The uninsured have poorer access to care and obtain care at greater acuity than those with health insurance; however, the differential impact of being uninsured in rural versus urban areas is largely unknown. Using data from the 2002-2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, we examine whether uninsured rural residents have different patterns of health care use than their urban counterparts, and t...

OBJECTIVE Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with an increased risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) due to diabetes. Because ESRD is a preventable complication of diabetes, the association with SES may be related to limited access to treatment. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In this population-based ecological study, I examined the association between the incidence of ESRD attributed...

A new public health insurance scheme has been gradually introduced in rural provinces in China since 2003. This would likely cause an increment in the use of health services. It is known that the association between health insurance coverage and health service utilization varies among different age groups. This study aims to examine the association between extending health insurance coverage an...

In this policy brief, we estimate and document rural hospital charges due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) in the United States, by insurance type, from 2000 to 2004. ACSCs are specific adverse health conditions that can be managed in an ambulatory setting and should not require hospitalization. Hospital charges due to ACSCs are reported by region and payment source (private insu...

BACKGROUND The main goal of this study is to examine the associations between illness conditions and out-of-pocket medical expenditure with other types of household consumptions. In November and December of 2011, a survey was conducted in three cities in western China, namely Lan Zhou, Gui Lin and Xi An, and their surrounding rural areas. RESULTS Information on demographics, income and consum...

BACKGROUND Socioeconomic characteristics may affect the outcomes of patients treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD). There are two major medical insurances in China: the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS), mainly for rural residents, and the Urban Employees' Medical Insurance (UEMI). The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of medical insurance type on survival of patient undergo...

INTRODUCTION Participation in clinical trial (CT) research can help decrease health disparities in rural communities. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of principal investigators (PIs) regarding CT participation barriers and recruitment efforts in rural South Carolina, USA and to assess the actual pool of potential CT participants in rural and urban South Carolina. The ul...

The passing and implementation of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) ushered in a new era for the delivery of health services in the United States. The broad goals of expanding insurance coverage, controlling health care costs, and improving health care delivery system are ambitious and have implications for providers and the population. Observers have suggested that expanding insurance and dec...

With the implementation of New Rural Social Pension Insurance (NRSPI) in China, many rural elderly people benefit from this program. But will same grade pension produce utility for each individual? This paper analyzes panel data China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2011 to 2018, uses Continuous-Difference In Differences(Continuous DID) model investigate effect NRSPI on happin...

BACKGROUND This article derives lessons from international experience of innovative rural health placements for medical students. It provides pointers for strengthening South African undergraduate rural health programmes in support of the government's rural health, primary healthcare and National Health Insurance strategies. METHODS The article draws on a review of the literature on 39 traini...