must be adapted to the geographic, resource, and cultural realities of rural areas. Examples of strategies are provided.

Strategies To Combat Opioid Use In Rural Communities, John A. Gale Ms

Mental Health / Substance Use Disorders

Webinar presentation discussing

• Opioid use across rural settings
• Drivers of rural opioid use
• Burden of opioid use in rural communities
• Evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies to address rural opioid use