Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Statistics and data
Nicotine and Tobacco Product Use among US Youth in 10th and 12th Grade, 2023–2025: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study
Examines trends in youth nicotine, tobacco, and multi-product co-use. Utilizes 2023-2025 survey data from 10th and 12th graders and analyzes lifetime use and past 30-day use of various nicotine and tobacco products according to grade, demographics, parent education, and school location of urban, suburban/town, or rural.
Author(s): Dayoung Bae, Junhan Cho, Alyssa F. Harlow, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, 65, 101673
Date: 01/2027
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Examines trends in youth nicotine, tobacco, and multi-product co-use. Utilizes 2023-2025 survey data from 10th and 12th graders and analyzes lifetime use and past 30-day use of various nicotine and tobacco products according to grade, demographics, parent education, and school location of urban, suburban/town, or rural.
Author(s): Dayoung Bae, Junhan Cho, Alyssa F. Harlow, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, 65, 101673
Date: 01/2027
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The Association of Hospital Characteristics With Medicaid Managed Care Hospital Prices
Examines the relationship between hospital characteristics and Medicaid facility prices for routine procedures. Utilizes 2021-2023 facility claims data from Elevance Health-affiliated Medicaid plans, alongside American Hospital Directory data, to compare prices by Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and children's hospital status, ownership (for-profit, religiously affiliated, or government), teaching status, system affiliation, rurality, and size.
Author(s): Brett Alfrey, Benjamin Ukert, Aliza S. Gordon
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(6), e70178
Date: 12/2026
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Examines the relationship between hospital characteristics and Medicaid facility prices for routine procedures. Utilizes 2021-2023 facility claims data from Elevance Health-affiliated Medicaid plans, alongside American Hospital Directory data, to compare prices by Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and children's hospital status, ownership (for-profit, religiously affiliated, or government), teaching status, system affiliation, rurality, and size.
Author(s): Brett Alfrey, Benjamin Ukert, Aliza S. Gordon
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(6), e70178
Date: 12/2026
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A Rural-Urban Comparison of Children's Health in the United States, 2018-2023
Examines rural-urban differences in children's health insurance, neighborhood safety, household poverty, food insecurity, household conditions, physical activity, preventive care, dental and vision care, past-year emergency room visits, and mortality among children ages 0-17. Includes county-level maps showing Health Professional Shortage Areas as of 2026, with shadings showing levels of rurality.
Author(s): Emma Boswell, Taryn Farrell, Nicholas Yell, Peiyin Hung, Elizabeth Crouch
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
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Examines rural-urban differences in children's health insurance, neighborhood safety, household poverty, food insecurity, household conditions, physical activity, preventive care, dental and vision care, past-year emergency room visits, and mortality among children ages 0-17. Includes county-level maps showing Health Professional Shortage Areas as of 2026, with shadings showing levels of rurality.
Author(s): Emma Boswell, Taryn Farrell, Nicholas Yell, Peiyin Hung, Elizabeth Crouch
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
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Second-Year Rural Health Fund Awards Per Rural Resident Continue to Vary Widely
Describes the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding awarded to each state for the second year of the program. Includes data on how much RHTP funding increased or decreased from the first year awards, as well as cumulative RHTP totals awarded to each state through the first two years of RHTP.
Author(s): Zachary Levinson, Scott Hulver
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Describes the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding awarded to each state for the second year of the program. Includes data on how much RHTP funding increased or decreased from the first year awards, as well as cumulative RHTP totals awarded to each state through the first two years of RHTP.
Author(s): Zachary Levinson, Scott Hulver
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Rise in Kansas Children Without Health Insurance, 2022-2024
Provides data on uninsured children in Kansas from 2022 to 2024. Includes demographic data, rate changes, and county-level rates and counts of uninsured children.
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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Provides data on uninsured children in Kansas from 2022 to 2024. Includes demographic data, rate changes, and county-level rates and counts of uninsured children.
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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Use of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Medications and Modified Medication Use Among Adults — United States, 2025
Reports on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) use among adults, including use of compounded versions for chronic weight management. Also covers modified use due to cost- and access-related challenges. Includes data on GLP-1 use by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan location.
