Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access
Federal and State Reimbursement for Youth Behavioral Health Services
Report details Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage of behavioral health services for rural people under 21 years of age. Breaks down reimbursement eligibility for behavioral health providers in all 50 states and discusses barriers to access in rural areas.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Report details Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage of behavioral health services for rural people under 21 years of age. Breaks down reimbursement eligibility for behavioral health providers in all 50 states and discusses barriers to access in rural areas.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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April 2025 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) April 2025 meeting. Covers physician fee schedule updates and improving the accuracy of relative payment rates; structural differences between the stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) and Medicare Advantage–Prescription Drug plan (MA–PD) markets; the utilization and delivery of Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits; the effect of Medicare Advantage on rural hospitals; paying for software technologies in Medicare; access to hospice and certain services under the hospice benefit for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease and beneficiaries with cancer; and regulations, star ratings, and fee-for-service Medicare policies aimed at improving nursing home quality.
Additional links: Exploring the Effect of Medicare Advantage on Rural Hospitals
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) April 2025 meeting. Covers physician fee schedule updates and improving the accuracy of relative payment rates; structural differences between the stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) and Medicare Advantage–Prescription Drug plan (MA–PD) markets; the utilization and delivery of Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits; the effect of Medicare Advantage on rural hospitals; paying for software technologies in Medicare; access to hospice and certain services under the hospice benefit for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease and beneficiaries with cancer; and regulations, star ratings, and fee-for-service Medicare policies aimed at improving nursing home quality.
Additional links: Exploring the Effect of Medicare Advantage on Rural Hospitals
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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County Characteristics Associated With Receipt of Food Boxes Through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program
Reports on county-level food box distribution through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program between May 2020 and May 2021. Provides data on program funding and characteristics of food distributed by program round. Examines associations between likelihood of receiving food boxes and county-level rurality, access to food, and other demographic factors.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Keenan Marchesi, Saied Toossi, Katy Georg
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Reports on county-level food box distribution through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program between May 2020 and May 2021. Provides data on program funding and characteristics of food distributed by program round. Examines associations between likelihood of receiving food boxes and county-level rurality, access to food, and other demographic factors.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Keenan Marchesi, Saied Toossi, Katy Georg
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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The Rural and Urban Supply of Clinicians With a DEA Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine in 2022 Prior to the Elimination of the Waiver Requirement
Report explores the differences in rates of clinicians with DEA waivers to prescribe buprenorphine in 2022 in rural versus urban counties. Highlights the rural gaps in access to buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder prior to the elimination of the DEA waiver requirement in 2023. Provides rural, urban, and regional comparisons.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Report explores the differences in rates of clinicians with DEA waivers to prescribe buprenorphine in 2022 in rural versus urban counties. Highlights the rural gaps in access to buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder prior to the elimination of the DEA waiver requirement in 2023. Provides rural, urban, and regional comparisons.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Maternal Mortality in Indiana: Contributing Factors and Policy Recommendations
Discusses causes of maternal mortality and related data in Indiana and the U.S. at large. Includes information on disparities with a focus on rural areas, demographics, and access to maternal health services. Provides county-level map of Indiana showing full, moderate, low, or no access to maternity care. Explores potential solutions to maternal mortality, such as co-location of maternal and behavioral healthcare, substance use disorder (SUD) support, mental health support, and more.
Author(s): Tierra Brooks, Lee Ruess, Kristi Schultz, Elizabeth Thuranira
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Indiana University Public Policy Institute
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Discusses causes of maternal mortality and related data in Indiana and the U.S. at large. Includes information on disparities with a focus on rural areas, demographics, and access to maternal health services. Provides county-level map of Indiana showing full, moderate, low, or no access to maternity care. Explores potential solutions to maternal mortality, such as co-location of maternal and behavioral healthcare, substance use disorder (SUD) support, mental health support, and more.
Author(s): Tierra Brooks, Lee Ruess, Kristi Schultz, Elizabeth Thuranira
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Indiana University Public Policy Institute
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Georgia State of the State: Maternal Health Report
Summarizes data and evidence regarding maternal health indicators in Georgia. Offers recommendations for further improving the health of mothers and babies. Includes statistics related to fetal, infant, and maternal health in Georgia with breakdowns by demographics and rural or nonrural locations.
Author(s): Fowzio Jama, Whitney Williams, Yuzhe Liu, et al.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia
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Summarizes data and evidence regarding maternal health indicators in Georgia. Offers recommendations for further improving the health of mothers and babies. Includes statistics related to fetal, infant, and maternal health in Georgia with breakdowns by demographics and rural or nonrural locations.
Author(s): Fowzio Jama, Whitney Williams, Yuzhe Liu, et al.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia
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Telehealth for the Study of Palliative Care Communication: Opportunities, Methodological Challenges, and Recommendations
Examines telehealth in connection to palliative care communication. Utilizes 3 ongoing studies involving patients with serious illnesses who have received palliative care through telehealth to reflect on opportunities and challenges in utilizing telehealth for palliative care. Provides examples from rural Vermont.
Author(s): Elise C. Tarbi, Susanna L. Schuler, Natalie Ambrose, et al.
Citation: BMC Palliative Care, 24, 55
Date: 03/2025
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Examines telehealth in connection to palliative care communication. Utilizes 3 ongoing studies involving patients with serious illnesses who have received palliative care through telehealth to reflect on opportunities and challenges in utilizing telehealth for palliative care. Provides examples from rural Vermont.
Author(s): Elise C. Tarbi, Susanna L. Schuler, Natalie Ambrose, et al.
Citation: BMC Palliative Care, 24, 55
Date: 03/2025
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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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Non-Health Care Costs Associated with Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Visitation
Summarizes household expenses associated with neonatal intensive care unit visitation including transportation, lost wages, lodging, childcare, and more. Includes metropolitan and non-metropolitan comparisons in Appendix Table 2.
Author(s): Rebecca A. Gourevitch, Evan Ellicott, Christina Kim, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(3)
Date: 03/2025
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Summarizes household expenses associated with neonatal intensive care unit visitation including transportation, lost wages, lodging, childcare, and more. Includes metropolitan and non-metropolitan comparisons in Appendix Table 2.
Author(s): Rebecca A. Gourevitch, Evan Ellicott, Christina Kim, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(3)
Date: 03/2025
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Exercising Self-Governance Through an Indian Managed Care Entity: The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Option
Profiles the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA), a health system serving the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). Discusses the design and impact of their Medicaid managed care entity.
Author(s): Anne Smithey, Rob Houston
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Profiles the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA), a health system serving the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). Discusses the design and impact of their Medicaid managed care entity.
Author(s): Anne Smithey, Rob Houston
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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