Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document
Association Between the Declining Conversion Factor and Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries
Examines the impact of the inflation-adjusted conversion factor and reduced reimbursement on Medicare beneficiaries' access to care. Utilizes 2005-2023 Medicare fee-for-service data from 4,662,729 unique beneficiaries and provides data breakdowns on conversion factor values and care utilization according to community income, area deprivation index, and urbanicity.
Author(s): Eric W. Christensen, Alexandra R. Drake, Gregory N. Nicola, et al.
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 63
Date: 07/2026
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Examines the impact of the inflation-adjusted conversion factor and reduced reimbursement on Medicare beneficiaries' access to care. Utilizes 2005-2023 Medicare fee-for-service data from 4,662,729 unique beneficiaries and provides data breakdowns on conversion factor values and care utilization according to community income, area deprivation index, and urbanicity.
Author(s): Eric W. Christensen, Alexandra R. Drake, Gregory N. Nicola, et al.
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 63
Date: 07/2026
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The Integration of Spirituality Into Domestic Violence Services in Indian Country
Discusses the role of spirituality in supporting domestic violence services for tribal communities, noting challenges related to access to domestic violence services, funding, and incorporating traditional spiritual practices into care for survivors. Offers recommendations for overcoming highlighted challenges.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Indigenous Women's Resource Center
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Discusses the role of spirituality in supporting domestic violence services for tribal communities, noting challenges related to access to domestic violence services, funding, and incorporating traditional spiritual practices into care for survivors. Offers recommendations for overcoming highlighted challenges.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Indigenous Women's Resource Center
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National Trends in Bone-Metastatic Prostate Cancer Mortality in the United States, 1999–2024: A Multiple-Cause-of-Death Analysis with Projections to 2040
Examines trends in prostate cancer mortality with bone metastasis as a contributing cause using 1999-2024 CDC WONDER data. Includes demographic and rural-urban data comparisons.
Author(s): Kanza Atif, Eshal Atif, Vishan Das, Alaa Eldeeb
Citation: Frontiers in Oncology, 16, 1882666
Date: 07/2026
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Examines trends in prostate cancer mortality with bone metastasis as a contributing cause using 1999-2024 CDC WONDER data. Includes demographic and rural-urban data comparisons.
Author(s): Kanza Atif, Eshal Atif, Vishan Das, Alaa Eldeeb
Citation: Frontiers in Oncology, 16, 1882666
Date: 07/2026
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How Primary Care Medics Can Bring Needed Health Care to Rural Americans
Describes Penn State College of Medicine's Primary Care Medic Project, a certificate-based pathway under development that will train local individuals to deliver primary and preventive care under the supervision of licensed clinicians. Discusses how primary care medics will fill gaps between community-based outreach and licensed primary care providers. Compares the scope of practice of primary care medics with those of community health workers, paramedics, and registered nurses, among others.
Author(s): Mark B. Stephens, Robin W. Weinick
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Describes Penn State College of Medicine's Primary Care Medic Project, a certificate-based pathway under development that will train local individuals to deliver primary and preventive care under the supervision of licensed clinicians. Discusses how primary care medics will fill gaps between community-based outreach and licensed primary care providers. Compares the scope of practice of primary care medics with those of community health workers, paramedics, and registered nurses, among others.
Author(s): Mark B. Stephens, Robin W. Weinick
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Evaluation of the 2021–2024 Implementation of the Fresh Start Enhanced Food Is Medicine Intervention Among Rural, Underinsured People With Type 2 Diabetes
Examines the impact of the Fresh Start produce prescription (FSPRx) intervention in rural North Carolina among a medically underinsured population with type 2 diabetes. Utilizes program, survey, and interview data from FSPRx participants to analyze feasibility and acceptability of the program, with pre- and post-intervention data breakdowns according to dietary patterns, food literacy, health outcomes, and more.
Author(s): Lauren R. Sastre, Brandon Stroud, Raven Breinholt, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 07/2026
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Examines the impact of the Fresh Start produce prescription (FSPRx) intervention in rural North Carolina among a medically underinsured population with type 2 diabetes. Utilizes program, survey, and interview data from FSPRx participants to analyze feasibility and acceptability of the program, with pre- and post-intervention data breakdowns according to dietary patterns, food literacy, health outcomes, and more.
