Research
Completed Projects
Rural Medicare Advantage 2011: Enrollment Trends and Plan Characteristics (2011)
The Center examined trends in Medicare Advantage Enrollment from 2006-2011 and found that, although there are regional variations, rural enrollment continued to grow. The rural MA market changed dramatically during that time, with a shift from provider fee-for-service (PFFS) to preferred provider organization (PPO) plans. Average monthly MA premiums for rural beneficiaries are significantly higher than those for urban beneficiaries.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy
Lead researcher: Tim McBride, PhD
Publications:
Rural Medicare Advantage 2011: Enrollment Trends and Plan Characteristics. Date: 10/2011
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: A Summary of Provisions Important to Rural Health Care Delivery (2010)
The purpose of this work and the resulting paper was to provide a wide audience of rural health policy makers, advocates, and researchers a consolidated summary of legislative provisions contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. The work was focused on parts of the Act that have particular meaning to rural residents and to the delivery of services in rural areas. Changes from the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 were incorporated.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy
Lead Researcher: Keith J. Mueller, PhD
Publications:
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: A Summary of Provisions Important to Rural Health Care Delivery. Date: 06/2010
The Effect of Medicare Part D Plan Switching and Formulary Changes on Sole Community Pharmacies and the Patients They Serve (2010)
The RUPRI Center collaborated with the North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center to interview over 400 pharmacist-owners of sole community independent pharmacies (i.e. those located at least 10 miles from the next closest retail pharmacy). Nearly half of the pharmacist-owners interviewed had patients who were auto-reassigned to prescription drug plans with which the pharmacy did not contract; and, Seventy-five percent of pharmacist-owners had dually eligible patients auto-reassigned to plans that did not cover at least one of their current medications.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy
Lead Researcher: Keith J. Mueller, PhD
Publications:
The Effect of Medicare Part D Plan Switching and Formulary Changes on Sole Community Pharmacies and the Patients They Serve. Date: 03/2010
Case Studies of Developments in Rural Health (2009)
In 2009, the RUPRI Center produced profiles of three rural counties in difficult economic times: Leake County MS, Walthall County MS, and Nemaha County NE. The profiles clearly illustrate the link between economic downturn and access to health care in counties already facing significant health care challenges including: aging population, access barriers, high out-of-pocket costs, and lower access to health information technology.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy
Researchers: Anh Nguyen, MSPH, Kelly Shaw-Sutherland, MPA, Keith Mueller, PhD
Publications:
A Case Study of Developments in Rural Health in Difficult Economic Times: Leake County, Mississippi. Date: 04/2010
A Case Study of Developments in Rural Health in Difficult Economic Times: Nemaha County, Nebraska. Date: 04/2010
A Case Study of Developments in Rural Health in Difficult Economic Times: Walthall County, Mississippi. Date: 04/2010