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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Benefit enrollment and application

Examination of the Effect of SNAP Benefit and Eligibility Parameters on Low-Income Households
Examines whether or not policies determining benefit levels for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reflect current spending patterns of low-income households in the United States. Includes statistics, such as a rural versus urban comparison of low-income household spending and average spending by low-income household characteristic and expenditure type, among others.
Author(s): Joshua Leftin, Thomas Godfrey, James Mabli, Nancy Wemmerus, Stephen Tordella
Date: 10/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Decision Demographics and Mathematica Policy Research, USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Factors Affecting States' Ability to Respond to Federal Medicaid Cuts and Caps: Which States Are Most At Risk?
Examines 30 key factors that contribute to state-by-state differences in Medicaid per enrollee spending including rural population, and uses the factors to rank and identify which states are at greatest risk if federal Medicaid cuts or caps are enacted. Presents findings across five main areas: Medicaid policy, demographics, health status, available tax revenue and state budget choices, and healthcare markets.
Author(s): Robin Rudowitz, Allison Valentine, Petry Ubri, Julia Zur
Date: 06/2017
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Fewer Than Half of WIC-Eligible Families Receive WIC Benefits
Examines the characteristics of families eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) who receive WIC benefits compared to those who do not. Includes information on rural versus urban families participating in WIC. Identifies nonparticipating WIC-eligible families that could be targeted for outreach.
Author(s): Kristin Smith
Date: 2016
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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Successful Health Insurance Outreach, Education, and Enrollment Strategies for Rural Hospitals
Shares best practices for hospitals to use in health insurance outreach and enrollment efforts based on interviews with administrators, staff, and community representatives at 11 small rural hospitals in 9 states. Also discusses certified application counselors, who help individuals enroll in health insurance, and the importance of using collaborative community partnerships to conduct insurance enrollment outreach and education.
Author(s): Walter Gregg, Alex Evenson, Adeniyi Togun
Date: 11/2014
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Examining the Potential of Information Technology to Improve Public Insurance Application Processes: Enrollee Assessments from a Concurrent Mixed Method Analysis
Reports on Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries' readiness to use technology as part of the application process. Also discusses enrollees' preferences for technology versus face-to-face interaction for different aspects of the application process. Compares responses for rural, small metropolitan, and major metropolitan area enrollees.
Author(s): Abhay Nath Mishra, Patricia Ketsche, James Marton, Angela Snyder, Susan McLaren
Citation: JAMIA, 21(6), 1045-52
Date: 11/2014
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Rural Implications of the Affordable Care Act Outreach, Education, and Enrollment
Outlines opportunities for rural communities to benefit from the Affordable Care Act and discusses the importance of efforts aimed at furthering outreach, education, and enrollment in health insurance in rural areas.
Date: 01/2014
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting Summary, Bozeman, Montana, September 4-6, 2013
Provides a summary of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services meeting. Discusses rural health in Montana, along with rural outreach, enrollment and education for the health insurance market places of the Affordable Care Act, and the intersection of poverty and human service delivery in rural areas.
Date: 09/2013
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Promising Practices for Rural Community Health Worker Programs
Identifies six rural community health worker models in the literature and in practice: promotora, member of the care delivery team, care coordinator, health educator, outreach and enrollment agent, and community organizer and capacity builder.
Author(s): Alycia Infante, Alana Knudson, Alexa Brown
Date: 03/2011
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Characteristics of Rural & Urban Children Who Qualify For Medicaid or CHIP But Are Not Enrolled
Examines rural-urban and regional differences in the race and ethnicity of qualified-but-uninsured children.
Author(s): Jennifer King, Rebecca Slifkin, Mark Holmes
Date: 07/2009
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Means-Tested Programs: Information on Program Access Can Be an Important Management Tool
Discusses access to and participation in low-income programs, such as welfare and public housing, by those who are eligible. Includes information on strategies used by federal, state, and local administrators to improve access.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2005
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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