Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Affordable Care Act Enrollment in Texas after Rating Area Adjustments
Provides a brief overview of how Texas changed its approach to Affordable Care Act (ACA) rating areas for rural counties in 2023. Examines the association between the ACA rating area change and health plan enrollment, plan selection, and premiums from 2022 to 2024. Compares findings by urban and rural county status.
Author(s): Elena Andreyeva, Daniel Marthey, Simon F. Haeder, Benjamin Ukert
Citation: The American Journal of Managed Care, 31(6), e147-e152
Date: 06/2025
view details
Provides a brief overview of how Texas changed its approach to Affordable Care Act (ACA) rating areas for rural counties in 2023. Examines the association between the ACA rating area change and health plan enrollment, plan selection, and premiums from 2022 to 2024. Compares findings by urban and rural county status.
Author(s): Elena Andreyeva, Daniel Marthey, Simon F. Haeder, Benjamin Ukert
Citation: The American Journal of Managed Care, 31(6), e147-e152
Date: 06/2025
view details
2023 Quality Payment Program Experience Report
Reports on the clinician experience for those participating in the Quality Payment Program in 2023. Presents data on Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligibility and participation rates for clinicians in small practices and rural areas, mean and median final scores for 2023 and 2025 payment adjustments, and payment adjustment trends from 2021 through 2023.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Reports on the clinician experience for those participating in the Quality Payment Program in 2023. Presents data on Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligibility and participation rates for clinicians in small practices and rural areas, mean and median final scores for 2023 and 2025 payment adjustments, and payment adjustment trends from 2021 through 2023.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
The Impact of High Hospital Fixed-Cost Ratios on Rural Populations
Explores how rurality relates to hospital cost structures as categorized by Urban Influence Codes (UICs). Describes the characteristics of hospitals at different fixed-to-total-cost ratio levels, the demographics associated with hospitals at different ratio levels, and the share of nonmetropolitan hospitals that have Critical Access Hospital (CAH) or Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) designations. Discusses how findings could be used to refine hospital payment policies.
Author(s): Abigail Barker, Eliot Jost, Timothy McBride, Keith Mueller
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
view details
Explores how rurality relates to hospital cost structures as categorized by Urban Influence Codes (UICs). Describes the characteristics of hospitals at different fixed-to-total-cost ratio levels, the demographics associated with hospitals at different ratio levels, and the share of nonmetropolitan hospitals that have Critical Access Hospital (CAH) or Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) designations. Discusses how findings could be used to refine hospital payment policies.
Author(s): Abigail Barker, Eliot Jost, Timothy McBride, Keith Mueller
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
view details
5 Key Facts About Medicaid Coverage for People Living in Rural Areas
Provides an overview of Medicaid coverage in rural areas. Includes rural versus urban comparisons of Medicaid coverage, enrollee age, enrollee diagnosed chronic conditions, state-by-state data of Medicaid enrollees by degree of rurality, and more.
Author(s): Rhiannon Euhus, Sammy Cervantes, Alice Burns, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
view details
Provides an overview of Medicaid coverage in rural areas. Includes rural versus urban comparisons of Medicaid coverage, enrollee age, enrollee diagnosed chronic conditions, state-by-state data of Medicaid enrollees by degree of rurality, and more.
Author(s): Rhiannon Euhus, Sammy Cervantes, Alice Burns, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
view details
Assessing Temporal Changes in Spatially-Varying Disparities in Tobacco Retailer Density across Ohio
Examines how tobacco retailer density (TRD) across Ohio contributes to disparities in tobacco use. Utilizes 2017-2022 geocoded data on TBD, with breakdowns according to census tract sociodemographic characteristics and urban, suburban, or rural neighborhood type.
Author(s): Rui Qiang, Peter F. Craigmile, Wendy Hyde, Abby Shores, Megan E. Roberts
Citation: Ohio Journal of Public Health, 7(2)
Date: 06/2025
view details
Examines how tobacco retailer density (TRD) across Ohio contributes to disparities in tobacco use. Utilizes 2017-2022 geocoded data on TBD, with breakdowns according to census tract sociodemographic characteristics and urban, suburban, or rural neighborhood type.
