Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance
Impact of Hospital Closure on Rural Communities: A Qualitative Study
Examines the impact of rural hospital closure on access to care, and identifies ways that rural communities adapt to hospital closures. Utilizes interview excerpts from 25 informants examining themes related to pre-closure conditions, impacts on communities and health systems, and actions by communities, states, health systems, and emergency medical services.
Author(s): Redwan Bin Abdul Baten, Mina Shrestha, Fred Ullrich, Whitney Zahnd, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Examines the impact of rural hospital closure on access to care, and identifies ways that rural communities adapt to hospital closures. Utilizes interview excerpts from 25 informants examining themes related to pre-closure conditions, impacts on communities and health systems, and actions by communities, states, health systems, and emergency medical services.
Author(s): Redwan Bin Abdul Baten, Mina Shrestha, Fred Ullrich, Whitney Zahnd, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Ohio Rural Hospitals Form Clinically Integrated Network
Discusses the Ohio High-Value Network (OHVN), a clinically integrated network that supports rural health and serves 26 hospitals in Ohio and West Virginia. Focuses on collaboration related to clinical initiatives, operational best practices, and reducing costs and administrative burdens.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Discusses the Ohio High-Value Network (OHVN), a clinically integrated network that supports rural health and serves 26 hospitals in Ohio and West Virginia. Focuses on collaboration related to clinical initiatives, operational best practices, and reducing costs and administrative burdens.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Medicaid Plays A Key Role for Maternal and Infant Health in Rural Communities
Explores the role of Medicaid in covering women of childbearing age - 19 through 44 years old - living in small towns and rural areas. Presents data from the 2023 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) on the percentage of women of childbearing age in small towns and rural areas who have Medicaid coverage by state and compares the share of Medicaid coverage to similar women in metropolitan counties. Describes the percentage of women of childbearing age with Medicaid coverage as a share of non-elderly adults with Medicaid across Medicaid expansion states and non-expansion states. Highlights the 20 small towns and rural areas with the highest share of women of childbearing age covered by Medicaid.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
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Explores the role of Medicaid in covering women of childbearing age - 19 through 44 years old - living in small towns and rural areas. Presents data from the 2023 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) on the percentage of women of childbearing age in small towns and rural areas who have Medicaid coverage by state and compares the share of Medicaid coverage to similar women in metropolitan counties. Describes the percentage of women of childbearing age with Medicaid coverage as a share of non-elderly adults with Medicaid across Medicaid expansion states and non-expansion states. Highlights the 20 small towns and rural areas with the highest share of women of childbearing age covered by Medicaid.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
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Securing a Better Future for Rural Health
Slides presented at the 2025 National Rural Health Association Annual Conference summarizing findings from a November 2024 summit of rural health services delivery and finance experts. Covers financing rural health services, payment policies, workforce considerations, the use of technology and data, and more.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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Slides presented at the 2025 National Rural Health Association Annual Conference summarizing findings from a November 2024 summit of rural health services delivery and finance experts. Covers financing rural health services, payment policies, workforce considerations, the use of technology and data, and more.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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Community Health Centers Are Increasingly Important to Medicare Beneficiaries
Presents data on health center Medicare patient characteristics, service utilization, and revenue between 2019-2023. Compares sociodemographic and health characteristics of health center patients with those of the general Medicare population. Discusses the impact of managed care plans on health center finances.
Author(s): Elizabeth Dutta, Marsha Regenstein, Feygele Jacobs
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health
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Presents data on health center Medicare patient characteristics, service utilization, and revenue between 2019-2023. Compares sociodemographic and health characteristics of health center patients with those of the general Medicare population. Discusses the impact of managed care plans on health center finances.
Author(s): Elizabeth Dutta, Marsha Regenstein, Feygele Jacobs
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health
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Inadequate EMS in Rural Wisconsin: Strategies to Improve Reliability
Examines emergency medical services (EMS) in rural Wisconsin and provides a comparative analysis of EMS across rural counties and in other states. Focuses on policy interventions, recruitment and retention, training barriers, EMS infrastructure, financial constraints, and more. Includes data from an EMS reliability survey and interview feedback from EMS professionals.
