Healthcare Access in Rural Communities – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Healthcare Access in Rural Communities.
Rural Medicaid and CHIP Enrollees in 2020
Presents data on Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees who resided in rural areas in 2020. Compares the percentage of rural and urban enrollment by state, race and ethnicity, disability-related eligibility, Medicaid managed care participation, and benefit package.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Presents data on Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees who resided in rural areas in 2020. Compares the percentage of rural and urban enrollment by state, race and ethnicity, disability-related eligibility, Medicaid managed care participation, and benefit package.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Rural-Urban Differences in Health Care Unaffordability
Analyzes healthcare unaffordability in rural versus urban contexts as well as mitigating sociodemographic variables. Examines 90,761 survey responses from the 2019-2021 National Health Interview Survey according to 3 levels of unaffordability, further breaking down the data by race/ethnicity, sex, income, self-rated health, insurance type, education, age, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Hannah MacDougall, Daniel Mork, Stephanie Hanson, Carrie Henning Smith
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health, 40(2), 376-385
Date: 07/2023
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Analyzes healthcare unaffordability in rural versus urban contexts as well as mitigating sociodemographic variables. Examines 90,761 survey responses from the 2019-2021 National Health Interview Survey according to 3 levels of unaffordability, further breaking down the data by race/ethnicity, sex, income, self-rated health, insurance type, education, age, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Hannah MacDougall, Daniel Mork, Stephanie Hanson, Carrie Henning Smith
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health, 40(2), 376-385
Date: 07/2023
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Changes in Telehealth Experienced by Advanced Practice RNs During COVID-19
Summarizes 7,467 advanced practice RNs' national survey responses from June-September 2020 about the use of telehealth before and during the pandemic, and analyzes free-text comments about how the use of telehealth changed during the pandemic. Discusses challenges in rural areas, including provider shortages and lack of broadband access.
Author(s): Mavis N. Schorn, Carole R. Myers, Julie Barroso, et al.
Citation: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 41(7), 507–513
Date: 07/2023
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Summarizes 7,467 advanced practice RNs' national survey responses from June-September 2020 about the use of telehealth before and during the pandemic, and analyzes free-text comments about how the use of telehealth changed during the pandemic. Discusses challenges in rural areas, including provider shortages and lack of broadband access.
Author(s): Mavis N. Schorn, Carole R. Myers, Julie Barroso, et al.
Citation: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 41(7), 507–513
Date: 07/2023
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Expanded Report to Congress: Non-Emergency Medical Transportation in Medicaid, 2018–2021
Examines the Medicaid analysis of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) using Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) data from 2018-2021. Explores the number and percentage of Medicaid beneficiaries using NEMT, the average number of NEMT "ride days" per NEMT user per month enrolled in Medicaid, the types of medical services accessed when using NEMT, monthly trends in the use of NEMT versus telehealth services before and during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), and the volume of NEMT services used by type of NEMT delivery model. Offers recommendations for states and local stakeholders regarding Medicaid coverage of NEMT. Presents data by state and by beneficiary characteristics, including Medicaid eligibility category, health conditions, and urban-rural location.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Examines the Medicaid analysis of non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) using Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) data from 2018-2021. Explores the number and percentage of Medicaid beneficiaries using NEMT, the average number of NEMT "ride days" per NEMT user per month enrolled in Medicaid, the types of medical services accessed when using NEMT, monthly trends in the use of NEMT versus telehealth services before and during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), and the volume of NEMT services used by type of NEMT delivery model. Offers recommendations for states and local stakeholders regarding Medicaid coverage of NEMT. Presents data by state and by beneficiary characteristics, including Medicaid eligibility category, health conditions, and urban-rural location.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Access to Care among Medicare Beneficiaries Aged 65 and Over Living with High-Impact Chronic Pain
Examines access to care and its association with high-impact chronic pain among Medicare recipients over 65 and not living in a long-term care facility between 2018 and 2020. Includes data breakdown between metro area and non-metro area residents. Discusses delay in seeking medical care due to cost and general access to care.
