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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Income support and assistance

National Hospital Care Survey Demonstration Projects: Examination of Maternal Health Outcomes by Housing Assistance Status
Compares maternal health outcomes for patients receiving housing assistance to those who did not receive assistance using National Hospital Care Survey and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development linked data. Offers data breakdown by rurality of hospital location, health insurance coverage, maternal age, gestational age, delivery method, and length of hospital stay. Discusses possibilities for future use of linked data research.
Author(s): Josephine M. Alford, Lello Guluma, Doreen M. Gidali, Geoffrey Jackson
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Medicare Enrollees and the Part D Drug Benefit: Improving Financial Protection through the Low- Income Subsidy
Provides an overview of the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) program, which covers some or all Part D drug costs. Presents estimates of number of Medicare Part D enrollees who received LIS in 2020 and their characteristics, as well as Medicare beneficiaries who did and did not have prescription drug coverage but who appear to be eligible for LIS based on income and resources. Compares Medicare enrollees demographic, financial, health status, and healthcare utilization characteristics, including rurality.
Author(s): Yevgeniy Feyman, Joel Ruhter, Kenneth Finegold, et al.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Child Support Engagement in Rural and Non-Rural Counties: More Engagement and Lower Amount Owed in Rural Areas
Explores differences in engagement in child support for custodial parents living in rural and nonrural areas. Compares the percentage of different types of child support agreements, expected child support payments, and actual child support payments received by custodial parents between 2010 and 2018. Identifies opportunities for federal, state, and tribal agencies to better serve custodial parents and their children through the Title IV-D program and other services.
Author(s): Maretta McDonald, Robin Ghertner
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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National and State Level Estimates of WIC Eligibility and Program Reach in 2021, Final Report, Volume 1
Compares eligibility versus participation in Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits in 2021 using Community Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS-ASEC), American Community Survey (ACS), and National Vital Statistics data. Discusses trends over time for infants and pregnant women as well as by breastfeeding status, race and ethnicity, Medicaid participation, urbanicity. Includes state and regional comparisons.
Additional links: Appendices, Volume 2, Summary
Author(s): Courtenay Kessler, Andrew Bryant, Kate Munkacsy, Kelsey Farson Gray
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Do SNAP Eligibility and Benefit Determinations Sufficiently Reflect Expenses of Older Households?
Report investigating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility guidelines to determine whether they are in line with the spending patterns of low-income households with adults over 50. Offers policy recommendations based on findings. Table 1 of the appendix compares the rural and urban share of total expenditures for these households.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Joshua Leftin, Nicardo McInnis, Andrew Wen
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Welfare and Family Self-Sufficiency Learning Agenda
Provides background and information on the development of the Welfare and Family Self Sufficiency Learning Agenda (WFSSLA) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Focuses on the structure of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), capacity building, and strategies for improving programs. Includes discussion on administering human services programs in rural contexts.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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Summer Food for Children: An Overview of Federal Aid
Provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Highlights changes to the SFSP made in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, including the permanent authorization of the nationwide Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) Program for Children, and allowing Seamless Summer Option (SSO) sponsors to provide meals for off-site consumption to children in rural areas without access to congregate meal sites.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Using Coaching to Address Economic Stability for People with Low Incomes: The Design and Implementation of Four Employment Coaching Programs
Examines the use of employment coaching for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients. Utilizes 2018 and 2019 data to analyze 4 programs and their context, design, and implementation. Includes discussion of a coaching program that takes place in rural Iowa.
Author(s): Karen Gardiner, Sheena McConnell
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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Informal and Formal Financial Assistance to Rural Women During Cancer Treatment
Interviews 36 rural women with cancer to explore their methods for handling financial hardship stemming from the costs of cancer. Discusses both informal assistance from the patients' support systems and formal assistance from healthcare systems and organizations. Highlights areas for potential financial disparities within existing inequalities.
Author(s): Emily Hallgren, Tess Thompson, Ramey Moore, et al.
Citation: SSM - Qualitative Research in Health
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
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Health Care's Role in Rural Economic Development: How Work Support Programs Improve Health and Stimulate Rural Economies
Policy brief exploring how work support programs – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) – and other state and federal programs can address social determinants of health, improve health, and stimulate economic activity in rural America. Offers policy recommendations to increase access to these programs in rural areas.
Author(s): David Jordan
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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