Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Most Medicare Advantage Markets are Dominated by One or Two Insurers
Examines the competitiveness of Medicare Advantage (MA) markets at the county level. Explores how often one or two Medicare Advantage insurers enrolled at least half of all enrollees within a county. Compares data on the share of counties in very concentrated MA markets across urban, rural adjacent, and rural non-adjacent counties.
Author(s): Nicole Zhu, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Nolan Sroczynski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Examines the competitiveness of Medicare Advantage (MA) markets at the county level. Explores how often one or two Medicare Advantage insurers enrolled at least half of all enrollees within a county. Compares data on the share of counties in very concentrated MA markets across urban, rural adjacent, and rural non-adjacent counties.
Author(s): Nicole Zhu, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Nolan Sroczynski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Natural Hazards, Losses, and Quality of Hazard Mitigation Plans in Rural Pennsylvania
Results of a study identifying and analyzing characteristics of natural hazards and losses in Pennsylvania over time, characteristics of rural and urban hazard mitigation planning, and challenges for county emergency management coordinators. Offers recommendations to address staff shortages faced by emergency management personnel in rural areas. Features statistics including property losses and deaths from hazards in Pennsylvania by year from 2000-2021, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Jennifer J. Haney
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Results of a study identifying and analyzing characteristics of natural hazards and losses in Pennsylvania over time, characteristics of rural and urban hazard mitigation planning, and challenges for county emergency management coordinators. Offers recommendations to address staff shortages faced by emergency management personnel in rural areas. Features statistics including property losses and deaths from hazards in Pennsylvania by year from 2000-2021, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Jennifer J. Haney
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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AACOM Applicants & Matriculants Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Categories & Regions 2016-2024
Report on osteopathic medical school applicants and matriculants, using data from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) application to summarize categories and geographic regions. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density.
Author(s): Erik Guercio
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
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Report on osteopathic medical school applicants and matriculants, using data from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) application to summarize categories and geographic regions. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density.
Author(s): Erik Guercio
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
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Associations Between Screen Time Use and Health Outcomes Among US Teenagers
Examines screen use and its correlation to health outcomes in teenagers aged 12 to 17. Utilizes self-reported data from the 2021–2023 National Health Interview Survey-Teen (NHIS-Teen) to analyze physical activity, sleep, weight, and mental health, further broken down by respondent demographics, including metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Benjamin Zablotsky, Amanda E. Ng, Lindsey I. Black, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22
Date: 07/2025
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Examines screen use and its correlation to health outcomes in teenagers aged 12 to 17. Utilizes self-reported data from the 2021–2023 National Health Interview Survey-Teen (NHIS-Teen) to analyze physical activity, sleep, weight, and mental health, further broken down by respondent demographics, including metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Benjamin Zablotsky, Amanda E. Ng, Lindsey I. Black, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22
Date: 07/2025
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Access to OB-GYNs: Evaluating Workforce Supply and ACA Marketplace Networks
Examines the workforce supply of OB-GYNs employed in the United States and part of insurance marketplace networks. Provides interactive county-level data on number of practicing OB-GYNs per 100,000 women aged 15-64. Presents the share of counties with no OB-GYNs and the share of women living in them according to rural, small metro, or urban county classification.
Author(s): Michelle Long, Matthew Rae, Aubrey Winger, and Kaye Pestaina
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Examines the workforce supply of OB-GYNs employed in the United States and part of insurance marketplace networks. Provides interactive county-level data on number of practicing OB-GYNs per 100,000 women aged 15-64. Presents the share of counties with no OB-GYNs and the share of women living in them according to rural, small metro, or urban county classification.
Author(s): Michelle Long, Matthew Rae, Aubrey Winger, and Kaye Pestaina
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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The Relationship Between the Population Experiencing Homelessness and Living in Shelters and Poverty
Presents as paper exploring the U.S. Census data related to poverty for the housed and unhoused population. Discusses how these groups compare to one another. Breaks down data by rural, urban, and national rates.
Author(s): Brian Glassman
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Presents as paper exploring the U.S. Census data related to poverty for the housed and unhoused population. Discusses how these groups compare to one another. Breaks down data by rural, urban, and national rates.
Author(s): Brian Glassman
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Electronic Public Health Reporting Among Non-Federal Acute Care Hospitals, 2024
Data brief examining public health reporting among acute care hospitals, including rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), in 2024 using data from the the 2024 American Hospital Association (AHA) Information Technology (IT) supplement. Presents data on the mean number of public health reporting types completed by hospital size, CAH status, rural/urban location, and independent/system affiliation. Describes challenges hospitals face with electronic public health reporting and electronic health information, such as lack of capacity to exchange electronically, interface issues, and differing vocabulary standards. Appendix Table A1 presents data on the methods used to submit data electronically across four data streams - immunization registry, syndromic surveillance, electronic lab reporting, and electronic case reporting - by hospital characteristics.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Data brief examining public health reporting among acute care hospitals, including rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), in 2024 using data from the the 2024 American Hospital Association (AHA) Information Technology (IT) supplement. Presents data on the mean number of public health reporting types completed by hospital size, CAH status, rural/urban location, and independent/system affiliation. Describes challenges hospitals face with electronic public health reporting and electronic health information, such as lack of capacity to exchange electronically, interface issues, and differing vocabulary standards. Appendix Table A1 presents data on the methods used to submit data electronically across four data streams - immunization registry, syndromic surveillance, electronic lab reporting, and electronic case reporting - by hospital characteristics.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Geographic Variability in Contemporary Utilization of PET Imaging for Prostate Cancer: A Medicare Claims Cohort Study
Analyzes likelihood of receiving Positron Emission Tomography (PET) by level of rurality as part of prostate cancer treatment, utilizing 2019-2021 Medicare claims data. Includes analysis of interactions between metro, urban, or rural geography and patients' race.
Author(s): Stephan M. Korn, Zhiyu Qian, Hanna Zurl, et al.
Citation: Cancer Imaging, 25, 86
Date: 07/2025
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Analyzes likelihood of receiving Positron Emission Tomography (PET) by level of rurality as part of prostate cancer treatment, utilizing 2019-2021 Medicare claims data. Includes analysis of interactions between metro, urban, or rural geography and patients' race.
Author(s): Stephan M. Korn, Zhiyu Qian, Hanna Zurl, et al.
Citation: Cancer Imaging, 25, 86
Date: 07/2025
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Obstetric Care Access Declined in Rural and Urban Hospitals Across US States, 2010–22
Examines the number and proportion of hospitals located in rural and urban counties in each state that lost hospital-based obstetric services between 2010 and 2022. Describes the proportion of hospitals without obstetric services for any reason by 2022.
Author(s): Katy Backes Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 44(7), 806-811
Date: 07/2025
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Examines the number and proportion of hospitals located in rural and urban counties in each state that lost hospital-based obstetric services between 2010 and 2022. Describes the proportion of hospitals without obstetric services for any reason by 2022.
Author(s): Katy Backes Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 44(7), 806-811
Date: 07/2025
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Illinoisans' Perceptions about Physicians' Pay
Examines perceptions of health worker pay and payments to healthcare businesses in metro versus nonmetro Illinois populations.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Examines perceptions of health worker pay and payments to healthcare businesses in metro versus nonmetro Illinois populations.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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