Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Comparing the Care and Distance Traveled by Rural and Urban Medicaid Beneficiaries With Opioid Use Disorder
Results of a study describing the treatment for rural and urban Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder in 2019. Features demographics and statistics on number of visits and travel time and distance, with breakdowns by 5 levels of population density.
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Sara C. Woolcock, Lisa A. Garberson, Janessa M. Graves
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Results of a study describing the treatment for rural and urban Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder in 2019. Features demographics and statistics on number of visits and travel time and distance, with breakdowns by 5 levels of population density.
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Sara C. Woolcock, Lisa A. Garberson, Janessa M. Graves
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Traumatic Brain Injury among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Veterans Accessing Veterans Health Administration Homeless Services: A Preliminary Examination
Compares traumatic brain injury diagnoses among homeless Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) and non-NHPI veterans using 2005-2018 Veterans Health Administration homeless services data. Includes data breakdowns by rurality, among other factors.
Author(s): Ryan Holliday, Sara Lum, Christine Kindler, et al.
Citation: Hawaiʻi Journal of Health and Social Welfare, 85(3), 64-72
Date: 03/2026
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Compares traumatic brain injury diagnoses among homeless Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) and non-NHPI veterans using 2005-2018 Veterans Health Administration homeless services data. Includes data breakdowns by rurality, among other factors.
Author(s): Ryan Holliday, Sara Lum, Christine Kindler, et al.
Citation: Hawaiʻi Journal of Health and Social Welfare, 85(3), 64-72
Date: 03/2026
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Glioblastoma Survival in Rural America: A 10-Year Experience from a Quaternary Care Center
Examines factors influencing glioblastoma survival and overall prognosis among West Virginians, using medical record data of 380 adults treated at WVU Ruby Memorial Hospital between January 2015 and August 2025. Includes data on patient rurality, sex, treatment received, and more. Discusses the role of referrals in mitigating rural access barriers for cancer care and improving rural cancer outcomes.
Author(s): Emily Pack, Christopher P. Cifarelli, Sanjay Bhatia, et al.
Citation: Journal of Neuro-Oncology, 177(36)
Date: 03/2026
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Examines factors influencing glioblastoma survival and overall prognosis among West Virginians, using medical record data of 380 adults treated at WVU Ruby Memorial Hospital between January 2015 and August 2025. Includes data on patient rurality, sex, treatment received, and more. Discusses the role of referrals in mitigating rural access barriers for cancer care and improving rural cancer outcomes.
Author(s): Emily Pack, Christopher P. Cifarelli, Sanjay Bhatia, et al.
Citation: Journal of Neuro-Oncology, 177(36)
Date: 03/2026
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2026
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D. Includes mandated reports on the impact of regulatory changes to the home health prospective payment system and dual-eligible special needs plans.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D. Includes mandated reports on the impact of regulatory changes to the home health prospective payment system and dual-eligible special needs plans.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Hospice Services: Chapter 10
Discusses payment adequacy for hospice and palliative support services. Includes data on average costs by day and aggregate margins by urban and rural status, as well as demographics on Medicare decedents who used hospice during 2010 and between 2019-2024. Compares the actual hospice utilization rates in micropolitan, rural adjacent, rural nonadjacent, and frontier areas to urban hospice utilization rates.
Date: 03/2026
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Discusses payment adequacy for hospice and palliative support services. Includes data on average costs by day and aggregate margins by urban and rural status, as well as demographics on Medicare decedents who used hospice during 2010 and between 2019-2024. Compares the actual hospice utilization rates in micropolitan, rural adjacent, rural nonadjacent, and frontier areas to urban hospice utilization rates.
Date: 03/2026
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Home Health Care Services: Chapter 8
Discusses payment adequacy for home health care services. Features statistics on Medicare margins for home health agencies between 2019-2024 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, rates of successful discharge and potentially preventable readmissions in urban and rural areas, and the number of home health periods provided to rural beneficiaries.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Discusses payment adequacy for home health care services. Features statistics on Medicare margins for home health agencies between 2019-2024 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, rates of successful discharge and potentially preventable readmissions in urban and rural areas, and the number of home health periods provided to rural beneficiaries.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Findings from the 2025 Minnesota Health Access Survey (MNHA): Uninsurance Rates in Minnesota
Provides data on Minnesota uninsurance rates according to year, demographics, and metro, large town, or small town/isolated rural.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Provides data on Minnesota uninsurance rates according to year, demographics, and metro, large town, or small town/isolated rural.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Assessment of Rebound in Cancer Diagnoses in California in 2022, by Stage, Sociodemographic Factors, and Rurality
Examines how cancer diagnoses differed in California in 2022 by sociodemographic and geographic group, using 2001-2022 NCI SEER data. See Supplementary Tables for data breakdowns by cancer type and level of rurality.
Author(s): Erin L. Van Blarigan, Alison J. Canchola, Li Zhu, et al.
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 35(3), 415-419
Date: 03/2026
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Examines how cancer diagnoses differed in California in 2022 by sociodemographic and geographic group, using 2001-2022 NCI SEER data. See Supplementary Tables for data breakdowns by cancer type and level of rurality.
Author(s): Erin L. Van Blarigan, Alison J. Canchola, Li Zhu, et al.
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 35(3), 415-419
Date: 03/2026
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The Impact of Nurse Practitioner Full Practice Authority on Pediatric Care Experiences: A National Secondary Data Analysis
Examines the impact of full practice authority (FPA) for pediatric nurse practitioners (NPs) on pediatric primary healthcare access. Utilizes 2010–2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to analyze policy changes related to FPA implementation according to patient access, experiences, and rurality.
Author(s): Joyce J. Fitzpatrick, Maxwell Mehlman, Alicia Plemmons, et al.
Citation: Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 40(2), 251-257
Date: 03/2026
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Examines the impact of full practice authority (FPA) for pediatric nurse practitioners (NPs) on pediatric primary healthcare access. Utilizes 2010–2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to analyze policy changes related to FPA implementation according to patient access, experiences, and rurality.
Author(s): Joyce J. Fitzpatrick, Maxwell Mehlman, Alicia Plemmons, et al.
Citation: Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 40(2), 251-257
Date: 03/2026
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Mental Health Specialist Telemedicine Uptake and Patient Location
Analyzes 17,742 Medicare fee-for-service claims for mental health specialists between 2018 and 2023 to identify the proportion of telemedicine visits that are with rural, low-access-to-care, or other distant communities. Includes analysis of new and established patients. Discusses study findings as part of larger discussions regarding telehealth increasing access to healthcare for rural and other hard to reach populations.
Author(s): Jacob Jorem, Andrew D. Wilcock, Alisa B. Busch, Haiden A. Huskamp, Ateev Mehrotra
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(3)
Date: 03/2026
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Analyzes 17,742 Medicare fee-for-service claims for mental health specialists between 2018 and 2023 to identify the proportion of telemedicine visits that are with rural, low-access-to-care, or other distant communities. Includes analysis of new and established patients. Discusses study findings as part of larger discussions regarding telehealth increasing access to healthcare for rural and other hard to reach populations.
Author(s): Jacob Jorem, Andrew D. Wilcock, Alisa B. Busch, Haiden A. Huskamp, Ateev Mehrotra
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(3)
Date: 03/2026
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