Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Medicaid

Promoting Health Coverage of American Indian and Alaska Native Children
Provides an overview of the health disparities American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children face. Reports on healthcare coverage trends for AI/AN children from 2008 to 2015, with information on 3 public sources of coverage: the Indian Health Service (IHS), Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Includes recommendations to improve coverage for AI/AN children.
Author(s): Lauren Roygardner, Andy Schneider, Doug Steiger
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
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Rural Hospital Closures Reduce Access to Emergency Care
Recognizes the importance of hospital and emergency care services in providing healthcare in rural communities, and discusses the current hospital closure rate. Uses federal data to compare the financial viability of rural and urban hospitals, and the availability of emergency care in rural communities. Suggests policy recommendations for improving access to healthcare and emergency care for rural populations.
Author(s): Tarun Ramesh, Emily Gee
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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Medicaid Expansion in Texas: Potential Economic and Employment Implications
Compares the findings of a survey of low-income adults in Texas – a non-expansion Medicaid state – with the findings from surveys of low-income populations living in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Louisiana – states having expanded Medicaid to assess the economic impact on their families and their state.
Author(s): Lucy Chen, Joy Madubuonwu, Caroline Pecos-Duarte, Benjamin D. Sommers
Date: 09/2019
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Factors that Influence Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment
Results of a study examining factors that influence access to medication-assisted treatment and substance use disorder treatment, including rural location, stigma, shortage of providers, and insurance coverage. Uses data from an electronic survey distributed to 59 State Opioid Treatment Authorities or Single State Authorities in the spring of 2019.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Dana Foney, Shannon Mace
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organizations: National Council for Mental Wellbeing, University of Michigan Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center
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Medicaid: Efforts to Identify, Predict, or Manage High-Expenditure Beneficiaries
Describes strategies used in 7 states to manage beneficiaries' healthcare costs while ensuring quality care, and lists resources the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provides to help states identify, predict, and manage high-expenditure beneficiaries. Discusses effects of social determinants of health and staff shortages in rural areas. Includes statistics for Medicaid expenditures among beneficiaries enrolled only in Medicaid, for fiscal years 2009-2011.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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The Evolving Policy Landscape of Telehealth Services Delivered in the Home and Other Nonclinical Settings
Issue brief identifying key findings for state officials considering adopting new policies for home-based telehealth services. Describes Medicaid and Medicare coverage for telehealth services, including those provided in rural and Health Professional Shortage Areas, Critical Access Hospitals, and Rural Health Clinics.
Author(s): Brittany Lazur, Andrea Bennett, Valerie King
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Medi-Cal Telehealth Updated Policy
Summarizes a California Department of Health Care Services telehealth policy update for the Medi-Cal fee-for-service program. Highlights key changes related to the definitions, reimbursable services, e-consults, and more.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Examining Rural Cancer Prevention and Control Efforts: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of issues related to cancer in rural areas, including barriers to accessing cancer care. Describes federal programs that support and enhance national and rural cancer control efforts, including funding, and offers policy recommendations. Features statistics on average annual percent change in cancer mortality rates from 2006-2015, with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Includes a U.S. map showing locations of cancer centers that received Rural Cancer Control Supplements grants in 2018.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Supportive Services and Caregiving for Older Rural Adults: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of current supportive services and caregiving policies for rural older adults, in terms of availability, accessibility, and acceptability of services. Explores topics including long-term services and supports, telehealth, care coordination, transportation, stigma, and unpaid caregivers, and describes federal programs for older adults. Offers policy recommendations and considerations.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Understanding the Intersection of Medicaid and Work: What Does the Data Say?
Provides analysis on Medicaid enrollees and work requirements. Examines policy implications of work requirements, and explores barriers to work and reporting requirements. Table 1 includes statistics describing nonelderly adult Medicaid enrollees work status in 2017 by race/ethnicity, education, family type, family work status, and metro/nonmetro residence.
Author(s): Rachel Garfield, Robin Rudowitz, Kendal Orgera, Anthony Damico
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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