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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health insurance

Medical Debt and Its Impact on Rural Patients and Providers, with Carrie Henning-Smith
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Carrie Henning-Smith, Co-Director of the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center. Focuses on the prevalence of and difficulties caused by medical debt for both rural patients and providers.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Medicare Advantage Enrollment Update 2024
Reports on the percentage of rural Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan location and plan type, from 2014-2024.
Author(s): Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Health Differences Between Rural and Non-Rural Texas Counties Based on 2023 County Health Rankings
Examines rural versus nonrural counties in Texas by health outcomes and factors. Utilizes 2023 County Health Rankings data to explore county-level health disparities and includes maps showing health insurance, poverty, length and quality of life, socioeconomic factors, physical environment, health behavior, and clinical care ratings by county.
Author(s): Elizabeth Ekren, Shadi Maleki, Cristian Curran, Cassidy Watkins, Melinda M. Villagran
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 25, 2
Date: 01/2025
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Minnesota Chartbook Section 6: Uninsurance, Forgone Care, and the Safety Net
Reports on uninsurance trends in Minnesota from 2007 to 2023. Discusses statewide measures, population groups, characteristics and potential access to coverage of the uninsured, and uncompensated care. Includes charts showing rural versus urban hospital uncompensated care expenses.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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New Mexico Health Care Authority Data Book 2025
2025 data book providing dashboards on food security, health and wellness, housing, healthcare access and affordability, health insurance coverage, Medicaid eligibility, and more for the state of New Mexico. Includes county-level data on a variety of demographic, economic, and health topics.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Health Care Authority
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Improving Primary Care Valuation Processes to Inform the Physician Fee Schedule
Describes the current process and data inputs used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for primary care service valuation in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). Discusses promising approaches to update the PFS and the potential role of hybrid payments. Offers recommendations to CMS to improve the valuation process and accurately reflect the full scope of high-quality primary care.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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2025 Indiana Girl Report Dashboard
Provides interactive regional and county-level data on girls in Indiana. Includes demographic information, population to provider ratios, health insurance data, educational attainment, reported bullying, poverty, and more. Offers interactive county-level maps as well as county-level data in the drop-down menu.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organizations: Girl Coalition of Indiana, Girl Scouts, Indiana Youth Institute
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2025 North Carolina Rural Health Snapshot
Presents data on rural North Carolina demographics, health information, and healthcare infrastructure. Offers statistics on issues including food access, income, healthcare coverage, maternal health, behavioral health, housing, internet access, and more. Features a county-level map with shadings showing rural and urban or suburban counties.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organizations: Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation, North Carolina Rural Health Association
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Idaho Hispanic Statewide Healthcare Plan
Identifies themes from 400 focus group participants at the July 2024 Idaho Hispanic/American Indian Healthcare Conference regarding accessibility to healthcare, healthcare workforce, and community engagement. Offers recommendations to policymakers, community organizations, and the healthcare industry. Includes county-level data for distribution of the Hispanic population, Medicaid and Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment rate changes, primary care physician distribution, uninsured rates, and poverty rates.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs
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Drive Time to Care and Retention in HIV Care: Rural–Urban Differences Among Medicaid Enrollees in the United States South
Presents a study on the role geography plays in HIV care retention and maintenance. Draws data from Medicaid enrollees in 13 southern states including the District of Columbia and compares patient drive times to care in rural and urban areas. Breaks down data by county social determinants of health, healthcare supply, and HIV prevalence, as well as patient characteristics.
Author(s): April D. Kimmel, Rose S. Bono, Zhongzhe Pan, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12877
Date: 2025
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