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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Access to Accredited Facilities for Cancer Treatment
Examines access to cancer care at accredited hospitals in Pennsylvania due to expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Analyzes patient characteristics before and after ACA implementation, with breakdowns according to sex, age, race/ethnicity, area deprivation, and urban, large town, small town, or rural location, among other characteristics. Provides commentary on ACA impacts for patients in nonurban areas.
Author(s): Lindsay M. Sabik, Youngmin Kwon, Coleman Drake, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Medicare Part D Enrollee Vaccine Use After Elimination of Cost Sharing for Recommended Vaccines in 2023
A report from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Research Series that provides data on Medicare Part D enrollees who received vaccinations after the IRA legislated in 2023 that adult vaccinations recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) would be provided at no cost. Includes data breakdowns of total and type of vaccinations received and Medicare Part D enrollee demographic characteristics, such as state and urban versus rural/unknown location.
Author(s): Bisma A. Sayed, Yevgeniy Feyman, Kristen L. King, et al.
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Medicare Advantage Plan Growth in Rural America: Availability of Supplemental Benefits
Examines supplemental benefits of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, categorized as traditional health benefit, expanded health benefit, and special benefit for the chronically ill. Utilizes 2022 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data to analyze availability of and benefits offered in MA plans according to metro, micro, and noncore location. Includes county-level maps of MA data organized by U.S. region.
Author(s): Edmer Lazaro, Dan M. Shane, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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The Future of Broadband Affordability
Presents a recording of a May 2, 2024, hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband. Describes federal approaches to increase broadband access and affordability. Discusses the state of broadband affordability programs, the impact of a potential lapse or end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), and strategies to address shortfalls in broadband affordability programs.
Additional links: Blair Levin, New Street Research - Testimony, Jennifer Case Nevarez, Community Learning Network - Testimony, Kathryn de Wit, Pew Charitable Trusts - Testimony
Date: 05/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
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Traffic Safety Facts, 2021 Data: Race and Ethnicity
National data on traffic fatalities by race and ethnicity, based on data from official death certificates. Features statistics from 2017-2021 with breakdowns by vehicle type, restraint use, alcohol-impaired driving, speeding, and rural or urban location.
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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The State of Medicare Supplement Coverage: Trends in Enrollment and Demographics
Provides an overview of Medicare Supplement, or Medigap, coverage and coverage options. Examines the demographics of Medicare enrollees with Medicare Supplement policies and enrollment trends. Includes demographic data on rural Medicare Supplement policyholders.
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: AHIP
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Preventable Premature Deaths from the Five Leading Causes of Death in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Counties, United States, 2010–2022
Analyzes National Vital Statistics System mortality data between 2010 and 2022 to find the 5 leading causes of preventable deaths for people less than 80 years old. Discusses trends across time in metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore regions and the impact of COVID-19 on the findings. Offers recommendations for future data analysis.
Author(s): Macarena C. García, Lauren M. Rossen, Kevin Matthews, et al.
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 73(2), 1-11
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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An Update to Rural Urban Continuum Codes
Discusses various rural definitions and explains changes to the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC). Includes map of Minnesota depicting changes in RUCC county categorizations from 2013 to 2023 as well as a list of Minnesota counties that had population and corresponding RUCC changes.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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Annual Insurance Update 2024: Health Insurance in Kansas
Reports on health insurance coverage across Kansas and nationwide, including 2009-2022 trends in coverage. Presents 2021 county-level data on uninsured rates by age group and urban/rural classification, as well as Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment by county.
Author(s): Angela S Wu, Kaci Cink, Cynthia Snyder, Wen-Chieh Lin
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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North Carolina Medicaid Expansion: A Rural Perspective
Reports on expanded Medicaid coverage in rural North Carolina using state-level monthly enrollment data. Compares expansion enrollment in rural, suburban, and urban counties, and evaluates whether enrollment is associated with poverty at the county level.
Author(s): Dalton Bailey
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Center
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