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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Benefit enrollment and application

Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, and Retention Strategies with Head Start-Eligible Families Experiencing Adversity: A Review of the Literature
Examines Head Start recruitment, enrollment, and retention strategies in relation to families experiencing adversity. Reviews 39 research studies published between 2011 and 2021 to identify adversities experienced by Head Start-eligible families, such as poverty, homelessness, involvement with foster care and child welfare systems, and substance abuse. Includes information about unique adversities experienced in rural locations.
Author(s): Cassandra Baxter, Nikki Aikens, Louisa Tarullo, et al.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: ACF Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, Brazelton Touchpoints Center, Mathematica
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Differences in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation among Oklahoma Counties
Examines Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation among income-eligible residents in Oklahoma. Includes data on age, race, gender, and rurality of participants, among other factors.
Author(s): Mckenzie Carvalho, Amy Hagerman, Phil Kenkel, Dave Shideler
Citation: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 11(3), 229-239
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
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MACPAC Response to CMS Request for Information on Access and Coverage in Medicaid and CHIP
Letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) responding to a request for information on access to coverage and care in Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Discusses strategies related to enrolling in and maintaining coverage, accessing services, and ensuring adequate payment rates. Includes information on physical and behavioral health integration, substance use disorder treatment for pregnant and postpartum women, telehealth, and more.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Health Panel Comment Letter – Access to Coverage and Care in Medicaid & CHIP
Offers comments in response to the Access to Coverage and Care in Medicaid and CHIP Request for Information. Discusses ways the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can support states in addressing barriers to enrollment and retention, minimum access standards, and monitoring care availability and access to care.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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USDA Community Eligibility Provision Characteristics Study
Reports on the school meal service Community Eligible Provisions (CEP) in low-income areas based on data from school years 2014-2015 and 2016-2017. Discusses characteristics of participating and non-participating Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and schools, the perceived benefits and barriers of participation, and impacts of CEP. Includes data on eligibility and participation of LEAs in rural areas.
Additional links: Summary
Author(s): Jim Murdoch, Hiren Nisar, Devin Wallace-Williams, et al.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Beneficiary Experiences with the Medicaid Enrollment and Renewal Processes
Presents findings from focus groups with Medicaid beneficiaries and their representatives about their preferences communicating with state Medicaid agencies during the enrollment and renewal processes. Discusses participants' access to technology and technology as a potential barrier, as well as their experiences during the application and renewal processes.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, PerryUndem
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Beneficiary Preferences for Communications Regarding Eligibility, Enrollment, and Renewal
Discusses federal requirements for states to provide multiple modes of communication for Medicaid eligibility and enrollment, as well as current state practices to facilitate this communication. Summarizes results of focus groups on Medicaid beneficiaries' preferences and experiences communicating with state Medicaid agencies and use of technology.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Federal Nutrition Programs for Grandfamilies and Kinship Families
A fact sheet that provides information on benefits, programs, and organizations that assist low-income grandfamilies and kinship families gaining access to healthy food. Includes information on the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Food Research & Action Center, Generations United
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Consistent SNAP Participation Increases Preventative Health Care Visits for Infants
Examines the connection between Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and preventive care in an infant's first year of life. Uses data from a survey covering 51,551 first-born children of low-income mothers, ages 18 and older, who participated in SNAP and Medicaid in Missouri between 2006-2014. Features statistics including race and urban or rural residence.
Author(s): Colleen Heflin, Irma Arteaga, Julia Stafford
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Aging and Policy Studies, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion
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Persistent Gaps in SNAP Benefit Adequacy across the Rural-Urban Continuum
Report examining gaps in the adequacy of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to cover the cost of a meal across the rural-urban continuum using the USDA's Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCCs). Discusses characteristics of the counties with the largest gaps and addresses the policy implications of the 2021 Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) update to SNAP.
Author(s): Olivia Fiol, Elaine Waxman, Craig Gunderson
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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