Healthcare Access in Rural Communities – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Healthcare Access in Rural Communities.
Access to CCTA at Safety-Net Hospitals Across the United States
Examines the availability of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) at safety-net hospitals to evaluate patients with chest pain. Analyzes 391 safety-net hospitals according to bed size, state, academic status, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Jonah Delshad, Trevor Weis, Caleb Bayona, et al.
Citation: Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, 19(3), 340-343
Date: 05/2025
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Examines the availability of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) at safety-net hospitals to evaluate patients with chest pain. Analyzes 391 safety-net hospitals according to bed size, state, academic status, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Jonah Delshad, Trevor Weis, Caleb Bayona, et al.
Citation: Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, 19(3), 340-343
Date: 05/2025
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Rural Access to Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs)
Examines access to, and services offered by, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) in rural and urban communities. Also compares services at CCBHCs with those offered at other mental health clinics. Features state-level maps showing CCBHC counts by state, and statistics on services counts in CCBHCs and other mental health facilities, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Aaron P. Smith, Jeffrey Talbert
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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Examines access to, and services offered by, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) in rural and urban communities. Also compares services at CCBHCs with those offered at other mental health clinics. Features state-level maps showing CCBHC counts by state, and statistics on services counts in CCBHCs and other mental health facilities, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Aaron P. Smith, Jeffrey Talbert
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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How Does Cost Affect Access to Healthcare?
Explores trends in how costs affect access to healthcare using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) through 2023. Covers the percentage of adults who delayed or went without care due to cost, including insulin users who rationed insulin due to costs. Presents data by income level, health status, insurance status, and urban/rural residence.
Author(s): Shameek Rakshit, Matthew McGough, Lynne Cotter, Gary Claxton
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organizations: KFF, Peterson Center on Healthcare
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Explores trends in how costs affect access to healthcare using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) through 2023. Covers the percentage of adults who delayed or went without care due to cost, including insulin users who rationed insulin due to costs. Presents data by income level, health status, insurance status, and urban/rural residence.
Author(s): Shameek Rakshit, Matthew McGough, Lynne Cotter, Gary Claxton
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organizations: KFF, Peterson Center on Healthcare
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Changes in the Availability of Inpatient Psychiatric Beds Across Rural and Urban Areas, 2012-2021
Policy brief describing numbers of Critical Access Hospitals and rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals providing inpatient psychiatric care, and comparing these to urban PPS hospitals. Also examines psychiatric unit closure rates and the effect on access to behavioral health services in rural areas.
Author(s): John Gale, Zachariah T. Croll, Jamar Croom, Yvonne Jonk
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Policy brief describing numbers of Critical Access Hospitals and rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals providing inpatient psychiatric care, and comparing these to urban PPS hospitals. Also examines psychiatric unit closure rates and the effect on access to behavioral health services in rural areas.
Author(s): John Gale, Zachariah T. Croll, Jamar Croom, Yvonne Jonk
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Medicare Beneficiary Receipt of Methadone by Drive Time to Opioid Treatment Programs
Examines availability of methadone at opioid treatment programs for Medicare beneficiaries who have been diagnosed with an opioid use disorder. Utilizes data from 640,706 Medicare beneficiaries and analyzes their respective drive time to a treatment facility as well as receipt of methadone treatment. Includes U.S. map showing locations of opioid treatment programs and rural versus urban comparisons of patient drive times.
Author(s): Jonathan Cantor, Helin G. Hernandez, Aaron Kofner, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(4), e253099
Date: 04/2025
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Examines availability of methadone at opioid treatment programs for Medicare beneficiaries who have been diagnosed with an opioid use disorder. Utilizes data from 640,706 Medicare beneficiaries and analyzes their respective drive time to a treatment facility as well as receipt of methadone treatment. Includes U.S. map showing locations of opioid treatment programs and rural versus urban comparisons of patient drive times.
Author(s): Jonathan Cantor, Helin G. Hernandez, Aaron Kofner, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(4), e253099
Date: 04/2025
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Most People in the Most Rural Counties Get Medicare Coverage from Traditional Medicare
Examines the percentage of eligible Medicare beneficiaries with traditional Medicare versus Medicare Advantage at the county level in 2024. Compares type of Medicare coverage by rural non-adjacent, rural adjacent, and urban county classification.
Author(s): Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Meredith Freed, Nolan Sroczynski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Examines the percentage of eligible Medicare beneficiaries with traditional Medicare versus Medicare Advantage at the county level in 2024. Compares type of Medicare coverage by rural non-adjacent, rural adjacent, and urban county classification.
Author(s): Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Meredith Freed, Nolan Sroczynski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Innovative Rural Hospitals Think Beyond Tradition to Improve Access to Care
Provides examples of how rural hospitals are utilizing technology to improve access to care for their patients. Discusses artificial intelligence (AI), drone delivery of medicines, nurse-run telehealth hubs, and digital front doors.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Provides examples of how rural hospitals are utilizing technology to improve access to care for their patients. Discusses artificial intelligence (AI), drone delivery of medicines, nurse-run telehealth hubs, and digital front doors.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Vulnerability Index Approach to Identify Pharmacy Deserts and Keystone Pharmacies
Discusses the importance of improving pharmacy access in rural and low-income areas. Utilizes data from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) dataQ to examine travel time to nearest pharmacy according to urbanicity. Defines a pharmacy vulnerability index according to this measure and reports on residents in the the contiguous U.S. living in or at risk of living in a pharmacy desert, with comparisons for small rural, large rural, suburban, and urban.
Author(s): Walter S. Mathis, Lucas A. Berenbrok, Peter A. Kahn, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(3)
Date: 03/2025
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Discusses the importance of improving pharmacy access in rural and low-income areas. Utilizes data from the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) dataQ to examine travel time to nearest pharmacy according to urbanicity. Defines a pharmacy vulnerability index according to this measure and reports on residents in the the contiguous U.S. living in or at risk of living in a pharmacy desert, with comparisons for small rural, large rural, suburban, and urban.
Author(s): Walter S. Mathis, Lucas A. Berenbrok, Peter A. Kahn, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(3)
Date: 03/2025
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Millions in US Live in Places Where Doctors Don't Practice and Telehealth Doesn't Reach
Discusses U.S. regions that experience healthcare workforce shortages and lack access to telehealth. Includes interactive county-level map showing behavioral healthcare deserts, primary care deserts, broadband deserts, dead zones, life expectancy, household income, and percentage of rural residents. Provides comparisons of chronic disease for those with and without digital access and showcases county-level dead zones in Alabama.
Author(s): Sarah Jane Tribble, Holly K. Hacker Data, Lydia Zuraw
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Discusses U.S. regions that experience healthcare workforce shortages and lack access to telehealth. Includes interactive county-level map showing behavioral healthcare deserts, primary care deserts, broadband deserts, dead zones, life expectancy, household income, and percentage of rural residents. Provides comparisons of chronic disease for those with and without digital access and showcases county-level dead zones in Alabama.
Author(s): Sarah Jane Tribble, Holly K. Hacker Data, Lydia Zuraw
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Exploring Access to Critical Health Services for Older Adults in Rural America from 1990 to 2020
Analyzes Area Health Resource Files to evaluate access to healthcare facilities and services between 1990 and 2020 using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC). Discusses healthcare access disparities between urban and rural areas and the growth of the older adult population in rural communities.
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Bambury, Alexis A. Merdjanoff, Joshua T. Fergen, J. Tom Mueller
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e70004
Date: 02/2025
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Analyzes Area Health Resource Files to evaluate access to healthcare facilities and services between 1990 and 2020 using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC). Discusses healthcare access disparities between urban and rural areas and the growth of the older adult population in rural communities.
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Bambury, Alexis A. Merdjanoff, Joshua T. Fergen, J. Tom Mueller
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e70004
Date: 02/2025
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