Learn About Grantees for Rural Opioid Response Program

This series of short videos highlights the work of grantees for the FORHP-supported Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP).  Newly updated directories of FY2023 grantees are now available for four separate RCORP programs:

Click here to read the full article.

New Medicaid Health Equity Data Briefs Released

In an effort to measure disparities in access to care, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released three new briefs with data describing certain demographics and benefit use of enrollees in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).  Adding to previous data briefs on race and ethnicity, disability, and primary language, new data is provided showing beneficiary information for:

Each includes information for rural populations.  For example, in 2020, about 5.7 million Medicaid- and CHIP-enrolled children under age 19 resided in a rural area, and 45 percent received a well-child visit compared to 51 percent of those living in urban areas.

Click here to read the full article.

Pennsylvania Department of Health Releases Updated Basic Oral Health Screening Survey Report

The Pennsylvania Department of Health Oral Health Program released an updated report, “2021-2022 Oral Health Basic Screening Survey of Third Graders.” With support from PCOH, a basic screening survey (BSS) was conducted on third-grade children to collect data on their oral health status during the 2021-2022 academic year. This report summarizes the findings of the state-wide sample and provides valuable insights into the current oral health status of children in third grade in Pennsylvania, informing future policies and programs promoting oral health among the state’s youth. They also released a one-pager of the findings briefly summarizing the report.

Click here to read the updated report.
Click here to read the one-pager.

Report Highlights Rural-Urban Disparities in Medicare

Research funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services evaluated the rural-urban comparisons in quality of health care in the Medicare program, and how quality and outcome varies by race and ethnicity.  The analysis found that, overall, people with Medicare living in rural areas had results that were below the national average for the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Provider and Systems (CAHPS) survey scores for about 20 percent of all clinical care measures examined with rural residents. These scores were consistently below the national average on measures of behavioral health. The analysis also displayed noteworthy variation in racial and ethnic differences when looking separately within rural and urban areas. For example, CAHPS scores for Hispanic people with Medicare living in rural areas were generally below the national average for all people with Medicare living in rural areas, while scores for Hispanic people with Medicare living in urban areas were generally like the national average for all people with Medicare living in urban areas. These patterns applied to people with both Medicare Advantage and Medicare fee-for-service coverage.

Click here to read the full article.

2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Released

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released the results of their 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health and a companion infographic report (PDF). Findings include that more than 23% of adults aged 18 or older had any mental illness in the past year (59.3 million), with 6% suffering from serious mental illness (15.4 million). Among adolescents aged 12 to 17, nearly 20% (4.8 million) had a major depressive episode in the past year.

2022 ACS 5-Year Data Now Available

The 2018-2022 ACS Five-Year Estimates are now available from the U.S. Census Bureau. These estimates provide data for all Pennsylvania counties, municipalities, and other geographic areas regardless of population size. Our latest brief explores trends in language, poverty, and the foreign-born population. For instance, did you know that 50 percent or more of the population age 5 to 17 years old speak Spanish in twenty-two Pennsylvania counties? Click here to read the brief.

To read more about trends at the national level, click here to read the Bureau’s news release.

Additional Data Releases

The Census Bureau is set to release ACS, 5-year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files and Variance Replicate Estimate (VRE) tables on January 25, 2024. To view the complete release schedule, visit the data year 2022 release schedule. For more information on ACS topics, visit the Subjects Included in the Survey. To access the full set of statistics released today, visit data.census.gov.

Reminder: Proposed 2025 ACS and PRCS Content Changes 

The Census Bureau is inviting public feedback through a Federal Register notice on proposed changes to the 2025 American Community Survey (ACS) and Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS). The proposed content for the 2025 ACS and PRCS reflects changes to content and instructions that were recommended as a result of the 2022 Content Test. The Census Bureau periodically conducts tests of new and revised survey content to ensure the ACS and the PRCS meet the data needs of stakeholders.

The changes proposed for 2025 cover several topics: household roster, educational attainment, health insurance coverage, disability, and labor force questions. Additionally, three new questions are proposed to be added to the ACS and the PRCS on solar panels, electric vehicles, and sewage disposal.

The public may submit comments through 11:59pm ET on December 19, 2023.

Report Highlights Dentist Workload Impact from Staffing Shortages

A new report from the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute (HPI) found that dentists are taking on additional tasks as staffing shortages persist. HPI surveyed 1,000 dentists in October 2023 and found that more than one-third of respondents reported that workload division has changed between themselves and their teams since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many dentists are taking on duties normally assigned to dental hygienists, dental assistants, and administrative team members.

Click here to read the full report.