Author(s): Jared Sawyer, Laura Stoff, Carrie Goetsch, et al.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Examines access to care and its association with high-impact chronic pain among Medicare recipients over 65 and not living in a long-term care facility between 2018 and 2020. Includes data breakdown between metro area and non-metro area residents. Discusses delay in seeking medical care due to cost and general access to care.
Author(s): Jared Sawyer, Laura Stoff, Carrie Goetsch, et al.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Improving Financial Access to Maternal and Infant Care in Rural Areas
A brief that discusses ways to improve maternal and infant healthcare access, with a focus on Medicaid initiatives, value-based care systems, and leveraging the perinatal workforce.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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A brief that discusses ways to improve maternal and infant healthcare access, with a focus on Medicaid initiatives, value-based care systems, and leveraging the perinatal workforce.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Ambulance Deserts: Geographic Disparities in the Provision of Ambulance Services
Chartbook presenting data on ambulance deserts from 41 states in 2021-2022, and identifying places and people that are more than 25 minutes from an ambulance station. Include maps of ambulance desert locations and health care facility locations for every state with available data, and documents coverage gaps in the provision of ambulance services across geographic areas across the United States.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Carly Milkowski, Zachariah Croll, Karen Pearson
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Chartbook presenting data on ambulance deserts from 41 states in 2021-2022, and identifying places and people that are more than 25 minutes from an ambulance station. Include maps of ambulance desert locations and health care facility locations for every state with available data, and documents coverage gaps in the provision of ambulance services across geographic areas across the United States.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Carly Milkowski, Zachariah Croll, Karen Pearson
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Improving Health Care Access in Rural Communities: Obstacles and Opportunities
Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Health Care hearing on improving access to high-quality, affordable healthcare in rural communities. Discusses workforce issues, education pipeline, transportation, broadband, school-based health centers, payment models and value-based care, and rural-friendly policies. Features testimonies from representatives of Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital, Choptank Community Health System, Essentia Health, and the Sheps Center For Health Services Research.
Additional links: Testimony by David Herman, Testimony by Erin Aune, Testimony by Mark Holmes, Testimony by Sara Rich
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Health Care
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Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Health Care hearing on improving access to high-quality, affordable healthcare in rural communities. Discusses workforce issues, education pipeline, transportation, broadband, school-based health centers, payment models and value-based care, and rural-friendly policies. Features testimonies from representatives of Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital, Choptank Community Health System, Essentia Health, and the Sheps Center For Health Services Research.
Additional links: Testimony by David Herman, Testimony by Erin Aune, Testimony by Mark Holmes, Testimony by Sara Rich
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Health Care
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Health Care Capsule: Accessing Health Care in Rural America
Discusses challenges rural communities face related to healthcare access, such as limited healthcare providers, travel distance and transportation issues, insurance coverage, and access to broadband. Provides policy recommendations from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to address rural healthcare disparities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Discusses challenges rural communities face related to healthcare access, such as limited healthcare providers, travel distance and transportation issues, insurance coverage, and access to broadband. Provides policy recommendations from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to address rural healthcare disparities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Access to Maternity Providers: Midwives and Birth Centers
Provides an overview of the role of certified nurse-midwives and birth centers in Medicaid and how beneficiaries use these services. Describes policy issues and barriers to expanding access to midwives and birth centers, including payment policies; contracting with managed care organizations; licensure, certification, and accreditation; scope of practice; and limited supply. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Provides an overview of the role of certified nurse-midwives and birth centers in Medicaid and how beneficiaries use these services. Describes policy issues and barriers to expanding access to midwives and birth centers, including payment policies; contracting with managed care organizations; licensure, certification, and accreditation; scope of practice; and limited supply. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Last Updated: 8/11/2025