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Transportation to Support Rural Healthcare – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Transportation to Support Rural Healthcare.

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: 07/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Comparing Public Transportation Services for Rural States in the Upper Midwest and Great Plains Region
Analyzes the availability of public transportation in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Minnesota by comparing the availability of rural transit and urban transit services in these states. Includes county-level maps showing level of transportation services by days and hours available, rural trips per capita, and rural vehicle revenue miles (VRM) per capita. Provides a list of rural, tribal, and urban transit agencies by state, including those servicing medical trips.
Author(s): Jeremy Mattson, Bright Quayson, Zhila Dehdari Ebrahimi
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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2022 Transportation Trends
Identifies trends and issues affecting the availability of accessible transportation for older adults and people with disabilities. Summarizes results of a September 2022 survey of public transit and human services transportation providers; stakeholders; and aging and disability organizations such as Area Agencies on Aging, Centers for Independent Living and Aging and Disability Resource Centers. Discusses nine themes related to the challenges of providing transportation to older adults, younger adults with disabilities, and caregivers, including the lack of transportation options in rural areas.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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More than One in Five Adults with Limited Public Transit Access Forgo Health Care Because of Transportation Barriers
Provides information on adults who have foregone healthcare due to lack of transportation. Analyzes June 2022 data from the Urban Institute's Health Reform Monitoring Survey (HRMS) on healthcare access, missed appointments, and access to vehicles, with data broken down by race/ethnicity, disability status, health insurance coverage, and rural versus urban residence.
Author(s): Laura Barrie Smith, Michael Karpman, Dulce Gonzalez, Sarah Morriss
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Urban Institute
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Innovations in Rural Public Transportation: Data Standards Undergird Equity
Describes how data standards can support mobility as a service to help enable seamless travel and support more equitable access for rural nondrivers. Provides demographic information on rural nondrivers compared to drivers. Explains the roles of data in helping users discover transit services and make transportation-related transactions.
Author(s): Jana Lynott
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Tribal Transportation Program Delivery Guide: A Guide for Tribes with an FHWA Tribal Transportation Program Agreement
A procedural guide for tribal communities entering into an agreement with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Outlines the roles and responsibilities of tribes and the FHWA in the implementation of a Tribal Transportation Program Agreement (TTPA) to improve tribal road infrastructure.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of Transportation
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Rural Community Transit Strategies: Building on, Expanding, and Enhancing Existing Assets and Programs
Provides an overview of a potential rural transit model based on the current infrastructure in Minnesota and by examining other state models. Focuses on solutions such as hybrid mobility, small town assets, expanding service, responding to driver shortages, engaging citizens and networking within communities, and more. Discusses public health concerns such as food access and disability accommodations.
Author(s): Thomas Fisher, Mary Vogel, Alireza Khani, Fernando Burga
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Transportation
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Listening to Riders and Providers: A Synthesis Report on NADTC's Focus Groups and Stakeholder Meetings
Summarizes findings from four focus groups exploring how perceptions of transportation users may be impacted by race, ethnicity, culture, or other personal characteristics. Presents findings from older adults, younger adults with disabilities, and caregivers. Also reports on stakeholder meetings with urban/suburban and rural stakeholders. Identifies lessons learned and next steps to inform transportation diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Highway Safety Behavioral Strategies for Rural and Tribal Areas: A Guide
Discusses the public health concern surrounding roadway fatalities and injuries in rural and tribal areas. Provides guidance on behavioral strategies to improve road safety as well as how to adapt, implement, and evaluate strategies. Includes examples of successful roadway safety countermeasures in rural contexts.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Transportation Research Board
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Highway Safety Behavioral Strategies for Rural Areas
Provides an overview of the risk factors of rural roads, such as rough terrain, wildlife, and lack of services over long distances. Includes examples of how to define rural roads, a related literature review of behavioral strategies in rural environments; safety toolkits and training; statistics on crashes, fatalities, and injuries; examples of counties that have reduced crashes; and more.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Transportation Research Board
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Last Updated: 4/8/2024