Health policy

Completed Projects

Analysis Related to Health Care Reform Issues
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health care financing, Health policy, Health services
The RUPRI Center is prepared to provide analysis of elements and/or effects of proposed or enacted health reform legislation and/or regulations to implement changes mandated by legislation.

Analytic Capacity to Respond to Changes in Medicare and Medicaid, Data Assistance to Policy Staff at the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, and Production of Short Policy Briefs
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Legislation and regulation, Medicaid and S-CHIP, Medicare
This project will produce short policy briefs on a variety of topics related to proposed and enacted changes in Medicare and Medicaid, as requested by policy staff at the federal Office of Rural Health Policy.

Arguing for Rural Health: Justice and Fairness in Advocating for Rural Health Policy
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic: Health policy

Comments on Regulatory and Contractor Reform Legislation
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Legislation and regulation, Medicare

Community Health Worker Certification Process in Texas: Implications for Practice and Policy
Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Hispanics, Legislation and regulation, Workforce

Cost of Ambulance Transports for Low-Volume Providers in Rural Areas and Its Implications for Medicare Reimbursement Policy
Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Emergency medical services (EMS), Health care financing, Health policy, Medicare

Database for Rural Health Research in Progress
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic: Health policy
This searchable database of current rural health services research and policy analysis includes all ORHP-funded studies as well as research funded by other federal agencies, major private foundations and other sources.

Declining Access to Hospital-based Obstetric Services in Rural Areas: Causes and Impact
Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Hospitals and clinics, Legislation and regulation, Maternal and child health, Women
This study examines the declining availability of hospital-based obstetric services in rural areas from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. It examines potential causes for this trend and explores the effects of medical malpractice reforms.

Developing and Using a Classification Schema to Identify Sentinel Communities in the U.S.
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic: Health policy
This project will enable rural researchers to track the effect of current policies on rural communities, anticipate the effect of proposed policies, and demonstrate policy effects that link one sector to another.

Discrepancies of Financial Data between Medicare Cost Report and Hospital Audited Financial Statement and Its Implication for Measuring Financial Impact of Payment Policy on Rural Hospitals
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health care financing, Health policy, Hospitals and clinics

Establishing a Fair Payment for Rural Physicians
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Physicians, Workforce
This project will analyze differences in physician payment as a function of practice location and simulate policy choices that change the current payment formula.

Expanding Rural Health Insurance Coverage: How Do Insurance Reform Strategies Stack Up?
Research centers: Maine Rural Health Research Center , Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health insurance and the uninsured, Health policy
This purpose of this study is to inform policymakers about the current state of health insurance coverage in rural America, and to assess how specific reform strategies may differentially affect rural residents. Using a combination of analytic strategies, we will provide policymakers and rural health advocates with the necessary tools to develop reform strategies that meet the needs of rural residents.

Health Panel Project: Providing an Objective Assessment of the Implications of Health Reform for Rural People, Places and Health Care Providers
Research center: Rural Policy Analysis and Applications
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health care financing, Health policy
The Panel is tracking legislative developments and providing brief assessments about impact on specific rural populations and providers.

Health Reform�Rapid Response
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health care financing, Health policy, Health services, Mental health
This project will include several projects as requested by ORHP and DHHS as those agencies prepare for national health reform. Responses are primarily in the areas of health insurance and behavioral health.

Human Services Project: Health & Human Services Integration: Challenges and Opportunities for Rural Service Providers and Communities
Research center: Rural Policy Analysis and Applications
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Health services
The Panel is undertaking a project to understand effective efforts to integrate health and human services through federal grant programs.

Impact of The Medicaid Budget Crisis on Rural Communities: A 50-State Survey
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Medicaid and S-CHIP
The impact of the Medicaid budgetary crisis on rural communities across the US will be assessed through a 50-state survey of state Medicaid agencies, state Offices of Rural Health and state rural health associations.

Impacts of Multiple Race Reporting
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Minority health

Implementation of Health Reform Legislation in Rural America
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health insurance and the uninsured, Health policy, Medicare
The RUPRI Center has developed particular expertise, including the use of simulations, in how changes in public policy that are now part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) affect the rural health care providers and communities. We have published policy briefs and papers related to Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, effects of insurance reform on the percentage of uninsured in rural areas, and effects of changes in physician payment on projected total income of rural primary care physicians. The purpose of this project is to take advantage of RUPRI's capacity for further simulation analysis and empirically based analyses of changes occurring as a result of the PPACA.

Implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit: What is Available to Rural Beneficiaries?
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Legislation and regulation, Medicare Part D
This study will focus on the impact of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 on rural beneficiaries, based on actual prescription drug plan contracts, comparing the impact of the legislation on rural beneficiaries to their urban counterparts.

Information Technology Engineering Support for Health Resources and Services Administration Data Systems/Geospatial Data Warehouse, GIS Technologies, GEMS Support and General Office of Information Technology Systems Support
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Technology, Workforce

J-1 Visa Project
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, International Medical Graduates (IMGs), J-1 Visa Waiver, Workforce

Medicaid Budget Cuts and Long-Term Care Supplement
Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Aging, Disabilities, Health policy, Long term care, Medicaid and S-CHIP
Data on each state will be collected identifying all the changes made to their Medicaid program in the area of long-term care or related services to the frail elderly and disabled, and a policy paper addressing the impact of Medicaid cuts on long term care services, particularly among the elderly in rural areas, will be produced.

Medicare Modernization Act: Reality for Rural Beneficiaries and Providers
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Medicare Advantage (MA), Medicare Part D
This project will focus on two areas of new activity in Medicare�beneficiary participation in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and prescription drug plans and implementation of the new Part D benefit through private health plans. We will describe enrollment into specific types of MA prescription drug plans and other prescription drug plans, and analyze differences across regions, states, and types of counties. We will also examine the impact of the transfer to Part D coverage on rural dual eligibles and their local pharmacies.

Medicare Payment for Post-Acute Care Transfers
Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health care financing, Health policy, Hospitals and clinics

Medicare Reform: Rural Considerations
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index

Mental Health Services: The Effect of Variations in State Policies
Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Health services, Mental health
This study will identify variations in state licensure and payment or coverage polices and examine the effect of these variations on the availability of mental health services in rural areas.

Mini-Studies to Inform Health Reform Efforts
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Health services
Rural health care systems are far more vulnerable to changes in federal health care policy than are those in urban areas. The purpose of this project is to conduct rapid turnaround mini-studies that will be essential to maintain an effective rural voice in both the ongoing adjustments to current policies and the development of new policies.

Options for Structuring Disproportionate Share (DSH) Payments to Account for Uncompensated Care: Impact on Rural Hospitals
Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health care financing, Health policy, Hospitals and clinics
This study will identify options for development of an equitable DSH payment adjustment that accounts for hospital uncompensated care costs and determine the financial impact of each of these proposals on rural hospitals, using simulations with data from Washington, West Virginia, Texas, and Iowa.

Policy Analyses of Rural Issues Related to Health Care Reform
Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Health services
Health care reform provides an array of opportunities to improve health care access and quality for rural Americans. The WWAMI RHRC will support HRSA's efforts to inform this process by summarizing existing evidence characterizing the rural health care workforce and rural health care delivery and will conduct analyses exploring the potential impact on rural populations of proposed and newly- enacted health care reform legislation.

Rapid and Flexible Analysis of Data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Medicare, Rural statistics and demographics
Project staff will provide rapid and flexible analysis of CMS data in response to requests from ORHP staff. Work will be ongoing throughout the contract year, with the design of individual products determined in response to ORHP staff needs.

Rapid Research Response on Health Care Reform Issues
Research center: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health care financing, Health policy
The focus of the SC Rural Health Research Center is on investigating persistent inequities in health status within the population of the rural US, with an emphasis on inequities stemming from socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, and access to healthcare services. Building on existing expertise, the SC Rural Health Research Center will create an internal process that allows for rapid turnaround of analysis on race/ethnicity and rural-based health disparity inquiries from policymakers.

Rural Dimensions of Medicare Payment Policies
Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Medicare

Rural Implications of Health Care Reform: Issues Related to Quality of Care, Health Information Technology and Care Coordination
Research center: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Health services
The purpose of this project is to provide support to the Office of Rural Health Policy on rural health care reform issues.

Rural-Urban Physician Payment Differences Across the Nation: Methodological Changes
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Medicare, Physicians, Workforce
This project will simulate the effects of changes to the methodologies used to calculate the three geographic practice cost indices (GPCIs) currently used to adjust physician payment across the 89 Medicare payment areas in the U.S. and territories. Changes to the payment formula will be analyzed to determine potential impact on payment across areas and revenues for rural physician practices.

Tribal Long-Term Care: Barriers to Best Practices in Policy and Programming for a National Sample of Rural Tribes
Research center: ORHP-funded Individual Grantees
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Aging, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Health policy, Long term care, Minority health
This project will examine barriers experienced by rural American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes in developing long term care policy and service provision, identify tribes which exemplify best practices in the area of long term care policy, and document what other tribes would need to know to develop successful long term care programs (i.e., lessons learned).