Author(s): Samantha L. Pierce, Lilanthi Balasuriya, Lyudmyla Kompaniyets, Alyson B. Goodman
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 75(44), 645-651
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Reports on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) use among adults, including use of compounded versions for chronic weight management. Also covers modified use due to cost- and access-related challenges. Includes data on GLP-1 use by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan location.
Author(s): Samantha L. Pierce, Lilanthi Balasuriya, Lyudmyla Kompaniyets, Alyson B. Goodman
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 75(44), 645-651
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Evaluating the Feasibility of Implementing School Staff Well-Being Programs
Examines the School Wellness Integration Targeting Child Health (SWITCH) initiative that focuses on supplemental staff well-being programming. Analyzes staff feedback from 6 majority rural schools that participated in 2 years of programming and provides data on perceptions of well-being programming, such as quality, effectiveness, impact, feasibility, and more.
Author(s): Jimmy Duhamahoro, Angela M. Tuttle Prince, Spyridoula Vazou, Sally S. DuBois, Gregory J. Welk
Citation: Journal of School Health, 96(11), e70286
Date: 11/2026
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Examines the School Wellness Integration Targeting Child Health (SWITCH) initiative that focuses on supplemental staff well-being programming. Analyzes staff feedback from 6 majority rural schools that participated in 2 years of programming and provides data on perceptions of well-being programming, such as quality, effectiveness, impact, feasibility, and more.
Author(s): Jimmy Duhamahoro, Angela M. Tuttle Prince, Spyridoula Vazou, Sally S. DuBois, Gregory J. Welk
Citation: Journal of School Health, 96(11), e70286
Date: 11/2026
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November 2026 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) November 2026 meeting. Covers changes to the Medicare physician fee schedule that affect primary care, charge-based coinsurance at Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), an analysis of aberrant patterns of care among hospice and home health providers, findings from MedPAC focus groups, and Medicare eligibility notification and the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) operations and funding.
Additional links: Charge-based Coinsurance at Rural Health Clinics, Findings from MedPAC's Focus Groups with Medicare Beneficiaries and Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Pharmacists
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) November 2026 meeting. Covers changes to the Medicare physician fee schedule that affect primary care, charge-based coinsurance at Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), an analysis of aberrant patterns of care among hospice and home health providers, findings from MedPAC focus groups, and Medicare eligibility notification and the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) operations and funding.
Additional links: Charge-based Coinsurance at Rural Health Clinics, Findings from MedPAC's Focus Groups with Medicare Beneficiaries and Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Pharmacists
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Association of Medicaid Unwinding With Hospital Financial Outcomes Among General Acute Care and Critical Access Hospitals
Explores the impacts of Medicaid unwinding, the 18-month period during which states reassessed enrollees' eligibility and disenrolled those who no longer qualified for Medicaid coverage at the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, on general acute care and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) finances. Describes the trends regarding uncompensated care costs and Medicaid revenue between 2021-2024, and compares data from the pre-unwinding (2021-2022) and post-unwinding (2023-2024) periods.
Author(s): Nima Khodakarami, Joel E. Segel
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(6), e70182
Date: 11/2026
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Explores the impacts of Medicaid unwinding, the 18-month period during which states reassessed enrollees' eligibility and disenrolled those who no longer qualified for Medicaid coverage at the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, on general acute care and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) finances. Describes the trends regarding uncompensated care costs and Medicaid revenue between 2021-2024, and compares data from the pre-unwinding (2021-2022) and post-unwinding (2023-2024) periods.
Author(s): Nima Khodakarami, Joel E. Segel
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(6), e70182
Date: 11/2026
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The State of Mental Health in America 2026
Report presents data on mental health and substance use for youth and adults across all 50 states. Highlights barriers to mental health wellness, such as lack of mental healthcare coverage, mental health workforce shortages, and cost of treatment, among other factors. Discusses some challenges specific to rural communities.
Author(s): Maddy Reinert
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Mental Health America
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Report presents data on mental health and substance use for youth and adults across all 50 states. Highlights barriers to mental health wellness, such as lack of mental healthcare coverage, mental health workforce shortages, and cost of treatment, among other factors. Discusses some challenges specific to rural communities.
Author(s): Maddy Reinert
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Mental Health America
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