Rural Health Reports and Publications
Rural Health Reports and Publications
Download the latest rural health data and reports from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Rural-Urban Disparities in Health Care in Medicare (PDF)
Centers for Medicare & Medical Services, November 2023
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This report summarizes the quality of health care delivered to Medicare enrollees nationwide, highlighting rural-urban differences in health care experiences. The report examines differences in quality of care by race and ethnicity in both rural and urban areas. To learn more, download the 2023 (PDF) and 2022 (PDF) Rural-Urban Disparities reports.
Centers for Medicare & Medical Services, November 2023
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The 2023 Year in Review report exemplifies CMS’s work to improve health care quality, outcomes, and access in rural, Tribal, and geographically isolated communities. The report outlines the steps CMS has taken over the past year to support the health needs of rural populations. Specifically, accomplishments include the Rural Emergency Hospital Designation, Postpartum Coverage Expansion, the Making Care Primary Model, and the All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development Model. To learn about CMS’s past rural health advancements, download our Improving Health in Rural Communities: FY 2021 Year in Review (PDF) and Rethinking Rural Health: FY 2020 Year in Review (PDF) reports.
Examining Rural Telehealth During the Public Health Emergency (PDF)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, January 2023
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The following report provides an overview of a study, which examined telehealth use by rural and urban fee-for-service Medicare enrollees between January 2018 and June 2021. The study compared pre-COVID telehealth use to COVID telehealth use to understand the impact of telehealth compared to in-person services.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, November 2022
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- The activities and accomplishments outlined in this report represent CMS’s commitment to advancing health equity for people living in rural, tribal, and geographically isolated communities in 2022. They are presented across 10 priority focus areas: Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare, Marketplace, Rural Health Workforce, Models and Demonstrations, Long-Term Services and Supports, Maternal Health, Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, Quality, and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Examining Rural Hospital Bypass for Outpatient Services (PDF)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, November 2021
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- This report provides an overview of a study, which sought to explore the drivers of rural hospital bypass for outpatient services. This national mixed methods study explores the relationship between hospital outpatient services and inpatient utilization, focusing on research questions, including – to what extent is bypass for outpatient hospital services associated with inpatient rural hospital bypass, what demographic and market characteristics are associated with bypass for outpatient services before and after inpatient admission, and how does utilization for common outpatient services differ between CAHs and rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals?
Examining Rural Hospital Bypass for Inpatient Services (PDF)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, December 2020
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- This report provides an overview of a study that explored the drivers of rural hospital bypass for inpatient services. This mixed-methods study examined what demographic characteristics may be associated with rural hospital bypass, why patients receive inpatient care at a hospital that isn’t their nearest rural hospital, how the local supply of primary care and specialty care services may affect rural hospital bypass, and how insurance networks or cost affect decisions to use rural hospitals.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, September 2020
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- Rural hospital bypass may occur for several reasons, including patient choice and the complexity of care a patient needs. When patients bypass their local rural hospital for other services that are available locally, it can further threaten the hospital’s sustainability. This analysis seeks to understand the extent to which rural Medicare beneficiaries bypass their nearest rural hospital and to learn what hospital services rural Medicare beneficiaries most often seek locally and at distant hospitals.
Information on Medicare Telehealth Report (PDF)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, November 2018
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- This report explores how Medicare, Medicaid, and dually eligible beneficiaries with chronic conditions may benefit from the expansion of telehealth services. The report also reviews barriers that may prevent the expansion of telehealth services as well as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation’s use of telehealth services in models, projects, or initiatives.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Rural Health Series
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, November 2017
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- The MMWR is a series prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for scientific publication of timely, accurate, and objective public health information and recommendations. This series updates periodically with information pertaining to rural health.
Creating a Framework to Support Measure Development for Telehealth
National Quality Forum, August 2017
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- This report and the conceptual framework serve as a foundation for future efforts by measure developers, researchers, analysts, and others in the health care community to advance quality measurement for telehealth. By using input and direction from the Telework Committee and by identifying high-priority areas for measurement, this report can support the development of measures that incorporate into a telehealth environment as part of an iterative development process.
Impact of the Affordable Care Act Coverage Expansion on Rural and Urban Populations (PDF)
ASPE Office of Health Policy Issue Brief, June 2016
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- This brief examines health insurance coverage gains, Marketplace coverage and premium tax credits, and access to health care, with a special focus on individuals living in rural areas.
Performance Measurement for Rural Low-Volume Providers
National Quality Forum, Rural Health Final Report, September 2015
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- This report presents 14 recommendations from a multi-stakeholder committee tasked to address challenges of health care performance measurement for rural providers, particularly in the context of CMS pay-for-performance programs.
Looking for Rural-Urban Stratified Reports?
Visit the Stratified Reporting page for all Rural-Urban Stratified reports.
Page Last Modified:
11/29/2023 07:00 AM