Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Minnesota Chartbook Section 6: Uninsurance, Forgone Care, and the Safety Net
Reports on uninsurance trends in Minnesota from 2007 to 2023. Discusses statewide measures, population groups, characteristics and potential access to coverage of the uninsured, and uncompensated care. Includes charts showing rural versus urban hospital uncompensated care expenses.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Reports on uninsurance trends in Minnesota from 2007 to 2023. Discusses statewide measures, population groups, characteristics and potential access to coverage of the uninsured, and uncompensated care. Includes charts showing rural versus urban hospital uncompensated care expenses.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Annual Disability Statistics Compendium 2025
Additional links: Annual Report on People with Disabilities in America 2025
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Research on Disability, Institute on Disability, University of New Hampshire, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
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Presents statistics on Americans with disabilities across key social and economic indicators derived from American Community Survey (ACS) data, including employment, educational attainment, health and healthcare, and more. Section 10 presents data on people with disabilities in rural areas, and compares the prevalence of disability, demographic characteristics, employment status, income, and insurance coverage status across metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Additional links: Annual Report on People with Disabilities in America 2025
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Research on Disability, Institute on Disability, University of New Hampshire, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
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Drive Time to Care and Retention in HIV Care: Rural–Urban Differences Among Medicaid Enrollees in the United States South
Presents a study on the role geography plays in HIV care retention and maintenance. Draws data from Medicaid enrollees in 13 southern states including the District of Columbia and compares patient drive times to care in rural and urban areas. Breaks down data by county social determinants of health, healthcare supply, and HIV prevalence, as well as patient characteristics.
Author(s): April D. Kimmel, Rose S. Bono, Zhongzhe Pan, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12877
Date: 2025
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Presents a study on the role geography plays in HIV care retention and maintenance. Draws data from Medicaid enrollees in 13 southern states including the District of Columbia and compares patient drive times to care in rural and urban areas. Breaks down data by county social determinants of health, healthcare supply, and HIV prevalence, as well as patient characteristics.
Author(s): April D. Kimmel, Rose S. Bono, Zhongzhe Pan, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12877
Date: 2025
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Home Health Utilization in the Veterans Health Administration: Are there Rural and Urban Differences?
Examines home health usage and access among veterans in rural and urban areas. Utilizes 2019-2021 Veterans Health Administration (VA) data to analyze rural versus urban home health use, with data broken down by patient sociodemographic variables as well as number of visits.
Author(s): Heather Davila, Bradely Mayfield, Michelle A. Mengeling, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12865
Date: 2025
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Examines home health usage and access among veterans in rural and urban areas. Utilizes 2019-2021 Veterans Health Administration (VA) data to analyze rural versus urban home health use, with data broken down by patient sociodemographic variables as well as number of visits.
Author(s): Heather Davila, Bradely Mayfield, Michelle A. Mengeling, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12865
Date: 2025
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The Uneven Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Rural and Urban Black, Latino/a, and White Mortality
Examines mortality rates and the corresponding impact of Medicaid expansion on Black, Latino/a, and White populations, broken down by rural versus urban location. Utilizes 2009-2019 data of Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET) estimates to provide statistical breakdowns and graphic representation of how Medicaid expansion has impacted mortality rates for varying populations.
Author(s): J. Tom Mueller, Regina S. Baker, Matthew M. Brooks
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12859
Date: 2025
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Examines mortality rates and the corresponding impact of Medicaid expansion on Black, Latino/a, and White populations, broken down by rural versus urban location. Utilizes 2009-2019 data of Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATET) estimates to provide statistical breakdowns and graphic representation of how Medicaid expansion has impacted mortality rates for varying populations.
Author(s): J. Tom Mueller, Regina S. Baker, Matthew M. Brooks
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12859
Date: 2025
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Associations Between COVID-19 Therapies and Outcomes in Rural and Urban America: A Multisite, Temporal Analysis from the Alpha to Omicron SARS-CoV-2 Variants
Examines COVID-19 treatment, health outcomes, and mortality disparities in rural and urban areas of the United States. Analyzes 2021-2023 National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) data from 3,018,646 patients to break down COVID-19 disparities according to patient demographics, vaccine status, comorbidities, U.S. Census region, and adverse inpatient events, as well as urban, urban-adjacent, or nonurban-adjacent location.
