Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage Among Rural Children

Link	View Research Recap
Date	08/2019
Description	This resource examines pediatric insurance coverage, poverty rates, and Medicaid enrollment by race/ethnicity in rural and urban communities. The Recap also presents a summary of the research on the impact of coverage on rural access to care.
Topics	Healthcare access, Medicaid and CHIP, Poverty, Private health insurance, Uninsured and underinsured

Rural Health Research Products Included in this Recap

• Changing Rural and Urban Enrollment in State Medicaid Programs
  Policy Brief
  RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
  Date: 01/2017
  Medicaid enrollment growth in 36 states is analyzed by rural and expansion status, pre- and post-Affordable Care Act (ACA). Enrollment growth was larger in expansion states but did take place in most states, with significant state-level variation in both groups. Metropolitan areas generally had higher growth than micropolitan and rural areas.
• Characteristics of Medicaid Beneficiaries Who Use Rural Health Clinics
  Policy Brief
  North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Date: 05/2016
  The RHC role varies by state. While we don't have an understanding of what this looks like for each state, we can see that RHCs are an important provider for Medicaid beneficiaries. One of the most important differences is by age groups. All states tend to cater RHC services toward children, with a minimum of 39% of the RHC population < 18.
• Characteristics of Rural Medicaid Recipients, 2012, 35 States
  Policy Brief
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 04/2018
  The purpose of this brief is to examine the characteristics of Medicaid enrollees prior to Medicaid expansion in 2014, using enrollment and claims data from the Medicaid Analytic Extract Files. This sample allowed for a detailed examination of Medicaid populations in the pre-Medicaid expansion period.
• Current State of Child Health in Rural America: How Context Shapes Children's Health
  Journal Article
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 09/2016
  Provides an essay on the status of children in rural America that focuses on the rural environment that may affect health.
• The Role of Public Versus Private Health Insurance in Ensuring Health Care Access & Affordability for Low-Income Rural Children
  Policy Brief
  Maine Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 01/2017
  Medicaid and CHIP have played a critical role in ensuring access to health coverage among children –particularly rural children. This study examines rural-urban differences in children's access to care, and their families' perceived affordability of that care among those enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, and those with private insurance plans.
• Trends in Rural Children's Health and Access to Care
  Chartbook
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 01/2017
  The past ten years have seen positive trends in the availability of health insurance coverage for children. This project examines data from three iterations of the National Survey of Children's Health to see if rural children have benefited equally from any improvements in health insurance, healthcare use, and health status.
• Use and Performance Variations in U.S. Rural Emergency Departments: Implications for Improving Care Quality and Reducing Costs
  Policy Brief
  North Dakota and NORC Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
  Date: 02/2015
  This brief describes the variation in emergency department use for non-emergent health conditions across rural and urban areas as well as by U.S. Census regions. Potential risk factors, including patients' socioeconomic characteristics and levels of primary care resources, are identified. Quality of care indicators are also addressed.
• Vulnerable Rural Counties: The Changing Landscape, 2000-2010
  Policy Brief
  Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Date: 07/2016
  This brief illustrates the distribution of rural vulnerable populations and the challenges they face. Understanding the demography of rural America is vital to understanding what programs, interventions and policy initiatives are needed to improve healthcare access, delivery and outcomes.