This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health insurance

State Innovation Models (SIM) Initiative Evaluation: Model Design and Model Pre-Test Evaluation Report
Reports on the experiences of 19 states that received federal support to work on state health care innovation plans focused on developing innovative healthcare delivery and payment models. Discusses rural concerns in these states, as well as strategies to address rural healthcare needs. Some topics addressed include patient-centered medical homes, accountable care organizations, workforce, broadband access, electronic health record adoption, and telehealth.
Date: 07/2014
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
view details
Affordable Care Act Plans and Premiums in Rural America
Discusses insurance premium pricing for rural populations following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, with a focus on rating area design to create adequate networks. Examines preliminary findings from a study focused on premium prices in rural Iowa and Nebraska. Offers recommendations to maximize the number of rural Americans who receive accessible, affordable health insurance.
Date: 07/2014
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details
Rural Residents Who Are Hospitalized in Rural and Urban Hospitals: United States, 2010
Reports on hospitalized rural residents, with a comparison of those treated at rural versus urban hospitals. Includes data on patients' age, payment source (Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance), number of procedures, and discharge status. Based on data from the 2010 National Hospital Discharge Survey.
Author(s): Margaret Jean Hall, Maria F. Owings
Date: 07/2014
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2014
Includes chapters on synchronizing Medicare policy across payment models; improving risk adjustment; measuring quality of care; financial assistance for low-income beneficiaries; per beneficiary payment for primary care; site-neutral payments for select conditions treated in inpatient rehabilitation facilities and skilled nursing facilities; and measuring the effects of medication adherence for the Medicare population. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 06/2014
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System for FQHCs; Changes to Contracting Policies for RHCs; and Changes to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 Enforcement Actions for Proficiency Testing Referral
The final rule with comment period that implements the methodology and payment rates for a prospective payment system (PPS) for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) services beginning October 1, 2014, under Medicare Part B, in compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Identifies the policy allowing Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to contract with nonphysician practitioners when statutory requirements for employment of nurse practitioners and physician assistants are met, and incorporated other technical changes to FQHC and RHC regulations. Changes to the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 enforcement actions for proficiency testing referral are included.
Date: 05/2014
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
High Deductible Health Insurance Plans in Rural Areas
Examines whether rural residents with private insurance are more likely to have a high deductible health insurance plan (HDHP) than urban residents, and if it differs by location in remote, rural areas. Addresses differences in income and education and offers recommendations related to the Health Insurance Marketplaces.
Additional links: Policy Brief: Rural Residents More Likely to be Enrolled in High Deductible Health Plans
Author(s): Jennifer D. Lenardson, Erika C. Ziller, Andrew F. Coburn
Date: 05/2014
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010: Impacts on Rural People, Places, and Providers: A Second Look
Addresses the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on rural communities with a focus on health insurance coverage, Medicare and Medicaid payment, quality and delivery system reform, public health, healthcare workforce, and long-term care.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Jennifer P. Lundblad, A. Clinton MacKinney, et al.
Date: 04/2014
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
view details
MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2014
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report.
Date: 03/2014
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Health Insurance Coverage of Low-Income Rural Children Increases and Is More Continuous Following CHIP Implementation
Compares insurance coverage of low-income children before and after the passage of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), with rural/urban comparisons. Addresses the uninsurance rate and health insurance continuity for low-income children in rural areas over time using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller
Date: 03/2014
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details
The Future of the Frontier Extended Stay Clinic
Describes the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) Frontier Extended Stay Clinic (FESC) demonstration project. Identifies the successes and challenges, and discusses the financial sustainability of the FESC model. Includes policy recommendations and lessons learned.
Author(s): Susan Wilger, Saskia Van Hecke
Date: 02/2014
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details