Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance
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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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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Telehealth FAQ Calendar Year 2025
Provides information on Medicare telehealth regulations and payment policy for calendar year 2025. Includes information on audio-only services, behavioral health services, direct supervision, and more.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides information on Medicare telehealth regulations and payment policy for calendar year 2025. Includes information on audio-only services, behavioral health services, direct supervision, and more.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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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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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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An Updated Model of Rural Hospital Financial Distress
Discusses a potential model to predict financial distress in rural hospitals, including negative cash flow margin, negative equity, or closure of facility. Tests 2,311 rural hospitals from 2013 to 2019 with the model and discusses its potential to predict financial distress and create accurate assessments.
Author(s): Tyler L. Malone, George H. Pink, George M. Holmes
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 2025
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Discusses a potential model to predict financial distress in rural hospitals, including negative cash flow margin, negative equity, or closure of facility. Tests 2,311 rural hospitals from 2013 to 2019 with the model and discusses its potential to predict financial distress and create accurate assessments.
Author(s): Tyler L. Malone, George H. Pink, George M. Holmes
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 2025
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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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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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The Uneven Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Rural and Urban Black, Latino/a, and White Mortality
Examines mortality rates and the corresponding impact of Medicaid expansion on Black, Latino/a, and White populations, broken down by rural versus urban location. Utilizes 2009-2019 data of Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET) estimates to provide statistical breakdowns and graphic representation of how Medicaid expansion has impacted mortality rates for varying populations.
Author(s): J. Tom Mueller, Regina S. Baker, Matthew M. Brooks
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12859
Date: 2025
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Examines mortality rates and the corresponding impact of Medicaid expansion on Black, Latino/a, and White populations, broken down by rural versus urban location. Utilizes 2009-2019 data of Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET) estimates to provide statistical breakdowns and graphic representation of how Medicaid expansion has impacted mortality rates for varying populations.
Author(s): J. Tom Mueller, Regina S. Baker, Matthew M. Brooks
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12859
Date: 2025
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Uninsured Population in Nonmetropolitan Counties
Printable map that shows percent of population without health insurance nationwide by county. Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE)
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Printable map that shows percent of population without health insurance nationwide by county. Data source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE)
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Obstetric Care Access at Rural and Urban Hospitals in the United States
Offers data showing losses and gains of obstetric care for 4,964 short-term acute care hospitals between 2010 and 2022. Offers comparisons of rural and urban hospitals.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, et al.
Date: 12/2024
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Offers data showing losses and gains of obstetric care for 4,964 short-term acute care hospitals between 2010 and 2022. Offers comparisons of rural and urban hospitals.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, et al.
Date: 12/2024
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Rural Independent Pharmacies Sustainability Strategy
Policy brief discussing unique challenges that threaten the stability of rural independent pharmacies. Offers policy recommendations to support rural independent pharmacies.
Author(s): Sagar Dugani, Vistrit Choudhary, Brian G. Williams
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing unique challenges that threaten the stability of rural independent pharmacies. Offers policy recommendations to support rural independent pharmacies.
Author(s): Sagar Dugani, Vistrit Choudhary, Brian G. Williams
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Impact of Public Health Emergency Unwinding on Medicaid Disenrollment Rates in Rural America
Policy brief discussing Medicaid unwinding and redetermination after the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and its potential impacts on rural populations. Offers policy and action recommendations to address the possible consequences of Medicaid unwinding on rural populations and providers.
Author(s): Laura Mispelon, Rachael Sherard
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief discussing Medicaid unwinding and redetermination after the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) and its potential impacts on rural populations. Offers policy and action recommendations to address the possible consequences of Medicaid unwinding on rural populations and providers.
Author(s): Laura Mispelon, Rachael Sherard
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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