Additional links: Brief
Author(s): Francis Amedoadzi, Anthony Carreno, Sammy Rothman, Lisa Severini, Gatiosso Traore
Date: 05/2025
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Examines emergency medical services (EMS) in rural Wisconsin and provides a comparative analysis of EMS across rural counties and in other states. Focuses on policy interventions, recruitment and retention, training barriers, EMS infrastructure, financial constraints, and more. Includes data from an EMS reliability survey and interview feedback from EMS professionals.
Additional links: Brief
Author(s): Francis Amedoadzi, Anthony Carreno, Sammy Rothman, Lisa Severini, Gatiosso Traore
Date: 05/2025
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Negotiated Prices for Care at Independent and System-Affiliated Rural Hospitals
Compares negotiated prices for procedural and imaging services at independent rural hospitals versus system-affiliated rural hospitals. Analyzes commercially negotiated price data with their associated hospital and evaluates number of negotiated prices for services. Discusses policies for rural hospital financial sustainability.
Author(s): Cody Lendon Mullens, Mitchell Mead, James D Lee, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(5)
Date: 05/2025
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Compares negotiated prices for procedural and imaging services at independent rural hospitals versus system-affiliated rural hospitals. Analyzes commercially negotiated price data with their associated hospital and evaluates number of negotiated prices for services. Discusses policies for rural hospital financial sustainability.
Author(s): Cody Lendon Mullens, Mitchell Mead, James D Lee, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(5)
Date: 05/2025
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Environmental Scan on Reducing Barriers to Participation in Population-Based Total Cost of Care (PB-TCOC) Models and Supporting Primary and Specialty Care Transformation
Presents results of an environmental scan on reducing barriers to participation in population-based total cost of care (PB-TCOC) models and supporting primary and specialty care transformation. Discusses identifying pathways for maximizing participation of different kinds of organizations in PB-TCOC models; an assessment of and approaches to reducing organization-level barriers; approaches to support primary and specialty care transformation; an assessment of factors that influence the ability of PB-TCOC models to be competitive; and a summary of relevant features in previously submitted Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) proposals. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Presents results of an environmental scan on reducing barriers to participation in population-based total cost of care (PB-TCOC) models and supporting primary and specialty care transformation. Discusses identifying pathways for maximizing participation of different kinds of organizations in PB-TCOC models; an assessment of and approaches to reducing organization-level barriers; approaches to support primary and specialty care transformation; an assessment of factors that influence the ability of PB-TCOC models to be competitive; and a summary of relevant features in previously submitted Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) proposals. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Economic Hardship and Health Within Sociodemographic and Occupational Groups — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2022–2023
Reports on economic hardship measures and self-rated health among employed and recently unemployed adults. Hardship measures included lack of health insurance, cost of medical care, employment instability, food insecurity, housing insecurity, utility insecurity, lack of reliable transportation, and receipt of food benefits. Provides data by occupation, including for people employed in farming, fishing, and forestry.
Author(s): Sharon R. Silver, Jia Li, Taylor M. Shockey
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(19), 326-333
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Reports on economic hardship measures and self-rated health among employed and recently unemployed adults. Hardship measures included lack of health insurance, cost of medical care, employment instability, food insecurity, housing insecurity, utility insecurity, lack of reliable transportation, and receipt of food benefits. Provides data by occupation, including for people employed in farming, fishing, and forestry.
Author(s): Sharon R. Silver, Jia Li, Taylor M. Shockey
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(19), 326-333
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Characteristics and Trends of Critical Access Hospitals That Own or Operate Ambulance Services
Explores trends in the number of Critical Access Hospital (CAH)-based ambulance services between 2017 and 2022. Analyzes Medicare Cost Report data to compare the characteristics of of CAHs that own and operate ambulance services to CAHs that do not. Presents findings from interviews with eight CAH-based ambulance services regarding the challenges of operating these services, including workforce recruitment and retention issues, the role of partnerships and community involvement, and lessons learned.
Author(s): John Gale, Karen Pearson, Rebecca Stearns, Zachariah Croll
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Explores trends in the number of Critical Access Hospital (CAH)-based ambulance services between 2017 and 2022. Analyzes Medicare Cost Report data to compare the characteristics of of CAHs that own and operate ambulance services to CAHs that do not. Presents findings from interviews with eight CAH-based ambulance services regarding the challenges of operating these services, including workforce recruitment and retention issues, the role of partnerships and community involvement, and lessons learned.
Author(s): John Gale, Karen Pearson, Rebecca Stearns, Zachariah Croll
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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