Author(s): A. Jerrod Anzalone, William H. Beasley, Kimberly Murray, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12857
Date: 2025
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Examines COVID-19 treatment, health outcomes, and mortality disparities in rural and urban areas of the United States. Analyzes 2021-2023 National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) data from 3,018,646 patients to break down COVID-19 disparities according to patient demographics, vaccine status, comorbidities, U.S. Census region, and adverse inpatient events, as well as urban, urban-adjacent, or nonurban-adjacent location.
Author(s): A. Jerrod Anzalone, William H. Beasley, Kimberly Murray, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12857
Date: 2025
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Trends in and Factors Associated with Family Physician-Performed Screening Colonoscopies in the United States: 2016-2021
Examines factors and trends related to family physician (FP)-performed colonoscopy screenings. Analyzes 2016-2021 insurance claims data from 2,943,900 qualified colonoscopies, with data breakdowns according to patient demographics, accrued charges, region, and urban-rural classification, including large central metro, large fringe metro, medium metro, small metro, micropolitan, and noncore. Discusses the impact of FP-performed colonoscopy screenings for certain populations, including rural.
Author(s): Nicholas Edwardson, David van der Goes, V. Shane Pankratz, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1)
Date: 2025
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Examines factors and trends related to family physician (FP)-performed colonoscopy screenings. Analyzes 2016-2021 insurance claims data from 2,943,900 qualified colonoscopies, with data breakdowns according to patient demographics, accrued charges, region, and urban-rural classification, including large central metro, large fringe metro, medium metro, small metro, micropolitan, and noncore. Discusses the impact of FP-performed colonoscopy screenings for certain populations, including rural.
Author(s): Nicholas Edwardson, David van der Goes, V. Shane Pankratz, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1)
Date: 2025
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Fast Facts on U.S. Hospitals, 2025
Offers resources highlighting data from the American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey. Provides data on the number of hospitals by type, ownership, system-affiliated versus independent, and rural versus urban location. Includes an interactive map of community hospitals in the United States.
Additional links: Infographics from Fast Facts on U.S. Hospitals, 2025
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Offers resources highlighting data from the American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey. Provides data on the number of hospitals by type, ownership, system-affiliated versus independent, and rural versus urban location. Includes an interactive map of community hospitals in the United States.
Additional links: Infographics from Fast Facts on U.S. Hospitals, 2025
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Publicly-Available Data Sets Containing Consumer-Generated Internet Speed Test Data May Leave Rural Communities Behind
Explores how well rural counties are represented in two publicly-available datasets of consumer-generated broadband speed tests: Measurement Labs (M-Lab) and Ookla for Good (Ookla).
Author(s): Cari A. Bogulski, Maysam Rabbani, Corey J. Hayes, Aysenur Betul Cengil, Hari Eswaran
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Regional Campuses
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Explores how well rural counties are represented in two publicly-available datasets of consumer-generated broadband speed tests: Measurement Labs (M-Lab) and Ookla for Good (Ookla).
Author(s): Cari A. Bogulski, Maysam Rabbani, Corey J. Hayes, Aysenur Betul Cengil, Hari Eswaran
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Regional Campuses
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2024 Communications Marketplace Report
Examines the state of competition across the broader communications marketplace, as well as laws, regulations, regulatory practices, or marketplace practices that pose a barrier to competitive entry and expansion of the marketplace. Includes data on tribal and rural areas throughout, including trends in broadband adoption and the percentage of households with multiple provider options between 2020-2023.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Examines the state of competition across the broader communications marketplace, as well as laws, regulations, regulatory practices, or marketplace practices that pose a barrier to competitive entry and expansion of the marketplace. Includes data on tribal and rural areas throughout, including trends in broadband adoption and the percentage of households with multiple provider options between 2020-2023.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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