Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access
State Strategies for Strengthening Rural Health: Insights from NASHP's 2025 Annual Conference
Summarizes a session from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) 2025 Annual Conference regarding state strategies to improve access to care in rural communities. Highlights policies from North Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia related to workforce and capacity challenges, broadband and telehealth, behavioral health access points, and linking health and social care.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Summarizes a session from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) 2025 Annual Conference regarding state strategies to improve access to care in rural communities. Highlights policies from North Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia related to workforce and capacity challenges, broadband and telehealth, behavioral health access points, and linking health and social care.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Disparities in Multi-Modal Spatial Access to Primary and Specialty Care in U.S. Neighborhoods: A Cross-Sectional and Temporal Analysis of Health Services
Provides a multi-modal spatial access measure to examine disparities in access to primary and specialty care across variable geographies. Includes data on spatial access to providers according to metro, micro, small town, or rural location as well as an example of a car-transit-walking composite spatial access map in micropolitan areas of Maine.
Author(s): R. Blake Buchalter, Paul R. Gunsalus, Madeleine M. Blazel, Michael W. Kenyhercz, Jarrod E. Dalton
Citation: PL0S One, 20(9), e0330427
Date: 09/2025
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Provides a multi-modal spatial access measure to examine disparities in access to primary and specialty care across variable geographies. Includes data on spatial access to providers according to metro, micro, small town, or rural location as well as an example of a car-transit-walking composite spatial access map in micropolitan areas of Maine.
Author(s): R. Blake Buchalter, Paul R. Gunsalus, Madeleine M. Blazel, Michael W. Kenyhercz, Jarrod E. Dalton
Citation: PL0S One, 20(9), e0330427
Date: 09/2025
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Oregon Areas of Unmet Health Care Need Report, 2025
Covers nine variables that describe areas of unmet healthcare need in Oregon and measure access to primary care, mental, and oral healthcare services. Areas of unmet need are scored based on variables within the following categories: availability of providers, ability to afford care, and utilization. Includes statistics and county-level information by service areas.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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Covers nine variables that describe areas of unmet healthcare need in Oregon and measure access to primary care, mental, and oral healthcare services. Areas of unmet need are scored based on variables within the following categories: availability of providers, ability to afford care, and utilization. Includes statistics and county-level information by service areas.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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Boosting Maternity Care in Rural America
Provides a brief overview of the state of maternal healthcare in rural areas. Highlights state and federal actions taken to improve access to quality maternal care and improve birth outcomes.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Provides a brief overview of the state of maternal healthcare in rural areas. Highlights state and federal actions taken to improve access to quality maternal care and improve birth outcomes.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Addressing HPV Vaccination in Southwest GA: The Emory Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network
Discusses the HPV Vaccine Mini-Grant Program, which funded a multi-level human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination intervention by four county health departments in rural, Southwest Georgia. Highlights strategies used by participating sites and includes data on program outcomes.
Author(s): Cam Escoffery
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
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Discusses the HPV Vaccine Mini-Grant Program, which funded a multi-level human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination intervention by four county health departments in rural, Southwest Georgia. Highlights strategies used by participating sites and includes data on program outcomes.
Author(s): Cam Escoffery
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
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Navigating Hepatitis C Care: Knowledge Gaps and Access Barriers Among Young Women Who Inject Drugs in Rural Appalachia
Presents a study on the barriers to hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing and treatment for young women who inject drugs (YWID) in rural areas. Aims to identify the factors influencing the accessibility of HCV testing and treatment for YWID in rural Appalachian, Ohio. Bases findings on interviews with 30 YWID aged 18-35 and discusses interpersonal and community barriers to care.
Author(s): Cheyenne R. Wagi, Renee McDowell, Anyssa Wright, et al.
Citation: PLOS ONE
Date: 09/2025
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Presents a study on the barriers to hepatitis C virus (HCV) testing and treatment for young women who inject drugs (YWID) in rural areas. Aims to identify the factors influencing the accessibility of HCV testing and treatment for YWID in rural Appalachian, Ohio. Bases findings on interviews with 30 YWID aged 18-35 and discusses interpersonal and community barriers to care.
Author(s): Cheyenne R. Wagi, Renee McDowell, Anyssa Wright, et al.
Citation: PLOS ONE
Date: 09/2025
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September 2025 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) September 2024 meeting. Covers Medicare payment operations and improving payment accuracy, a discussion with the Comptroller General of the United States regarding the Government Accountability Office's work related to improper payments in the Medicare program and opportunities to improve program sustainability, Medicare's overall financial situation, access to hospice and services under the Medicare hospice benefit for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease or cancer, and the relationship between changes in Medicare Advantage enrollment and hospital finances.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) September 2024 meeting. Covers Medicare payment operations and improving payment accuracy, a discussion with the Comptroller General of the United States regarding the Government Accountability Office's work related to improper payments in the Medicare program and opportunities to improve program sustainability, Medicare's overall financial situation, access to hospice and services under the Medicare hospice benefit for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease or cancer, and the relationship between changes in Medicare Advantage enrollment and hospital finances.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Pregnancy-Care Intentions and Practice among Family Medicine Physicians: Residents, Obstetric Fellows, and Fellowship Alumni
Examines the intentions of family medicine residents, family medicine obstetrics (FMOB) fellows, and FMOB alumni related to providing pregnancy care in rural areas. Utilizes survey data from 76 respondents and provides data breakdowns on their demographics, practice characteristics, and type of pregnancy care. Discusses issues of pregnancy care access in rural areas and the associated role of FMOB professionals.
Author(s): Robert William Owens, Mimi Dahlin, Emmanuel Adediran, et al.
Citation: Family Practice, 42(5)
Date: 09/2025
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Examines the intentions of family medicine residents, family medicine obstetrics (FMOB) fellows, and FMOB alumni related to providing pregnancy care in rural areas. Utilizes survey data from 76 respondents and provides data breakdowns on their demographics, practice characteristics, and type of pregnancy care. Discusses issues of pregnancy care access in rural areas and the associated role of FMOB professionals.
Author(s): Robert William Owens, Mimi Dahlin, Emmanuel Adediran, et al.
Citation: Family Practice, 42(5)
Date: 09/2025
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Rural and Tribal Transit: The Federal Transit Administration Should Evaluate Its Efforts to Help Improve Accessibility and Service
Explores the primary federal funding sources for accessible transit for older adults and people with disabilities for rural and tribal communities. Describes the approaches these communities have used to provide accessible transit, and the challenges they have faced. Discusses how the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have helped communities use funds to improve these transit services.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Explores the primary federal funding sources for accessible transit for older adults and people with disabilities for rural and tribal communities. Describes the approaches these communities have used to provide accessible transit, and the challenges they have faced. Discusses how the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have helped communities use funds to improve these transit services.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Reasons for Experiencing Delayed or Forgone Health Care among Rural American Indian/Alaska Native and Rural Non-Hispanic White Individuals, 2022
Policy brief offering reported reasons for experiencing delayed or forgone health care and how this differs between rural American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and rural non-Hispanic white people, as well as by Indian Health Service care access among rural AI/AN people. Uses data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey.
Author(s): Ingrid Jacobson, Julia Interrante, Hailey A. Baker, Mariana Tuttle, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Policy brief offering reported reasons for experiencing delayed or forgone health care and how this differs between rural American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and rural non-Hispanic white people, as well as by Indian Health Service care access among rural AI/AN people. Uses data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey.
Author(s): Ingrid Jacobson, Julia Interrante, Hailey A. Baker, Mariana Tuttle, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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