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Rural Health Information Hub

Healthcare Access in Rural Communities – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Healthcare Access in Rural Communities.

Medicare Advantage Enrollment, Plan Availability and Premiums in Rural Areas
Research brief analyzing Medicare Advantage enrollment, availability, and premiums in rural areas to identify trends since 2010. Offers rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Gabrielle Clerveau, Anthony Damico, Tricia Neuman
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Medicaid and CHIP Renewals Webinar Focused on Reaching Special Populations: Reaching Out to People Who Live in Rural Areas
A recorded webinar with strategies and resources to use in communicating with rural people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP about how to maintain health insurance coverage. Transcript provided, along with the link and password to access the webinar recording.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Rural Health Research Recap: Rural Behavioral Health Workforce
Summarizes recent research from Rural Health Research Centers examining numbers of social workers, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and counselors. Features statistics including percent of counties without behavioral health professionals from 2014-2021 and behavioral health professionals per 100,000 residents from 2014-2021, with breakdowns by urban or rural location and profession type.
Author(s): Jessica Rosencrans
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Map Monday: Rural Hospitals Closing Their Doors
Map of rural hospital closures since 2005. Use the "switch view" drop down to see a mobile friendly version of the map.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Reaching Out to People Who Live in Rural Areas about Medicaid and CHIP Renewals
Information and resources for communicating with people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP about how to maintain health insurance coverage. Includes strategies specific to reaching people living in rural areas.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Dual Barriers: Examining Digital Access and Travel Burdens to Hospital Maternity Care Access in the United States, 2020
Analyzes the relationship between drive time to hospital maternity units and access to digital/telehealth care in mitigating travel burden. Utilizes 2020 American Hospital Association Annual Survey data with information broken down by rural versus urban location, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and broadband and digital device access.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Marion Granger, Nansi Boghossian, et al.
Citation: The Milbank Quarterly, 101(4), 1327-1347
Date: 08/2023
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Telemedicine Visits in US Skilled Nursing Facilities
Results of a study of telemedicine use in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), using data from over 4.4 million residents at 15,434 SNFs. Features statistics including characteristics of SNFs in the top quartile by telemedicine use in 2020 to 2021, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, small urban, and rural areas, and state-level maps with shadings showing rates of telemedicine use in SNFs from 2019-2022.
Author(s): Agne Ulyte, Ateev Mehrotra, Andrew D. Wilcock, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(8)
Date: 08/2023
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A Consensus Panel Approach to Estimating the Start-Up and Annual Service Costs for Rural Ambulance Agencies
Policy brief exploring the costs of running ambulance services for 3 population-based service tiers. Establishes a minimum access standard for ambulances servicing a 25-minute travel time from the ambulance station, and enables policymakers and community stakeholders to develop strategic plans for the financing and provision of ambulance services. Features statistics on number of calls, population ranges of service areas, and fixed, depreciation, variable, and administrative costs.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Gary Wingrove, Nikiah Nudell, Kevin McGinnis
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Distributional Analysis of Variation in Medicare Advantage Participation Within and Between Metropolitan, Micropolitan, and Noncore Counties
Policy brief identifying penetration rates, number of plans, and enrollment patterns and trends in Medicare Advantage participation in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties from 2017-2022. Features statistics with breakdowns by year and metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Author(s): Dan Shane, Ufuoma Ejughemre, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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The Relationship between Experience with Mental Illness and Stigmatizing Attitudes and Beliefs
Policy brief documenting the relationship between self-reported experience with any mental illness and public stigma associated with mental illness. Features demographics with breakdowns by urban and rural locations.
Author(s): Kate E. Beatty, Stephanie M. Mathis, Amy E. Wahlquist, Michael B. Meit
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for: