The Senate Rural Health Care Caucus hosted the RUPRI Rural Health Panel for a briefing on the rural considerations of health care reform. As part of their ongoing effort to highlight the rural differential in health care access, insurance coverage, affordability and quality, the Health Panel briefed Senate health care legislative staff on April 30.
The Panel presented considerations for rural residents, providers and employers in five main areas of focus in the health reform proposals being debated in the halls of Congress. These are:
· Access to Affordable insurance, including policies to assure health insurance availability and affordability.
· System capacity, and the impact of insurance expansion on rural provider demand and availability
· A High Value Health Care System, including considerations for value-based purchasing, bundled payments and medical home in rural settings.
· Rural Health Status Disparities and support of rural community and population health improvement, including through strengthening the rural public health infrastructure.
· System Quality improvement and reducing geographic variations – including rural to rural.
Following the presentation, staff in attendance presented questions for Panel members. These questions focused on provider payments and the difference between public and private payer; considerations for a minimum benefit level; considerations for nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants deployment as rural providers; and considerations for structuring medical homes in rural practices.
Click here to open the Panel presentation.
