ADVOCACY PUBLICATIONS AND POLICY BRIEFS

Rural Providers and eHealth: The Future is Now: February 2010[.pdf]
This report provides a summary of the current eHealth environment in California of relevance to the state’s rural health care providers and those that use the rural health care delivery system; identifies the barriers and challenges associated with rural health care providers successfully adopting eHealth technologies; the opportunities currently available to rural health care providers to overcome some of these barriers; and a discussion of the policy implications associated with these opportunities.

CSRHA Federal Advocacy Agenda: January 2010 [.pdf]
With declining reimbursement rates, limited access to funding for technological advances, and a dearth of healthcare professionals of all disciplines, those on the frontlines of service delivery in rural communities operate within a unique healthcare arena. With the growing state and national financial crisis, California’s rural safety net is in extreme jeopardy and requires the immediate attention of public policy officials. The Health Care Safety Net in rural areas includes those health care providers (public health, mental health, hospitals, practitioners, clinics, health centers, pharmacy, and ambulance services) that deliver health care services to the uninsured, Medicaid, and other vulnerable patients.

This document provides a summary of the California State Rural Health Association’s top concerns and recommendations to be addressed by our public policy makers.

CSRHA Federal Policy Recommendations: 2009 [.pdf]
According to 2000 Census data, rural California represents 80 percent of the state’s landmass and is home to more than 5 million people — about 15 percent of the state’s population. Rural California is a major player in the state’s economy, generating billions through agriculture, forestry and mining industries. Despite these important economic contributions, rural residents are among the state’s poorest and sickest and do not have the same access to health services as their urban counterparts.

California Health Reform: What's At Stake: August 2008[.pdf]
In response to health care crisis, the Governor and the California legislature have made health care reform a top priority in 2007. Several competing proposals aiming to overhaul the state’s dysfunctional health care system have sparked debate among legislators, the business community, advocacy groups, insurance providers, county officials, health care professionals and the public.

Budget Brief: August 2008 [.pdf]
Healthcare providers across the state face severe difficulties when forced to provide services without adequate and timely reimbursement. This document outlines the ramifications of the 2008 budget cuts to rural communities, as well as long term solutions to avoiding such a crisis in the future.

Health Reform Policy Bief: 2007
Health care reform policies must be responsive to rural communities in order to avoid unintended and potentially dire consequences for safety net providers, the patients they serve, and other entities that serve rural areas. Whether or not health care reform is achieved in 2007 or in years to come, the distinct issues and challenges that rural communities face in delivering health care remain and must be addressed.

Technology Brief: 2007[.pdf]
The goal of this brief is to urge policymakers, as well as rural health organizations, providers and advocates to make ubiquitous broadband and telecommunication infrastructure throughout rural California a top priority, and offer policy recommendations to further that goal.

An Appropriate Definition of Rural for California Policy Brief: 2003[.pdf]
The Office of Rural Health Policy [ORHP] within the United States Health Resources and Services Administration [HRSA] has adopted
geographic units called Rural-Urban Commuting Areas [RUCAs]. These are used as the basic unit for determining whether a specific area is
eligible to apply for ORHP funds allocated for “rural” areas. This policy brief examines the implementation of the RUCA methodology for
California in comparison to California’s Medical Service Study Area [MSSA] methodology to determine if the RUCA methodology is an
appropriate model for California.

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