Topics Centers Researchers Other Resources Search		Health policy Completed Projects Analysis Related to Health Care Reform Issues Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health care financing, Health policy, Health services The RUPRI Center is prepared to provide analysis of elements and/or effects of proposed or enacted health reform legislation and/or regulations to implement changes mandated by legislation. Analytic Capacity to Respond to Changes in Medicare and Medicaid, Data Assistance to Policy Staff at the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, and Production of Short Policy Briefs Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Legislation and regulation, Medicaid and S-CHIP, Medicare This project will produce short policy briefs on a variety of topics related to proposed and enacted changes in Medicare and Medicaid, as requested by policy staff at the federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Arguing for Rural Health: Justice and Fairness in Advocating for Rural Health Policy Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topic: Health policy Comments on Regulatory and Contractor Reform Legislation Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Legislation and regulation, Medicare Community Health Worker Certification Process in Texas: Implications for Practice and Policy Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Hispanics, Legislation and regulation, Workforce Cost of Ambulance Transports for Low-Volume Providers in Rural Areas and Its Implications for Medicare Reimbursement Policy Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Emergency medical services (EMS), Health care financing, Health policy, Medicare Database for Rural Health Research in Progress Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topic: Health policy This searchable database of current rural health services research and policy analysis includes all ORHP-funded studies as well as research funded by other federal agencies, major private foundations and other sources. Declining Access to Hospital-based Obstetric Services in Rural Areas: Causes and Impact Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Hospitals and clinics, Legislation and regulation, Maternal and child health, Women This study examines the declining availability of hospital-based obstetric services in rural areas from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. It examines potential causes for this trend and explores the effects of medical malpractice reforms. Developing and Using a Classification Schema to Identify Sentinel Communities in the U.S. Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topic: Health policy This project will enable rural researchers to track the effect of current policies on rural communities, anticipate the effect of proposed policies, and demonstrate policy effects that link one sector to another. Discrepancies of Financial Data between Medicare Cost Report and Hospital Audited Financial Statement and Its Implication for Measuring Financial Impact of Payment Policy on Rural Hospitals Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health care financing, Health policy, Hospitals and clinics Establishing a Fair Payment for Rural Physicians Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Physicians, Workforce This project will analyze differences in physician payment as a function of practice location and simulate policy choices that change the current payment formula. Expanding Rural Health Insurance Coverage: How Do Insurance Reform Strategies Stack Up? Research centers: Maine Rural Health Research Center , Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health insurance and the uninsured, Health policy This purpose of this study is to inform policymakers about the current state of health insurance coverage in rural America, and to assess how specific reform strategies may differentially affect rural residents. Using a combination of analytic strategies, we will provide policymakers and rural health advocates with the necessary tools to develop reform strategies that meet the needs of rural residents. Health Panel Project: Providing an Objective Assessment of the Implications of Health Reform for Rural People, Places and Health Care Providers Research center: Rural Policy Analysis and Applications Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health care financing, Health policy The Panel is tracking legislative developments and providing brief assessments about impact on specific rural populations and providers. Health Reform�Rapid Response Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health care financing, Health policy, Health services, Mental health This project will include several projects as requested by ORHP and DHHS as those agencies prepare for national health reform. Responses are primarily in the areas of health insurance and behavioral health. Human Services Project: Health & Human Services Integration: Challenges and Opportunities for Rural Service Providers and Communities Research center: Rural Policy Analysis and Applications Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Health services The Panel is undertaking a project to understand effective efforts to integrate health and human services through federal grant programs. Impact of The Medicaid Budget Crisis on Rural Communities: A 50-State Survey Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Medicaid and S-CHIP The impact of the Medicaid budgetary crisis on rural communities across the US will be assessed through a 50-state survey of state Medicaid agencies, state Offices of Rural Health and state rural health associations. Impacts of Multiple Race Reporting Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Minority health Implementation of Health Reform Legislation in Rural America Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health insurance and the uninsured, Health policy, Medicare The RUPRI Center has developed particular expertise, including the use of simulations, in how changes in public policy that are now part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) affect the rural health care providers and communities. We have published policy briefs and papers related to Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, effects of insurance reform on the percentage of uninsured in rural areas, and effects of changes in physician payment on projected total income of rural primary care physicians. The purpose of this project is to take advantage of RUPRI's capacity for further simulation analysis and empirically based analyses of changes occurring as a result of the PPACA. Implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit: What is Available to Rural Beneficiaries? Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Legislation and regulation, Medicare Part D This study will focus on the impact of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 on rural beneficiaries, based on actual prescription drug plan contracts, comparing the impact of the legislation on rural beneficiaries to their urban counterparts. Information Technology Engineering Support for Health Resources and Services Administration Data Systems/Geospatial Data Warehouse, GIS Technologies, GEMS Support and General Office of Information Technology Systems Support Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Technology, Workforce J-1 Visa Project Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, International Medical Graduates (IMGs), J-1 Visa Waiver, Workforce Medicaid Budget Cuts and Long-Term Care Supplement Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Aging, Disabilities, Health policy, Long term care, Medicaid and S-CHIP Data on each state will be collected identifying all the changes made to their Medicaid program in the area of long-term care or related services to the frail elderly and disabled, and a policy paper addressing the impact of Medicaid cuts on long term care services, particularly among the elderly in rural areas, will be produced. Medicare Modernization Act: Reality for Rural Beneficiaries and Providers Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Medicare Advantage (MA), Medicare Part D This project will focus on two areas of new activity in Medicare�beneficiary participation in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans and prescription drug plans and implementation of the new Part D benefit through private health plans. We will describe enrollment into specific types of MA prescription drug plans and other prescription drug plans, and analyze differences across regions, states, and types of counties. We will also examine the impact of the transfer to Part D coverage on rural dual eligibles and their local pharmacies. Medicare Payment for Post-Acute Care Transfers Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health care financing, Health policy, Hospitals and clinics Medicare Reform: Rural Considerations Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index Mental Health Services: The Effect of Variations in State Policies Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Health services, Mental health This study will identify variations in state licensure and payment or coverage polices and examine the effect of these variations on the availability of mental health services in rural areas. Mini-Studies to Inform Health Reform Efforts Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Health services Rural health care systems are far more vulnerable to changes in federal health care policy than are those in urban areas. The purpose of this project is to conduct rapid turnaround mini-studies that will be essential to maintain an effective rural voice in both the ongoing adjustments to current policies and the development of new policies. Options for Structuring Disproportionate Share (DSH) Payments to Account for Uncompensated Care: Impact on Rural Hospitals Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health care financing, Health policy, Hospitals and clinics This study will identify options for development of an equitable DSH payment adjustment that accounts for hospital uncompensated care costs and determine the financial impact of each of these proposals on rural hospitals, using simulations with data from Washington, West Virginia, Texas, and Iowa. Policy Analyses of Rural Issues Related to Health Care Reform Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Health services Health care reform provides an array of opportunities to improve health care access and quality for rural Americans. The WWAMI RHRC will support HRSA's efforts to inform this process by summarizing existing evidence characterizing the rural health care workforce and rural health care delivery and will conduct analyses exploring the potential impact on rural populations of proposed and newly- enacted health care reform legislation. Rapid and Flexible Analysis of Data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Medicare, Rural statistics and demographics Project staff will provide rapid and flexible analysis of CMS data in response to requests from ORHP staff. Work will be ongoing throughout the contract year, with the design of individual products determined in response to ORHP staff needs. Rapid Research Response on Health Care Reform Issues Research center: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health care financing, Health policy The focus of the SC Rural Health Research Center is on investigating persistent inequities in health status within the population of the rural US, with an emphasis on inequities stemming from socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, and access to healthcare services. Building on existing expertise, the SC Rural Health Research Center will create an internal process that allows for rapid turnaround of analysis on race/ethnicity and rural-based health disparity inquiries from policymakers. Rural Dimensions of Medicare Payment Policies Research center: Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Medicare Rural Implications of Health Care Reform: Issues Related to Quality of Care, Health Information Technology and Care Coordination Research center: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Health services The purpose of this project is to provide support to the Office of Rural Health Policy on rural health care reform issues. Rural-Urban Physician Payment Differences Across the Nation: Methodological Changes Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Health policy, Medicare, Physicians, Workforce This project will simulate the effects of changes to the methodologies used to calculate the three geographic practice cost indices (GPCIs) currently used to adjust physician payment across the 89 Medicare payment areas in the U.S. and territories. Changes to the payment formula will be analyzed to determine potential impact on payment across areas and revenues for rural physician practices. Tribal Long-Term Care: Barriers to Best Practices in Policy and Programming for a National Sample of Rural Tribes Research center: ORHP-funded Individual Grantees Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) Topics: Aging, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Health policy, Long term care, Minority health This project will examine barriers experienced by rural American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes in developing long term care policy and service provision, identify tribes which exemplify best practices in the area of long term care policy, and document what other tribes would need to know to develop successful long term care programs (i.e., lessons learned).