Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Benefit enrollment and application
More Than 5 Million Older Adults Are Eligible for Both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and a Medicare Savings Program (MSP)
Examines characteristics of older adults who are eligible for both Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Provides data on eligibility, with data broken down by state, demographics, household size, income, and urban versus rural location.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Tobey Oliver
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Examines characteristics of older adults who are eligible for both Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Provides data on eligibility, with data broken down by state, demographics, household size, income, and urban versus rural location.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Tobey Oliver
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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2024 National Summer EBT Family Survey
Examines participation in and impact of Summer EBT (S-EBT), or SUNBucks, during the summer of 2024. Provides data on food insecurity, experiences using S-EBT, and S-EBT information and communications, with information specific to rural parents and families.
Author(s): David Metz, Lucia del Puppo, Denny Han
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Examines participation in and impact of Summer EBT (S-EBT), or SUNBucks, during the summer of 2024. Provides data on food insecurity, experiences using S-EBT, and S-EBT information and communications, with information specific to rural parents and families.
Author(s): David Metz, Lucia del Puppo, Denny Han
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Navigating Disability Benefits: New Research on Administrative Burden and Work Incentives
A recorded webinar that discusses the difficulty of navigating income support for people with low incomes and/or disabilities. Focuses on supplemental security income (SSI) and social security disability insurance (SSDI) application, eligibility, and work incentives. Includes SSI and SSDI policy challenges for rural residents, such as transportation, digital access, and legal representation.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Author(s): Debra L. Brucker, Mike Levere, Ramonia Rochester
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Wisconsin–Madison Institute for Research on Poverty
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A recorded webinar that discusses the difficulty of navigating income support for people with low incomes and/or disabilities. Focuses on supplemental security income (SSI) and social security disability insurance (SSDI) application, eligibility, and work incentives. Includes SSI and SSDI policy challenges for rural residents, such as transportation, digital access, and legal representation.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Author(s): Debra L. Brucker, Mike Levere, Ramonia Rochester
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Wisconsin–Madison Institute for Research on Poverty
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2025 County-Level Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment in Kansas
Provides information on health insurance marketplace enrollment in Kansas from November 1, 2024 to January 15, 2025. Includes health insurance enrollment data by congressional district, county, and ZIP code, as well as county-level data on standalone dental plan enrollment.
Additional links: 2025 Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment by Congressional District, 2025 Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment by County, 2025 Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment by Zip Code, 2025 Health Insurance Marketplace Standalone Dental Plan Enrollment by County
Author(s): Viktoria Sterkhova, Kaci Cink, Cynthia Snyder
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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Provides information on health insurance marketplace enrollment in Kansas from November 1, 2024 to January 15, 2025. Includes health insurance enrollment data by congressional district, county, and ZIP code, as well as county-level data on standalone dental plan enrollment.
Additional links: 2025 Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment by Congressional District, 2025 Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment by County, 2025 Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment by Zip Code, 2025 Health Insurance Marketplace Standalone Dental Plan Enrollment by County
Author(s): Viktoria Sterkhova, Kaci Cink, Cynthia Snyder
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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Beneficiary and Clinician Perspectives on Medicare and Other Issues: Findings from 2025 Focus Groups in St. Louis, Missouri, and 2021–2025 Rural Focus Groups
Summarizes findings from 8 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between April and May 2025, including one virtual focus group of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Compiles findings from 13 focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries between 2021 and 2025. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, organization of care, and prescription drugs.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Summarizes findings from 8 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between April and May 2025, including one virtual focus group of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Compiles findings from 13 focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries between 2021 and 2025. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, organization of care, and prescription drugs.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Affordable Care Act Enrollment in Texas after Rating Area Adjustments
Provides a brief overview of how Texas changed its approach to Affordable Care Act (ACA) rating areas for rural counties in 2023. Examines the association between the ACA rating area change and health plan enrollment, plan selection, and premiums from 2022 to 2024. Compares findings by urban and rural county status.
Author(s): Elena Andreyeva, Daniel Marthey, Simon F. Haeder, Benjamin Ukert
Citation: The American Journal of Managed Care, 31(6), e147-e152
Date: 06/2025
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Provides a brief overview of how Texas changed its approach to Affordable Care Act (ACA) rating areas for rural counties in 2023. Examines the association between the ACA rating area change and health plan enrollment, plan selection, and premiums from 2022 to 2024. Compares findings by urban and rural county status.
Author(s): Elena Andreyeva, Daniel Marthey, Simon F. Haeder, Benjamin Ukert
Citation: The American Journal of Managed Care, 31(6), e147-e152
Date: 06/2025
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Reflections from Lived Experience: Disability and Public Libraries
Examines disability needs as related to rural public libraries and their services. Focuses on library networking, information resources, outreach, and accessing community resources in rural areas. Discusses library services such as assisting with health insurance and benefits enrollment, social connectedness, transportation needs, and more.
Author(s): Jeff Gutierrez
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Montana: Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities
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Examines disability needs as related to rural public libraries and their services. Focuses on library networking, information resources, outreach, and accessing community resources in rural areas. Discusses library services such as assisting with health insurance and benefits enrollment, social connectedness, transportation needs, and more.
Author(s): Jeff Gutierrez
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Montana: Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities
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Assisting Rural Consumers
Offers information and guidance for Navigators and certified application counselors helping rural healthcare consumers. Covers rural-relevant considerations and policy updates regarding Federally-facilitated and State-based Marketplaces, Medicaid/CHIP, and Medicare. Outlines tips for assisters to address barriers to care and conducting outreach in rural areas.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Offers information and guidance for Navigators and certified application counselors helping rural healthcare consumers. Covers rural-relevant considerations and policy updates regarding Federally-facilitated and State-based Marketplaces, Medicaid/CHIP, and Medicare. Outlines tips for assisters to address barriers to care and conducting outreach in rural areas.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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March 2025 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2025 meeting. Covers research and proposals related to reforming physician fee schedule updates and improving the accuracy of relative payment rates, reducing beneficiary cost-sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals, Medicare insurance agents, Medigap, payment for ground ambulance services, home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees, and institutional special needs plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Mandated Report: Payment for Ground Ambulance Services, Reducing Beneficiary Cost-Sharing for Outpatient Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2025 meeting. Covers research and proposals related to reforming physician fee schedule updates and improving the accuracy of relative payment rates, reducing beneficiary cost-sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals, Medicare insurance agents, Medigap, payment for ground ambulance services, home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees, and institutional special needs plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Mandated Report: Payment for Ground Ambulance Services, Reducing Beneficiary Cost-Sharing for Outpatient Services at Critical Access Hospitals
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Ohio Medicaid Basics 2025: Ohio Medicaid Enrollment by County
Provides county-level data on Medicaid enrollment according to Medicaid expansion groups along with data for all Medicaid enrollees and total county population estimates.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Provides county-level data on Medicaid enrollment according to Medicaid expansion groups along with data for all Medicaid enrollees and total county population estimates.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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