Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access
Drive Time to Care and Retention in HIV Care: Rural–Urban Differences Among Medicaid Enrollees in the United States South
Presents a study on the role geography plays in HIV care retention and maintenance. Draws data from Medicaid enrollees in 13 southern states including the District of Columbia and compares patient drive times to care in rural and urban areas. Breaks down data by county social determinants of health, healthcare supply, and HIV prevalence, as well as patient characteristics.
Author(s): April D. Kimmel, Rose S. Bono, Zhongzhe Pan, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12877
Date: 2025
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Presents a study on the role geography plays in HIV care retention and maintenance. Draws data from Medicaid enrollees in 13 southern states including the District of Columbia and compares patient drive times to care in rural and urban areas. Breaks down data by county social determinants of health, healthcare supply, and HIV prevalence, as well as patient characteristics.
Author(s): April D. Kimmel, Rose S. Bono, Zhongzhe Pan, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12877
Date: 2025
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Home Health Utilization in the Veterans Health Administration: Are there Rural and Urban Differences?
Examines home health usage and access among veterans in rural and urban areas. Utilizes 2019-2021 Veterans Health Administration (VA) data to analyze rural versus urban home health use, with data broken down by patient sociodemographic variables as well as number of visits.
Author(s): Heather Davila, Bradely Mayfield, Michelle A. Mengeling, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12865
Date: 2025
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Examines home health usage and access among veterans in rural and urban areas. Utilizes 2019-2021 Veterans Health Administration (VA) data to analyze rural versus urban home health use, with data broken down by patient sociodemographic variables as well as number of visits.
Author(s): Heather Davila, Bradely Mayfield, Michelle A. Mengeling, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12865
Date: 2025
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Barriers to Participation in Clinical Trials of Rural Older Adult Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Study
Explores barriers to clinical trial participation for older cancer survivors living in rural areas. Utilizes semi-structured interviews to discuss challenges such as lack of transportation, limited communication with providers, age, and more.
Author(s): Evelyn Arana-Chicas, Laura M. Hincapie Prisco, Saloni Sharma, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12852
Date: 2025
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Explores barriers to clinical trial participation for older cancer survivors living in rural areas. Utilizes semi-structured interviews to discuss challenges such as lack of transportation, limited communication with providers, age, and more.
Author(s): Evelyn Arana-Chicas, Laura M. Hincapie Prisco, Saloni Sharma, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12852
Date: 2025
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2024 Communications Marketplace Report
Examines the state of competition across the broader communications marketplace, as well as laws, regulations, regulatory practices, or marketplace practices that pose a barrier to competitive entry and expansion of the marketplace. Includes data on tribal and rural areas throughout, including trends in broadband adoption and the percentage of households with multiple provider options between 2020-2023.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Examines the state of competition across the broader communications marketplace, as well as laws, regulations, regulatory practices, or marketplace practices that pose a barrier to competitive entry and expansion of the marketplace. Includes data on tribal and rural areas throughout, including trends in broadband adoption and the percentage of households with multiple provider options between 2020-2023.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Arizona State Health Assessment, 2024
Reports on the health of people in Arizona, including population subgroups, social determinants of health, and priority health issues. Discusses health and access disparities in rural, tribal, and border areas. Includes county-level data.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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Reports on the health of people in Arizona, including population subgroups, social determinants of health, and priority health issues. Discusses health and access disparities in rural, tribal, and border areas. Includes county-level data.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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What We Heard: Initial Feedback on The Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging
Summarizes feedback offered to the Administration for Community Living (ACL) on Aging in the United States: A Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging, a plan for creating a national set of recommendations for healthy aging and age-friendly communities. Notes rural concerns related to transportation, internet access, safety, and healthcare access.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Community Living
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Summarizes feedback offered to the Administration for Community Living (ACL) on Aging in the United States: A Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging, a plan for creating a national set of recommendations for healthy aging and age-friendly communities. Notes rural concerns related to transportation, internet access, safety, and healthcare access.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Community Living
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Texas Medicaid Managed Care Provider Network Adequacy Report, 2024
Reports information and statistics on managed care organizations (MCOs) and their obligations to provide access to services for Medicaid members in Texas. Discusses MCO contractual obligations and performance related to geography throughout, with breakdowns by metro, micro, and rural area.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Reports information and statistics on managed care organizations (MCOs) and their obligations to provide access to services for Medicaid members in Texas. Discusses MCO contractual obligations and performance related to geography throughout, with breakdowns by metro, micro, and rural area.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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2024 Broadband/Internet Availability Survey Report
Presents findings of a survey capturing rural broadband and internet availability data as reported by 228 internet companies that responded to NTCA's survey. Describes technologies used to provide broadband services, broadband availability and subscription rates, anchor institutions, network deployment progress, supply chain challenges, barriers to widespread fiber deployment, and more.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: NTCA: The Rural Broadband Association
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Presents findings of a survey capturing rural broadband and internet availability data as reported by 228 internet companies that responded to NTCA's survey. Describes technologies used to provide broadband services, broadband availability and subscription rates, anchor institutions, network deployment progress, supply chain challenges, barriers to widespread fiber deployment, and more.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: NTCA: The Rural Broadband Association
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Medicare Could save Billions with Comparable Access for Enrollees If Critical Access Hospital Payments for Swing-Bed Services Were Similar to Those of the Fee-for-Service Prospective Payment System
Describes the use of swing beds for skilled nursing services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and average daily Medicare reimbursement for these services from 2015 through 2020. Examines data from a sample of 100 CAHs to determine whether Medicare enrollees would have had access to the same skilled nursing services provided by CAHs at alternative facilities within a 35-mile driving distance. Compares the average daily reimbursement for skilled nursing services at CAHs and alternative facilities, as well as the potential savings to Medicare if CAHs were reimbursed for skilled nursing services under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS).
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Describes the use of swing beds for skilled nursing services at Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and average daily Medicare reimbursement for these services from 2015 through 2020. Examines data from a sample of 100 CAHs to determine whether Medicare enrollees would have had access to the same skilled nursing services provided by CAHs at alternative facilities within a 35-mile driving distance. Compares the average daily reimbursement for skilled nursing services at CAHs and alternative facilities, as well as the potential savings to Medicare if CAHs were reimbursed for skilled nursing services under the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS).
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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2024 Research Report: Collaborative on Economic Mobility
Provides a landscape analysis of the Collaborative on Economic Mobility (CEM) cooperative agreement, which focuses on the implementation and strengthening of economic mobility practices. Discusses issues such as social inequities, early childhood education, healthcare access, family and community services, workforce development, policy, housing, transportation, and more. Includes consideration of rural communities, with comparisons of rural versus nonrural employment growth.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: ACF Office of Community Services
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Provides a landscape analysis of the Collaborative on Economic Mobility (CEM) cooperative agreement, which focuses on the implementation and strengthening of economic mobility practices. Discusses issues such as social inequities, early childhood education, healthcare access, family and community services, workforce development, policy, housing, transportation, and more. Includes consideration of rural communities, with comparisons of rural versus nonrural employment growth.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: ACF Office of Community Services
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