2025 Research Publications

Browse the full list of research publications from the Rural Health Research Centers.

Products – Freely accessible products include policy briefs, fact sheets, full reports, chartbooks, and interactive data websites.

Journal Articles – Articles in peer-reviewed journals may require a subscription or affiliation with a subscribing library. For these publications, Gateway lists the article citation, a brief summary, a link to additional information and access to the full-text of the article, if available.

Federal and State Reimbursement for Youth Behavioral Health Services
Report
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2025
Medicaid is an important source of health care coverage for children and youth in rural areas. This policy brief details the state and federal policies that impact access to behavioral health care services for youth in rural areas, including Medicaid reimbursement policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The Rural and Urban Supply of Clinicians With a DEA Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine in 2022 Prior to the Elimination of the Waiver Requirement
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2025
This data brief describes the supply of all clinicians with a DEA waiver to prescribe medication for opioid use disorder from 2017 to 2022. The supply of eligible clinicians grew in both rural and urban counties in five years. More rural counties lacked waivered clinician compared to urban counties.
Are HCC Risk Scores a Reliable Health Status Indicator Across Rural and Urban Areas?
Policy Brief
ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2025
This brief explores differences in CMS Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) risk scores between rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries, revealing lower scores for rural populations despite higher chronic disease prevalence. The brief highlights HCC score limitations and suggests improvements and alternatives for accurate health representation.
Examining Differences in Rural and Urban Medicare FFS Beneficiaries' Emergency Department Use Before and During Covid
Policy Brief
ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
Date: 01/2025
The brief examines changes in emergency department (ED) use among rural and urban Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key findings included a moderate increase in rural ED use, higher mortality and inpatient admissions, and decreased use among dual-eligible beneficiaries.
Evaluating Medicare Advantage Benchmark Setting Methodology on Rural Counties
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 01/2025
This brief explores how the process for setting benchmark payments for Medicare Advantage plans may create different incentives across rural and urban counties.
Medicare Advantage Enrollment Update 2024
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Date: 01/2025
This policy brief continues RUPRI Center's annual update of Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment including the changes in enrollment in types of MA plans, and health policy changes that may have had an impact.