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The Value of Personal Health Records - Examines the value of PHR systems, primarily with respect to their direct financial costs and benefits. Provides a framework for understanding the rapidly evolving set of technologies and offers projections on the costs saved from widespread adoption of PHR systems. -- Center for Information Technology Leadership...

Medicare Guide to Rural Health Services Information for Providers, Suppliers and Physicians: Errata Sheet - Errata updates applicable to the print version of the 2008 Medicare Guide to Rural Health Services Information for Providers, Suppliers and Physicians. -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

Medicare Billing Information for Rural Providers, Suppliers, and Physicians - Medicare billing charts and information on where to submit claims for Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Home Health Agencies, Critical Access Hospitals, and Swing Bed services. -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

Medicare Contractor Beneficiary and Provider Communications Manual, Chapter 6 - Provider Customer Service Program - Adresses the requirements and general instructions for Medicare contractors' Provider Customer Services Program (PCSP). -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

Medicare Contractor Beneficiary and Provider Communications Manual: Chapter 3 - Provider Inquiries - Addresses the general instructions and requirements for Medicare carriers, including Durable Medical Equipment Regional Carriers (DMERCs), and intermediaries for processing provider inquiries. -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

Announcement of Medicare Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) Payment Rate Increases - Provides general information about payment rate increases for Medicare Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

Quality Matters: Quality Improvement in the Indian Health Service - Describes how the Indian Health Service' federal, tribal, and urban health facilities have been making strides in quality improvement. -- Commonwealth Fund...

Outreach Sourcebook, Vol. 13, 2005-2008 - Detailed descriptions of 29 rural health outreach grant projects funded for 2005-2008 period. Includes project description and contact information. Includes index of health topics addressed by each project. -- Office of Rural Health Policy...

Medicare at a Glance - Provides an overview of the Medicare program, including how it is financed, who is eligible and what benefits are covered under the program. In addition, it describes supplemental health insurance, benefits provided by the new drug law and data on Medicare expenditures and financing. -- Kaiser Family Foundation...

The Medicaid Program At A Glance - Provides an overview of the Medicaid program, the populations that it serves, and the services that it covers. -- Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured...

Employer Sponsored Health Insurance A Comparison of the Availability and Cost of Coverage for Workers in Small Firms and Large Firms - Identifies important differences in the availability and cost of coverage for workers in small and large businesses that may be relevant for any reform effort. -- Kaiser Family Foundation...

Concentrated Rural Poverty and the Geography of Exclusion - Reports that social exclusion and isolation in poor communities often reinforce racial and class inequality. -- Carsey Institute...

Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 - Discusses the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. This bill is comprehensive and substantive housing legislation that contains many provisions long advocated by CARH. -- Council for Affordable and Rural Housing...

Compatible, Innovative, Sustainable, and Green: Responsible Site Development and Leed Neighborhood Design - Rural Ulster Preservation Company discusses its participation in the LEED Neighborhood Development Pilot Program and its plans for Woodstock Commons, a green affordable housing project in upstate New York. -- Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania...

Going For Zero: The Process of Developing A Near-Zero Energy Home - Rural Development, Inc. describes the goals, design process, and energy saving features of the Colrain project, a near-zero energy home located in rural Franklin County, Massachusetts. -- Housing Assistance Council...

Not Your Grandfathers Trailer: Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing - Frontier Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing organization, developed a unique program that addresses the low-income housing needs of rural Kentucky by providing quality, energy-efficient single section manufactured housing. -- Housing Assistance Council...

Greening Homes Through Brown Development: Water Conservation and Drought Tolerant Landscaping - Working in the arid climate of central Washington, the Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing has developed several techniques to conserve water and reduce utility costs for clients. -- Housing Assistance Council...

Household Food Security in the United States, 2007 - Presents statistics on households food security, food expenditures, and use offood and nutrition assistance programs for 2009. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture...

Can Low-Income Americans Afford a Healthy Diet? - Discusses how low-income households tend to consume less nutritious diets than other households, and they do not meet Federal recommendations for consumption of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. -- USDA Economic Research Service...

Getting Connected: The Outlook for Electronic Prescribing in California - Assesses the progress of transmitting of prescriptions electronically in California and examines how greater coordination between providers, health plans, and pharmacies could help overcome persistent barriers. -- California HealthCare Foundation...