Author(s): Lauren R. Sastre, Brandon Stroud, Raven Breinholt, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 07/2026
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State Innovations in Improving Access to Care for Adults with Complex Needs in Rural Communities
Discusses Medicaid policy and financing strategies that can help improve rural delivery systems and access to care for rural older adults, people with disabilities, and others with complex health and social needs. Describes effective approaches undertaken in California, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Virginia across three promising strategies. Identifies four factors critical to successful program design and implementation and key considerations for states.
Author(s): Molly Knowles, Nida Enehizena, Gretchen Bell, Ellen Breslin
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Discusses Medicaid policy and financing strategies that can help improve rural delivery systems and access to care for rural older adults, people with disabilities, and others with complex health and social needs. Describes effective approaches undertaken in California, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Virginia across three promising strategies. Identifies four factors critical to successful program design and implementation and key considerations for states.
Author(s): Molly Knowles, Nida Enehizena, Gretchen Bell, Ellen Breslin
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Traffic Safety Facts, 2024 Data: Rural/Urban Traffic Fatalities
Reports 2024 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data describing fatal motor vehicle crashes. Provides rural versus urban statistics for fatal motor vehicle crashes by light condition, roadway departure and intersection, age group, speeding, alcohol use, seat belt use, and rollover crashes. Includes statistics on ratio of rural to urban fatality rates per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, by state, as of 2024.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Reports 2024 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data describing fatal motor vehicle crashes. Provides rural versus urban statistics for fatal motor vehicle crashes by light condition, roadway departure and intersection, age group, speeding, alcohol use, seat belt use, and rollover crashes. Includes statistics on ratio of rural to urban fatality rates per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, by state, as of 2024.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Traffic Safety Facts, 2024 Data: Bicyclists and Other Cyclists
National data on fatal and non-fatal traffic crashes involving bicyclists and other cyclists, including riders of two-wheel vehicles, tricycles, and unicycles powered by pedals and/or motors. Features statistics from 2015-2024 with breakdowns including fatality and injury rates, age group, sex, time of day and day of the week, alcohol involvement, blood alcohol concentrations of riders, vehicle type and impact point, fatality rates by state, and rural or urban location.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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National data on fatal and non-fatal traffic crashes involving bicyclists and other cyclists, including riders of two-wheel vehicles, tricycles, and unicycles powered by pedals and/or motors. Features statistics from 2015-2024 with breakdowns including fatality and injury rates, age group, sex, time of day and day of the week, alcohol involvement, blood alcohol concentrations of riders, vehicle type and impact point, fatality rates by state, and rural or urban location.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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How Small Rural Hospital Networks Are Leveling the Playing Field with Larger Health Systems
Describes rural hospital networks in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Ohio that have developed to preserve their independence and improve their economies of scale. Discusses how participating hospitals are expanding rural healthcare access and changing how payers recognize and reward rural providers for delivering high-quality care.
Author(s): Sarah Klein
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Describes rural hospital networks in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Ohio that have developed to preserve their independence and improve their economies of scale. Discusses how participating hospitals are expanding rural healthcare access and changing how payers recognize and reward rural providers for delivering high-quality care.
Author(s): Sarah Klein
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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MACPAC Comment Letter on Medicaid Managed Care State Directed Payments and Medicaid Fee-for-Service Targeted Medicaid Practitioner Payments
Comments on a May 22, 2026, Federal Register proposed rule regarding Medicaid managed care state directed payments (SDPs) and fee-for-service (FFS) targeted practitioner payments. Discusses state flexibility in payment policy, Medicare as a benchmark for Medicaid, monitoring and compliance, establishing appropriate SDP limits, and more.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Comments on a May 22, 2026, Federal Register proposed rule regarding Medicaid managed care state directed payments (SDPs) and fee-for-service (FFS) targeted practitioner payments. Discusses state flexibility in payment policy, Medicare as a benchmark for Medicaid, monitoring and compliance, establishing appropriate SDP limits, and more.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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