Author(s): Rui Qiang, Peter F. Craigmile, Wendy Hyde, Abby Shores, Megan E. Roberts
Citation: Ohio Journal of Public Health, 7(2)
Date: 06/2025
view details
Rural-Suburban-Urban Differences in Caregiving in the Northeast U.S. Region
Analyzes characteristics of caregiving experiences in the Northeast according to rural, suburban, or urban geography. Focuses on percentage of people who have provided caregiving, as well as their income, weekly care expenses, use of social safety net programs, desire to participate in the workforce, and demographic profile.
Author(s): Elena Pojman, Florence Becot
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, PennState
view details
Analyzes characteristics of caregiving experiences in the Northeast according to rural, suburban, or urban geography. Focuses on percentage of people who have provided caregiving, as well as their income, weekly care expenses, use of social safety net programs, desire to participate in the workforce, and demographic profile.
Author(s): Elena Pojman, Florence Becot
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, PennState
view details
Wireless Substitution: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, July-December 2024
Provides data on households that rely on wireless telephones rather than landlines. Includes data on the percent of adults who live in wireless-only households and have their own wireless telephone, as well as data on phoneless adults. Provides data for nonmetropolitan compared to metropolitan areas. Discusses the need for surveys to include adequate representation of wireless-only households and households with landlines.
Author(s): Stephen J. Blumberg, Julian V. Luke
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
Provides data on households that rely on wireless telephones rather than landlines. Includes data on the percent of adults who live in wireless-only households and have their own wireless telephone, as well as data on phoneless adults. Provides data for nonmetropolitan compared to metropolitan areas. Discusses the need for surveys to include adequate representation of wireless-only households and households with landlines.
Author(s): Stephen J. Blumberg, Julian V. Luke
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
Social Determinants of Health and Rehabilitation Service Areas: An Urban and Rural Mediation Analysis
Analyzes associations between social determinants of health (SDOH) and community discharge rate disparities in rural and urban communities, utilizing AHRQ Social Determinants of Health Database data alongside other ZCTA-level datasets. Identifies key factors for addressing disparities in post-acute rehabilitation services.
Author(s): Sanghun Nam, Susanne Schmidt, Julianna M. Dean, Alex F. Bokov, Timothy A. Reistetter
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1562610
Date: 06/2025
view details
Analyzes associations between social determinants of health (SDOH) and community discharge rate disparities in rural and urban communities, utilizing AHRQ Social Determinants of Health Database data alongside other ZCTA-level datasets. Identifies key factors for addressing disparities in post-acute rehabilitation services.
Author(s): Sanghun Nam, Susanne Schmidt, Julianna M. Dean, Alex F. Bokov, Timothy A. Reistetter
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1562610
Date: 06/2025
view details
Self-Reported Reasons Preventing US Adults From Walking to Places Within 10 Minutes of Home
Examines environmental, access, and individual reasons given for not walking to places near home, utilizing 2022 SummerStyles survey data of 3,967 adults. Breaks down self-identified reasons for not walking by geographic and demographic characteristics, including rurality. Discusses the value of walkability for physical fitness and community accessibility.
Author(s): Hatidza Zaganjor, Tiffany J. Chen, Miriam E. Van Dyke, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240394
Date: 06/2025
view details
Examines environmental, access, and individual reasons given for not walking to places near home, utilizing 2022 SummerStyles survey data of 3,967 adults. Breaks down self-identified reasons for not walking by geographic and demographic characteristics, including rurality. Discusses the value of walkability for physical fitness and community accessibility.
Author(s): Hatidza Zaganjor, Tiffany J. Chen, Miriam E. Van Dyke, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240394
Date: 06/2025
view details
Rural Health Disparities: Contemporary Solutions for Persistent Rural Public Health Challenges
Special issue of Preventing Chronic Disease featuring articles that examine rural health disparities and discuss rural public health strategies to address cancer, diabetes, and other chronic conditions, and to promote physical activity.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease
Date: 06/2025
view details
Special issue of Preventing Chronic Disease featuring articles that examine rural health disparities and discuss rural public health strategies to address cancer, diabetes, and other chronic conditions, and to promote physical activity.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease
Date: 06/2025
view details