Uninsured and underinsured

Current Projects

• A Closer Examination of Rural Hospital Bypass
  This project will estimate the rural hospital bypass rate using all-payer claims data for a set of states and compare patients based on the inpatient treatments and procedures received relative to those routinely provided by rural facilities.
  Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
  Topics: Critical Access Hospitals, Health reform, Health services, Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA), Minority health, Private health insurance, Uninsured and underinsured
  
• Out-of-Pocket Spending Among Privately Insured Rural and Urban Residents
  Out-of-pocket spending for healthcare services has been on the rise as deductibles and other cost-sharing requirements among the privately insured increase. This study compares rural and urban out-of-pocket healthcare spending to identify whether rural residents have been disproportionately affected by this trend.
  Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Healthcare access, Healthcare financing, Private health insurance, Public health, Uninsured and underinsured
  
• Postpartum Morbidity and Mortality and Health Care Utilization in Rural vs. Urban Communities
  Using 2006-2018 data from the National Health Interview Survey linked to the National Death Index through 2019, this project will examine postpartum mortality among rural and urban residents. We will also evaluate differences in health, health care utilization, and barriers to care across rural and urban communities.
  Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Maternal health, Medicaid and CHIP, Mental and behavioral health, Private health insurance, Social determinants of health, Uninsured and underinsured, Women
  
• Review of Current Research on Rural/Urban Differences in Social Determinants of Health
  Social determinants of health are social, economic, and community variables that influence health outcomes. This project will synthesize the extant literature on rural/urban differences in the social determinants of health, culminating in a comprehensive report that includes a summary of information gaps and further research needs.
  Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Poverty, Quality, Social determinants of health, Uninsured and underinsured
  
• Rural Premiums, Issuer Participation, and Enrollment in Health Insurance Marketplaces: An Updated Analysis
  The project will describe variations in Health Insurance Marketplace plan design and availability, total and net-of-subsidy premium trends, and enrollment over time between rural and urban areas and identify associations between these factors and several key policy differences and changes, controlling for economic and demographic variation.
  Research center: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
  Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Health reform, Healthcare access, Private health insurance, Rural statistics and demographics, Uninsured and underinsured
  
• Rural-Urban Differences in Out-of-Pocket Prescription Drug Spending
  Using data from the 2014-17 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, this study will examine rural-urban differences in out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs. Additional analyses will examine rural-urban differences in out-of-pocket costs by type of medication and third party payer.
  Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Pharmacy and prescription drugs, Uninsured and underinsured
  
• Updating and Exploring the Burden of Potentially Avoidable Emergency Department Visits in Rural U.S. Communities
  This project will update the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy's research portfolio on potentially avoidable emergency department (ED) visits among rural residents across the U.S., particularly as they relate to ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs). Data on ACSC-related ED visits will be drawn from the State Emergency Department Databases, and findings will be stratified by census region, patient's place along the urban-rural continuum, and by race/ethnicity.
  Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Emergency medical services and trauma, Healthcare access, Medicaid and CHIP, Uninsured and underinsured