Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Heart Failure Readmissions in Urban and Rural Hospital Settings: An Analysis of 30-Day Readmissions Using the 2021 Nationwide Readmissions Database
Analyzes how 30-day hospital readmission for heart failure varies by rural or urban dwelling using 2021 National Readmissions Database data. Includes data breakdowns by payment type, patient demographics, related health conditions, and other clinical factors.
Author(s): Kendra J. Duran, Janice L. Hinkle, Linda C. Copel
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70138
Date: 03/2026
view details
Analyzes how 30-day hospital readmission for heart failure varies by rural or urban dwelling using 2021 National Readmissions Database data. Includes data breakdowns by payment type, patient demographics, related health conditions, and other clinical factors.
Author(s): Kendra J. Duran, Janice L. Hinkle, Linda C. Copel
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70138
Date: 03/2026
view details
Massachusetts 2024 Opioid-Involved Overdose Report: Data, Trends, and Action
Reviews trends in fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses in Massachusetts, overdose risk factors and the drug supply, and opioid overdose-related service utilization. Features statistics including rates of fatal overdoses from 2016-2024 with breakdowns by rural, most rural, and urban areas, and county-level maps showing age-adjusted death rates in 2023 and 2024.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Massachusetts Department of Public Health
view details
Reviews trends in fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses in Massachusetts, overdose risk factors and the drug supply, and opioid overdose-related service utilization. Features statistics including rates of fatal overdoses from 2016-2024 with breakdowns by rural, most rural, and urban areas, and county-level maps showing age-adjusted death rates in 2023 and 2024.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Massachusetts Department of Public Health
view details
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, 2027, 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, program integrity, and the cost of coverage through Medicare.
Author(s): Alex Cottrill, Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
view details
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, 2027, 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, program integrity, and the cost of coverage through Medicare.
Author(s): Alex Cottrill, Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
view details
Telehealth Uptake and Rural-Urban and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Postpartum Care Access Among Medicaid Beneficiaries in South Carolina, 2018–2022
Compares how postpartum care attendance and timeliness varied by race and ethnicity, rural or urban dwelling, and exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these associations varied by level of telehealth uptake, using 2019-2022 South Carolina Medicaid claims and enrollment data.
Author(s): Anirban Chatterjee, Xuzhuo Zhao, Jihong Liu, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 64(5), 298-309
Date: 03/2026
view details
Compares how postpartum care attendance and timeliness varied by race and ethnicity, rural or urban dwelling, and exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these associations varied by level of telehealth uptake, using 2019-2022 South Carolina Medicaid claims and enrollment data.
Author(s): Anirban Chatterjee, Xuzhuo Zhao, Jihong Liu, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 64(5), 298-309
Date: 03/2026
view details
South Carolina Health Professions Data Book
Provides information about the health status of South Carolina residents and the number of healthcare providers practicing in the state as of 2024, including a section with statistics for rural areas.
Author(s): Bo Fu, Ashlyn Chastain-Brown, Cate Campbell, et al.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium
view details
Provides information about the health status of South Carolina residents and the number of healthcare providers practicing in the state as of 2024, including a section with statistics for rural areas.
Author(s): Bo Fu, Ashlyn Chastain-Brown, Cate Campbell, et al.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium
view details
Assessing Access to Cardiologists and Endocrinologists in the Texas ACA Market
Uses secret shopper surveys to assess patient access to cardiologists and endocrinologists in the Texas Affordable Care Act marketplace. Includes breakdown of data by rurality of both patient and provider. Discusses appointment wait times and distance to care for rural patients.
Author(s): Simon F. Haeder, Yuqin Lou, Wendy Xu
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(4)
Date: 03/2026
view details
Uses secret shopper surveys to assess patient access to cardiologists and endocrinologists in the Texas Affordable Care Act marketplace. Includes breakdown of data by rurality of both patient and provider. Discusses appointment wait times and distance to care for rural patients.
Author(s): Simon F. Haeder, Yuqin Lou, Wendy Xu
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(4)
Date: 03/2026
view details
NSDUH Short Report: Substance Use Disorder and Major Depressive Episode among Females
Report explores rates of substance use disorder (SUD) and major depressive episode (MDE) among women from 2022-2024. Breaks down data by a number of factors, such as demographic factors, adolescents versus adults, SUD/MDE severity, and rurality, among other measures.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
view details
Report explores rates of substance use disorder (SUD) and major depressive episode (MDE) among women from 2022-2024. Breaks down data by a number of factors, such as demographic factors, adolescents versus adults, SUD/MDE severity, and rurality, among other measures.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
view details
Rural Population Reaches 46.2 Million in 2024
Bar chart comparing rural and urban population change and drivers of the changes between 2021 and 2024.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Bar chart comparing rural and urban population change and drivers of the changes between 2021 and 2024.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Who is Benefiting from the Dramatic Decline in U.S. Cancer Mortality? Place-Based Evidence of Disparities in Rates of Improvement
Analyzes how improvements in cancer mortality between 1991 and 2019 varied by geography, using CDC WONDER data. Includes data comparisons by U.S. region, income level, and rurality at the county level.
Author(s): Arthur G. Cosby, Viswadeep Lebakula, Karissa Bergene, et al.
Citation: British Journal of Cancer
Date: 03/2026
view details
Analyzes how improvements in cancer mortality between 1991 and 2019 varied by geography, using CDC WONDER data. Includes data comparisons by U.S. region, income level, and rurality at the county level.
Author(s): Arthur G. Cosby, Viswadeep Lebakula, Karissa Bergene, et al.
Citation: British Journal of Cancer
Date: 03/2026
view details
Growth in Medicare Advantage by Organizational Size Across Rural and Urban Counties
Explores changes in the Medicare Advantage (MA) markets in rural and urban counties. Draws findings from enrollment data from 2019-2026. Breaks down findings by rural, micropolitan, and metropolitan counties.
Author(s): Dan M Shane, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70134
Date: 03/2026
view details
Explores changes in the Medicare Advantage (MA) markets in rural and urban counties. Draws findings from enrollment data from 2019-2026. Breaks down findings by rural, micropolitan, and metropolitan counties.
Author(s): Dan M Shane, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70134
Date: 03/2026
view details