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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

Tobacco Treatment Billing and Tobacco Use Disorder Diagnosis in Healthcare Settings in the United States: An Analysis of South Carolina Medicaid Claims
Examines demographic differences in tobacco use disorder diagnosis and receipt of counseling among Medicaid beneficiaries in South Carolina, utilizing 2019-2022 South Carolina Medicaid administrative claims data. Includes data breakdowns by rural or urban dwelling, among other factors.
Author(s): Kinsey Pebley, Joni D. Nelson, Julie L. Marshall, Alana M. Rojewski
Citation: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 20, 24
Date: 06/2025
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Navigating Natural Disasters: Lessons from North Carolina's Medicaid Response to Hurricane Recovery
Discusses disaster relief in North Carolina with North Carolina's Medicaid Chief Medical Officer, Janelle White. Focuses on preparedness, protecting various populations, problem solving, coordinating relationships, rural providers and agencies, and more.
Author(s): Emily Eelman
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Health Care Strategies, Juniper Peak Consulting
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Payment Source Shift for Surgical Care Among Veterans Enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans
Examines the likelihood of veterans enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to shift payments for inpatient surgical care from MA to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Analyzes 54,754 inpatient surgeries of VHA enrollees to observe payment trends, with data broken down by demographics, insurance characteristics, region, and rurality.
Author(s): Winta T. Mehtsun, Yanlei Ma, Ellen Latsko, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 6(6)
Date: 06/2025
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Pharmacy Deserts in Rural Pennsylvania
Describes the landscape of pharmacies and pharmacists in Pennsylvania as of May 2025 and examines the projected impact of Rite Aid pharmacy closures. Features statistics on numbers of pharmacies and pharmacists, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and county-level maps showing areas within a 5-mile radius of all pharmacies and all non-Rite Aid pharmacies, with shadings showing urban and rural areas.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Affordable Care Act Enrollment in Texas after Rating Area Adjustments
Provides a brief overview of how Texas changed its approach to Affordable Care Act (ACA) rating areas for rural counties in 2023. Examines the association between the ACA rating area change and health plan enrollment, plan selection, and premiums from 2022 to 2024. Compares findings by urban and rural county status.
Author(s): Elena Andreyeva, Daniel Marthey, Simon F. Haeder, Benjamin Ukert
Citation: The American Journal of Managed Care, 31(6), e147-e152
Date: 06/2025
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The Rural Health Center Landscape: Data, Challenges, & Insights
Recording of a June 10, 2025, webinar discussing unique financial and operational challenges that rural health centers face. Covers health center growth and expansion, patient and payer mix, financial performance, staffing mix, and more. Compares data on rural FQHCs to urban and national FQHC data 2020-2023. Features a discussion with William Edwards, chief financial officer of G.A. Carmichael Family Health Center in Canton, Mississippi.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Capital Link
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Key Facts About Medicare Beneficiaries in Rural Areas
Presents information and data about rural Medicare beneficiaries, including demographic and health characteristics, access to healthcare, and satisfaction with care. Compares data on beneficiaries living in urban areas, rural areas adjacent to an urban area, and rural areas not adjacent to an urban area.
Author(s): Nancy Ochieng, Alex Cottrill, Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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5 Key Facts About Medicaid Coverage for People Living in Rural Areas
Provides an overview of Medicaid coverage in rural areas. Includes rural versus urban comparisons of Medicaid coverage, enrollee age, enrollee diagnosed chronic conditions, state-by-state data of Medicaid enrollees by degree of rurality, and more.
Author(s): Rhiannon Euhus, Sammy Cervantes, Alice Burns, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Promoting Health through Transdisciplinary Local Food System Partnerships: Insights from the North Carolina Local Food Council
Discusses the impact of the North Carolina Local Food Council (NCLFC) Community Health Working Group and their efforts to strengthen statewide and local food systems. Focuses on the North Carolina Medicaid 1115 Waiver Healthy Opportunities Pilots (HOPs) case study that aimed to integrate local food into health systems and healthcare initiatives. Includes information about partnerships, collaborations, pilot structure, and network leads in specific North Carolina regions.
Author(s): Amanda S. Hege, Morgan Cooper, K. Alexander Soltany, et al.
Citation: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 14(3), 415-431
Date: 06/2025
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AI in Health Care Administration: A Conversation with Experts
Blog post summarizing major themes raised in a conversation among researchers, practitioners, payers, policy experts, and congressional staff regarding how AI can improve administrative efficiency in healthcare. Includes a discussion of access to AI tools in rural and underserved areas.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Author(s): Emma Sheffert
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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