Delivering Care Anytime, Anywhere: Telehealth Alters the Medical Ecosystem - Examines the current state of telehealth use, with particular focus on applications that deliver health care services directly to consumers at a distance, on demand, and via any electronic means. -- California HealthCare Foundation...

Homeless Veterans - Examines homelessness among U.S. veterans. A list of resources for further study is also provided. -- National Coalition for the Homeless...

RAC Maps: Interactive Research - Describes the map tools available through the Rural Assistance Center's website. -- Rural Assistance Center...

Theresa Chan, M.D., creator of Rural Doctoring - Interviews Theresa Chan, a family practice physician in rural northern California, on how she began her Rural Doctoring blog in May of 2008, which records the realities of making a living as a healthcare professional in rural areas. -- Rural Assistance Center...

The HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the United States - Provides an overview that includes the key trends and the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S. -- Kaiser Family Foundation...

Recession, Health and Health Care - Describes the impact of the economy's recessive state on health and health care. -- Rural Assistance Center...

Considering the D word - Examines the state of the current economy, its recession and possible morph into a depression. Addresses its international impact and its affect on the workforce. -- Rural Assistance Center...

Selected Findings on Child and Adolescent Health Care From the 2007 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports - Presents findings from the 2007 National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR) and National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR) on health care quality, access, and utilization for children and adolescents. -- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality...

Support Services Enhance Rural Cancer Care - Describes how grant monies enhance support services for rural cancer patients. Services and programs include: iVIDA! Breast Cancer Education for Survivors & Providers via Telemedicine, CHEER, and support from the American Cancer Society (ACS). -- Rural Assistance Center...

Starting A Nonprofit - Designed to facilitate starting a nonprofit, register it with your state (if you want to incorporate) and obtain tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service -- National Minority AIDS Council...

Specialized Stroke Care Improves Outcomes - U.S. News & World Report tells how stroke patients treated at community hospitals with specialized stroke care and telemedicine support from major stroke centers are more likely to survive and live independently than patients treated at hospitals without stroke units, a German study finds....

CMS Issues Final Rule on Medicaid Premiums, Cost Sharing - AHA News reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today issued a final rule implementing provisions of the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act and the 2006 Tax Relief and Health Care Act that provide state Medicaid agencies with increased flexibility to impose premium and cost sharing requirements on certain Medicaid beneficiaries....

Rural Matters: Time to Buy Local - Alexandria Times, (VA) article gives reasons why it is increasingly important to buy food locally....

America's Best Leaders: Regina Benjamin, Small-Town Primary Care Physician - U.S. News and World Report tells how new doctors are shunning primary care, while seasoned physicians are giving up, but not Regina Benjamin of rural La Batre, Alabama....

Legislation to Support Health Care Workforce - Hudson Valley Press, (NY) article tells how Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has introduced legislation that would increase investment in the training and education of health care professionals....

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Patient Safety and Quality Improvement; Final Rule - This final rule establishes the authorities, processes, and rules necessary to implement the Patient Safety Act that focuses on creating a voluntary program through which health care providers can share information relating to patient safety events with Patient Safety Organizations, with the aim of improving patient safety and the quality of care nationwide....

Drop Smoking During The Great American Smokeout 2008 - EMax Health article reports that today is The Great American Smokeout 2008, a focus of much attention to encourage Americans to stop smoking....

CMS Revises Anti-Markup Provisions in 2009 Final Physician Fee Schedule Rule - On November 19, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the Final Rule in the Federal Register, which revises the payment policies and rates for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for calendar year (CY) 2009....

Senators Release Draft Legislation for Medicare Hospital Value Based Purchasing Program - On November 19, 2008, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Ranking Member Charles Grassley released a discussion draft of the Medicare Hospital Quality Improvement Act of 2008, which would establish a Medicare value based purchasing (VBP) program for inpatient hospital care. ...

Daschle to be Obama's HHS Secretary - Associated Press article via NBC News reports that Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle has accepted President-elect Barack Obama's offer to be secretary of the Department Health and Human Services, NBC News confirmed Wednesday....

Hospital of the Future Report Urges Major Changes - A report released today from The Joint Commission offers guiding principles and actions for the hospital of the future to meet the daunting challenges of older and sicker patients, patient safety and quality of care, economics and the work force....

Bush Administration Announces Flexibility for Hope for Homeowners Program - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Steve Preston today announced that the HOPE for Homeowners (H4H) Board of Directors has approved changes to the program to help more distressed borrowers refinance into affordable, government-back mortgages....

