» Cure for the Health Care Crisis?
02/07/09 18:04 from Rural Assistance Center: News
StarTribune.com, (MN) article reports that as the national health care debate intensifies, a little clinic in northeast Minneapolis may be pointing the way.

» Inadequate Mental Health Care Plagues Rural America
02/07/09 17:20 from Rural Assistance Center: News
Center for Rural Affairs article reports that living and working in rural America presents a variety of distinct stresses and strains as varied as rural America itself, but regardless of differences, state leaders from across the nation ind..

» President Calls for Medicare Payment Rate Revisions
02/07/09 17:07 from Rural Assistance Center: News
Kaiser Health News reports that President Obama reiterated his call to adjust Medicare reimbursement rates as a part of his broad push for health reform in a meeting with nine reporters, including writers from local newspapers, Wednesday.

» HUD to Refinance Debt for Hospitals
02/07/09 17:01 from Rural Assistance Center: News
AHA News reports that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today implemented its authority to refinance debt for hospitals under the Section 242 hospital mortgage insurance program, without conditioning such refinancing on n..

» Rep. Kirkpatrick introduces Comprehensive Bill to Improve Health Care Access for Rural Veterans
02/07/09 16:40 from Rural Assistance Center: News
Arizona Silver Belt article reports that Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick this week introduced the Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009, a major piece of legislation will make it easier for Veterans living in rural areas to access quality..

» New Report Finds Obesity Epidemic Increases, Mississippi Weighs in as Heaviest State
02/07/09 16:25 from Rural Assistance Center: News
Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state in the past year, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009, a report released today by the Trust for Americas Health (TFAH) ..

» CMS Proposes Payment, Policy Changes for Physicians Services to Medicare Beneficiaries in 2010
02/07/09 16:11 from Rural Assistance Center: News
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today proposed changes to policies and payment rates for services to be furnished during calendar year (CY 2010) by over 1 million physicians and nonphysician practitioners who ar..

» CMS Issues Proposed Hospital Outpatient, ASC Rule
02/07/09 06:00 from Rural Assistance Center: News
AHA News reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services tonight released its proposed rule updating payment policies and rates for hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers for calendar year 2010.

» Nearly 44 Million in United States Without Health Insurance in 2008
02/07/09 06:00 from Rural Assistance Center: News
An estimated 43.8 million Americans had no health insurance in 2008, approximately 2.8 million more than in 1997, according to new data from CDCs National Center for Health Statistics.

» CMS Proposed Policy, Payment Rate Changes for Services in Hospital Outpatient Departments and Ambulatory Surgical Centers in 2010
02/07/09 06:00 from Rural Assistance Center: News
Hospitals would be able to bill Medicare for pulmonary and intensive cardiac rehabilitation services furnished in outpatient departments beginning January 1, 2010 under a proposed rule issued today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Ser..

» Vice President Biden Launches Initiative to Bring Broadband, Jobs to More Americans
02/07/09 06:00 from Rural Assistance Center: News
Vice President Biden yesterday, on the first stop on the President's National Rural Tour, announced the availability of $4 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act loans and grants to help bring broadband service to un-served and u..

» Wal-Mart Backs Employer Health Insurance Mandate
01/07/09 17:40 from Rural Assistance Center: News
Kaiser Health News article reports that Wal-Mart, the nation's largest private employer, announced today in a letter (.pdf) to congressional and administration officials that it backs an employer health insurance mandate, according to ..

» Agriculture Secretary Vilsack to Lead Obama Administration's Rural Tour
01/07/09 16:37 from Rural Assistance Center: News
President Obama announced today that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will lead the Obama Administration's Rural Tour where discussions will be held throughout the country about how the USDA and other federal agencies are working to streng..

» FDA Seeks Public Input on Tobacco Regulation
01/07/09 16:22 from Rural Assistance Center: News
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it is seeking public input on the implementation of its historic new authority overseeing tobacco products in the United States.

» One Nurse for Every 840 Students; Rural Schools Feel Lack of Help
30/06/09 18:36 from Rural Assistance Center: News
News Tribune, (IL) article tells how Congress is mulling over a bill that would increase the number of school nurses nationwide.

» Revolving-Door Patients Illustrate Health System Flaws
30/06/09 17:16 from Rural Assistance Center: News
Kaiser Health News article discusses how patients who leave the hospital, only to boomerang back days or weeks later have become a front-burner challenge not only for hospitals and doctors but also for those trying to rein in rising costs.

» AMA Unveils Enhanced ePrescribing Learning Center
30/06/09 06:00 from Rural Assistance Center: News
The American Medical Association (AMA) reports that earlier this year they launched a new online learning center to provide physicians with the information and tools they need to make informed decisions about electronic prescribing (ePrescr..

» First Lady Michelle Obama Announces Release of $851 Million from Recovery Act to Upgrade & Expand Community Health Centers, to Serve More Patients
30/06/09 06:00 from Rural Assistance Center: News
First Lady Michelle Obama today announced the release of $851 million in grants to address immediate and pressing health center facility and equipment needs and increase access to health care for millions of Americans.

» Patient-Centered Research Report Sent to Congress Outlining Research Priorities
30/06/09 06:00 from Rural Assistance Center: News
Recommendations for how the HHS Office of the Secretary will spend $400 million in funds for patient-centered research, also known as comparative effectiveness research, were released today by Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Ef..

» HHS Rescinds Medicaid Regulations
30/06/09 06:00 from Rural Assistance Center: News
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that the administration will rescind all or part of three Medicaid regulations that were previously issued and delay the enforcement of a fourth regul..