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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2023
Evaluates Medicare payment issues and provides recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Chapter 7 presents a report on the use, payment, and quality of telehealth services that Medicare pays for separately under the physician fee schedule (PFS). Also includes chapters on the cost of drugs covered under Medicare Part B, postsale rebates for prescription drugs in Medicare Part D, standardized benefits in Medicare Advantage plans, future directions for Medicare Advantage payment policy, disparities in outcomes for beneficiaries with different social risks, Medicare behavioral health services, the alignment of fee-for-service payment rates across ambulatory settings, and the evaluation of a post-acute care prospective payment system prototype.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Mental Health Treatment Among Children Aged 5–17 Years: United States, 2021
Reports on U.S. children between the ages of 5 and 17 who had counseling or therapy from a mental health professional or took prescription medication for mental health in the past 12 months. Includes data for children living in nonmetropolitan areas, small or medium metro areas, and large metro areas.
Author(s): Benjamin Zablotsky, Amanda E. Ng
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Expansion of Telehealth Availability for Mental Health Care After State-Level Policy Changes From 2019 to 2022
Explores mental health access associated with state-level telehealth policy changes due to COVID-19. Highlights disparities in mental health via telehealth access before and after COVID-related policy changes and details access rates in counties based on rurality, among other measures.
Author(s): Ryan K. McBain, Megan S. Schuler, Nabeel Qureshi, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(6), e2318045
Date: 06/2023
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Inflation Does Vary Between Rural and Urban Minnesota
Examines inflation differences between rural and urban Minnesota and discusses issues such as demand, supply chain, and workforce shortages. Includes rural versus urban comparisons of expenses, discretionary income, and total income.
Author(s): Marnie Werner
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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Colorectal Cancer Screening in Rural and Urban Primary Care Practices Amid Implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act
Analyzes the rate of colorectal cancer screening in 139 primary care practices between 2016 and 2020, following the implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), which provides financial incentives for screening. Includes colorectal cancer screening rates by year and quarter, social deprivation, age, race, region, and rurality, with comparisons between rural and urban primary care practices.
Author(s): Tyrone F. Borders, Zachary J. Morgan, Lars E. Peterson
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 14
Date: 06/2023
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How Often Do Households in the North Central Region Run out of Food?
Provides 2022 data on the percentage of households in the North Central Region who run out of food before they have funds to purchase groceries. Examines households by frequency of food insecurity, specific North Central Region state, race, marital status, income, education, and rural, urban, or suburban location.
Author(s): Antara Chowdhury
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
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Diabetes Prevalence and Monitoring in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Areas Within a Commercially Insured U.S. Population
Explores the prevalence of diabetes in metro and nonmetro areas. Draws data from commercial insurance enrollees and compares rates of diabetes testing and outcomes by rurality.
Author(s): Lindsey R. Hammerslag, Jeffery Talbert
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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Understanding and Overcoming Barriers to Rural Training in Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowships
Highlights a study on access to rural-focused family medicine obstetrics (FM OB) fellowships for family medicine residency graduates. Explores the availability of rural-specific FM OB fellowships and the challenges programs face in providing rurally-oriented training to family medicine physicians. Breaks down data by fellowship type, training curriculum, and rurality of location, among other measures.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Cost of Dementia in Illinois: Metro Versus Nonmetro
Examines prevalence of Alzheimer's dementia in metro and nonmetro counties in Illinois, with further breakdowns by race, number of people at risk, financial cost of dementia, risk calculation and life expectancy, and more.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Rural/Urban Differences in Access to Paid Sick Leave Among Full-Time Workers
Features a study on the accessibility of paid sick leave for full-time workers in rural and urban areas. Discusses the negative health outcomes of lacking paid sick leave. Highlights correlative factors, such as educational attainment, age, and chronic conditions, among others.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Janette Dill, Arianne Baldomero, Katy Backes Kozhimannil
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(3), 676-685
Date: 06/2023
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