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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Evaluation of the Medicare Care Choices Model: Fifth and Final Annual Evaluation Report
Evaluates the Medicare Care Choice Model (MCCM), which tests whether offering eligible Medicare beneficiaries the option to receive supportive services without forgoing payment for treatment of their terminal conditions improved their quality of life and care, increased patient and family satisfaction, and reduced Medicare expenditures. Describes the characteristics of participating hospices and withdrawal of providers over time; beneficiaries who were referred to, eligible for, and enrolled in MCCM; services provided and the quality of service delivery; transitions from MCCM to the Medicare hospice benefit; beneficiary outcomes and effects across subgroups; and key findings. Includes information on rural provider and beneficiary participation in the model and compares rural and urban beneficiary outcomes.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Participant Experience & Evaluation Results Video
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Medicare Advantage Enrollment Update 2023
Reports on the percentage of rural Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan location and plan type, from 2014-2023.
Author(s): Edmer Lazaro, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Beliefs about Dementia and Risk Reducing Behavior: An Empirical Analysis of Adults Age 40 and Above in the Midwest, Metro versus Nonmetro
Examines beliefs and perceptions of Midwesterners regarding dementia and related disease-mitigating behaviors. Utilizes 2021 AARP data to analyze perception of memory problems, use of medication, mental sharpness, beliefs about dementia, and risk reduction, broken down by metro or nonmetro location.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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The Opioid Crisis in the Pandemic Era
Analyzes trends in opioid use during the 2019-2021 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides information on the history of the opioid crisis and mortality rates by age, race/ethnicity, type of opioid, state, and urbanicity, including non-metro, small/medium metro, and large metro.
Additional links: Appendix
Author(s): Colin Planalp, Andrea Stewart
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, State Health Access Data Assistance Center
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QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Who Used the Internet in the Past 12 Months to Communicate with a Doctor or Doctor's Office, by Urbanization Level — National Health Interview Survey, United States, July–December 2022
Bar chart showing adult use of the internet to communicate with a doctor, with data by location of residence for metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 72(44), 1207
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months Among Children Born in 2019 and 2020 — National Immunization Survey-Child, United States, 2020–2022
Examines vaccination coverage for selected vaccines and doses among children born in 2019-2020. Supplementary Table 1 includes data for metropolitan and nonmetro areas by year and vaccine for birth years 2016 through 2020.
Additional links: Supplementary Table 1
Author(s): Holly A. Hill, David Yankey, Laurie D. Elam-Evans, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 72(44), 1190-1196
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Tuberculosis Testing and Latent Tuberculosis Infection Treatment Practices Among Health Care Providers — United States, 2020–2022
Reports on the routine testing and type of testing for tuberculosis (TB) ordered by healthcare providers for non-U.S. born patients, as well as treatment regimens selected by healthcare providers for patients with TB. Includes data by healthcare provider location for urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Author(s): Elise Caruso, Joan M. Mangan, Allison Maiuri, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 72(44), 1183-1189
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Extra Episode - Rural Communities Opioid Response Program with Megan Meacham and Sarah O'Donell
Podcast episode featuring Megan Meacham and Sarah O'Donnell from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Describes the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), which aims to improve access to substance use disorder, prevention, treatment, and recovery services in rural communities. Discusses examples of how RCORP grantees are effectively serving communities and tips for accessing resources to address the opioid crisis in tips for accessing resources to address the rural opioid crisis.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Impact! Communications, Inc.
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Health is Primary: Charting a Path to Equity and Sustainability
Examines factors driving the downward trends in primary care, including fewer clinicians practicing primary care, fewer available appointments, lower spending on primary care, and fewer adults reporting that they have a usual source of primary care. Features a literature review, supply and demand analysis, and recommendations for potential solutions. Mentions rural throughout.
Additional links: Slide Presentation
Author(s): Alison Huffstetler, Ann Greiner, Anam Siddiqi, et al.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Primary Care Collaborative, Robert Graham Center
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Human Immunodeficiency Virus Diagnosis and Care among Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Who Are Publicly Insured
Evaluates human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, diagnosis, and care among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, utilizing 2012 Medicare-Medicaid data. Identifies disparities related to ethnicity, geography, and more, including regional and rural/nonrural comparisons.
Author(s): T.G. James, M.S. Argenyi, A. Gravino, T.W. Benevides
Citation: Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 68(2), 150-163
Date: 10/2023
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