U.S. Department of Labor Partners with U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs on National Resource Directory for Wounded Warriors - The U.S. Department of Labor has joined with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to launch a Web-based National Resource Directory to help wounded warriors identify resources available to assist them in transitioning back to civilian life....

Kennedy Establishes Committee Working Groups on Health Reform - Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Edward Kennedy (D-MA) yesterday named three members of the committee to lead working groups on key health reform issues. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) will lead a group on insurance coverage, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) will lead a group on prevention and public health, and Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) will lead a group on quality improvement....

New Report Details Impact of Economic Downturn on Patients and Hospitals - With our nation's economic troubles, fewer patients are seeking hospital care while at the same time a growing proportion of patients need help paying for care, according to new report from the American Hospital Association (AHA)....

On 10th Anniversary of 1998 Tobacco Settlement, Report Finds Most States Fail to Adequately Fund Tobacco Prevention Programs - Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports that ten years after reaching more than $246 billion in legal settlements against the tobacco industry, the states have failed to keep their promise to spend a significant portion of the money on programs to protect kids from tobacco and help smokers quit, according to a report released today by a coalition of public health organizations....

HHS Opens Offices of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in China - As part of an ongoing strategy to continually improve import safeguards to meet the changing demands of a global economy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is this week officially opening offices of its Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shangai in the Peoples Republic of China....

Medicare Program; Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2009; Final Rule with Comment Period - This final rule with comment period from CMS implements changes to the physician fee schedule and other Medicare Part B payment policies to ensure that their payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice and the relative value of services. It also finalizes the calendar year (CY) 2008 interim relative value units (RVUs) and issues interim RVUs for new and revised codes for CY 2009....

Study: Co-op Health Insurance Working for Farmers - Dairy Herd, (WI) article reports that a recent survey of Farmers' Health Cooperative of Wisconsin (FHCW) members reveals that the cooperative has had a positive impact on both the cost and quality of health insurance coverage offered to farmers and agribusinesses....

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Grant Competition Exceeding $17 Million to Help Young Offenders Reform Their Lives - The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a three-category, $17.3 million competition through which selected localities will develop strategies to assist all their young offenders returning from correctional facilities....

A New Report Shows How to Reform the Expensive and Dangerous Way We Pay for Health Care - Robert Wood Johnson article tells how the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement's latest report is urging fixes that could save billions of dollars and make expanding health insurance to the uninsured more affordable....

National Birth Defects Prevention Study Shows Assisted Reproductive Technology is Associated with an Increased Risk of Certain Birth Defects - Infants conceived with Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) are two to four times more likely to have certain types of birth defects than children conceived naturally, according to a study by the CDC....

Secretary Peake Announces Travel Reimbursement Increases for Eligible Veterans - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that eligible veterans will see an increase in the mileage reimbursement they receive for travel to VA facilities for medical care....

Speak Your Piece: Give Rural Entrepreneurs a Slice - Daily Yonder editorial discusses how the federal government is stepping in to support banks and insurance companies and, perhaps, the auto industry, but now it needs to invest in rural small-business development also....

CMS Issues Improper Payment Rates for Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP - CMS today reported it protected roughly $400 million of taxpayer dollars as improper payments for Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) decreased from 3.9 percent in Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 to 3.6 percent, or $10.4 billion, in FY 2008....

CDC Names Healthiest, Unhealthiest American Cities - KMOV St. Louis, (MO) article tells of the latest numbers to come from a CDC report, released in August, but little-publicized, that names the healthiest, unhealthiest American cities....

HHS Issues Second Report on Personalized Health Care - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today released the second report from his Initiative on Personalized Health Care, examining the potential for new findings in genetics and other molecular-level medicine to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care....

Farming Windpower where the Antelope Play - Daily Yonder article tells of the massive Foote Creek Rim wind farm that is Wyoming's first commercial facility to generate electricity from wind....

New CDC Study Finds Community Physical Activity Programs Are Money Well Spent - Community-based physical activity interventions designed to promote more active lifestyles among adults are cost-effective in reducing heart disease, stroke, colorectal and breast cancers, and type 2 diabetes, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation....

Pryor: Economy Higher Priority Than Health Care Reform - Morning News, (AR) article tells how stabilizing the nations financial crisis will take priority over health care reform in Congress next year, U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., said Thursday after leading a summit on The Future of Health Care....