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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Benefit enrollment and application

Improving Native American Elder Access to and Use of Health Care Through Effective Health System Navigation
Examines the experiences of American Indian elders (AIEs) in New Mexico related to healthcare and seeking help. Aims to develop evaluation tools and interventions to expand the knowledge of, access to, and use of insurance, in addition to supporting other available health services to reduce health disparities.
Author(s): Cathleen E. Willging, David H. Sommerfeld, Elise Trott Jaramillo, Erik Lujan, Roxane Spruce Bly, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 18, 464
Date: 2018
Type: Document
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Examination of the Effect of SNAP Benefit and Eligibility Parameters on Low-Income Households
Examines whether or not policies determining benefit levels for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reflect current spending patterns of low-income households in the United States. Includes statistics, such as a rural versus urban comparison of low-income household spending and average spending by low-income household characteristic and expenditure type, among others.
Author(s): Joshua Leftin, Thomas Godfrey, James Mabli, Nancy Wemmerus, Stephen Tordella
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Decision Demographics and Mathematica Policy Research, USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Factors Affecting States' Ability to Respond to Federal Medicaid Cuts and Caps: Which States Are Most At Risk?
Examines 30 key factors that contribute to state-by-state differences in Medicaid per enrollee spending including rural population, and uses the factors to rank and identify which states are at greatest risk if federal Medicaid cuts or caps are enacted. Presents findings across five main areas: Medicaid policy, demographics, health status, available tax revenue and state budget choices, and healthcare markets.
Author(s): Robin Rudowitz, Allison Valentine, Petry Ubri, Julia Zur
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Changing Rural and Urban Enrollment in State Medicaid Programs
Examines changes in Medicaid enrollment from 2012 to 2015 in both expansion and non-expansion states, and compares findings by state based on metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural (noncore) location.
Author(s): Abigail R. Barker, Kelsey Huntzberry, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Fewer Than Half of WIC-Eligible Families Receive WIC Benefits
Examines the characteristics of families eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) who receive WIC benefits compared to those who do not. Includes information on rural versus urban families participating in WIC. Identifies nonparticipating WIC-eligible families that could be targeted for outreach.
Author(s): Kristin Smith
Date: 2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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Grantee Directory: Rural Outreach Benefits Counseling Grant Program, 2015-2018
Provides contact information and brief overviews of the ten initiatives funded under the Rural Outreach Benefits Counseling grant program in the 2015-2018 funding cycle. The program purpose is to expand outreach, education and enrollment efforts to eligible uninsured individuals and families and the newly insured in rural communities.
Date: 2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Best Practices for Health Insurance Marketplace Outreach and Enrollment in Rural Areas
Shares findings from interviews with health center staff, navigators, Certified Application Counselors (CACs), and other organizations in 7 states that had high Health Insurance Marketplace enrollment rates. Focuses on identifying promising, rural-specific strategies for conducting outreach, in-reach, education, and marketing activities.
Author(s): Pam Silberman, Sharita Thomas, Brystana Kaufman, Julie Perry, Mark Holmes
Date: 12/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Successful Health Insurance Outreach, Education, and Enrollment Strategies for Rural Hospitals
Shares best practices for hospitals to use in health insurance outreach and enrollment efforts based on interviews with administrators, staff, and community representatives at 11 small rural hospitals in 9 states. Also discusses certified application counselors, who help individuals enroll in health insurance, and the importance of using collaborative community partnerships to conduct insurance enrollment outreach and education.
Author(s): Walter Gregg, Alex Evenson, Adeniyi Togun
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Examining the Potential of Information Technology to Improve Public Insurance Application Processes: Enrollee Assessments from a Concurrent Mixed Method Analysis
Reports on Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries' readiness to use technology as part of the application process. Also discusses enrollees' preferences for technology versus face-to-face interaction for different aspects of the application process. Compares responses for rural, small metropolitan, and major metropolitan area enrollees.
Author(s): Abhay Nath Mishra, Patricia Ketsche, James Marton, Angela Snyder, Susan McLaren
Citation: JAMIA, 21(6), 1045-52
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
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Geographic Variation in Plan Uptake in the Federally Facilitated Marketplace
Combines data on health insurance plan selection in the federally facilitated marketplaces with estimates of people likely to qualify for the marketplace in order to calculate the percent of eligible people who chose a health insurance plan. Includes a heat map that illustrates which U.S. regions had the highest and lowest plan selection rates. Discusses differences for rural areas.
Author(s): Mark Holmes, Pam Silberman, Kristie Thompson, Victoria Freeman, Randy K. Randolph
Date: 10/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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