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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health insurance

Nationwide Availability of and Enrollment in Medicare and Medicaid Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans With Exclusively Aligned Enrollment
Explores the availability and enrollment of dual-eligible special needs plans (D-SNPs) with exclusively aligned enrollment, in which the beneficiary can receive Medicare and Medicaid benefits through the same plan or affiliated plans within the same organization. Analyzes 2021-2022 beneficiary data and examines D-SNP plan availability and enrollment according to beneficiary demographics, health status, rurality, and more.
Author(s): Kenton J. Johnston, Michelle Hendricks, Megha Dabas, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 5(10)
Date: 10/2024
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Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Maternal Health Chartbook 2010–2019
Analyzes data from the National Inpatient Sample from between 2010 and 2019 to highlight trends in maternal health related to diabetes, hypertension, mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and severe maternal morbidity. Includes data by expected payer, patient characteristics, and geography. Includes large metropolitan, medium/small metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan comparisons throughout.
Author(s): Lawrence Reid, Kimberly Marin, Jessica Monnet
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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What to Know About Medicare Coverage of Telehealth
Discusses telehealth use by Medicare patients before, during, and after declaration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Notes temporary telehealth provisions set to expire December 31, 2024, telehealth provisions made permanent, and trends in use since 2020. Includes rural and urban comparisons of telehealth use since 2020. Discusses payment models for Medicare and Medicare Advantage, current policies related to telehealth, fraud, and the cost of coverage through Medicare.
Author(s): Alex Cottrill, Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Health Care Transparency: CMS Needs More Information on Hospital Pricing Data Completeness and Accuracy
Provides an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hospital price transparency requirements before and after 2024 updates to the requirements. Describes users' experiences with hospital pricing data before the 2024 updates. Examines CMS's enforcement of hospital price transparency requirements and offers recommendations to CMS regarding the sufficiency and accuracy of the data reported. Table 3 compares CMS enforcement actions by hospitals' rural or urban designation between 2021 and 2023.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Costs of Treat-and-Release Emergency Department Visits in the United States, 2021
Explores the cost of treat-and-release emergency department (ED) visits in the United States in 2021. Describes findings from an analysis of the 2021 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Emergency Department Sample. Presents data on the aggregate costs, average cost, and number of ED visits by patient and hospital characteristics, including patient age; sex; primary expected payer; community-level income; and metropolitan, micropolitan, or rural status.
Author(s): Marc Roemer
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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States Could Better Leverage Coverage and Access Requirements To Promote Maternal Health Care Access in Medicaid Managed Care
Describes challenges to maternal healthcare access. Explores the provider coverage rules and network adequacy standards state Medicaid agencies have set for maternal healthcare in Medicaid managed care. Examines state oversight of quantitative network adequacy standards. Offers recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure access to pregnancy and postpartum care in Medicaid managed care. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Report in Brief
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Health Care Affordability and Medical Debt: Differences by Rurality, Region, and Socio-Demographic Characteristics
Policy brief examining rural/urban differences in health care affordability and medical debt concerns. Features statistics including rates of affordability issues with breakdowns by rural and urban location, and among rural residents with breakdowns by sociodemographic characteristics.
Author(s): Ingrid Jacobson, Katie Rydberg, Mariana Tuttle, et al.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Leveraging Medicaid to Support Housing and Nutrition in Ohio
Describes the Ohio Medicaid program and the federal Medicaid health-related social needs (HRSN) framework. Discusses how Medicaid coverage in Ohio can cover aspects of housing and nutrition needs as of 2023. Includes county-level map depicting percent of income spent on housing in Ohio as well as examples of programs addressing HRSNs in rural areas.
Author(s): Hailey Akah, Robin Blair-Ackison, Edith Nkenganyi, et al.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Pediatric and Pregnancy-related Visits at Rural Health Clinics in 2018 among Medicaid/CHIP Enrollees in 20 States
Research and policy brief on pediatric and pregnancy-related visits to Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) among Medicaid/CHIP enrollees in 20 states during the year 2018. Provides data, including regional and state comparisons, on rates at which pediatric and pregnancy-related visits took place, medical conditions observed, and services provided. Discusses the role of RHCs in overcoming geographic access barriers.
Author(s): Katherine A. Aherns, Zachariah T. Croll, Yvonne Jonk, John Gale, Heidi O'Connor
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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A Snapshot of Sources of Coverage Among Medicare Beneficiaries
Examines the sources of healthcare and supplemental insurance coverage among Medicare beneficiaries in 2022. Presents data on the sources of coverage by beneficiary characteristics, including health status, metropolitan status, and income.
Author(s): Nancy Ochieng, Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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