Year(s) Funded: 2014-2015
Topic(s): Health Reform, Private Health Insurance
Project Lead: Ira Moscovice
Many pressing needs exist for timely research to assist policymakers in ensuring that Marketplaces achieve success, particularly in rural communities, which have historically faced limited health insurance choices. Rural areas may be further affected by the construction of rate setting areas which restrict price differences across areas but allow insurers to offer products in subsets of counties within rating areas. Network scope and adequacy are especially important in rural areas with fewer providers and greater distances between providers. The purpose of this project is to: 1) measure the size, scope, and composition of provider networks affiliated with Marketplace plans and how these differ in rural versus urban areas; 2) analyze the relationships between network size and composition, other benefit design attributes, geographic rating area designations, and premiums; 3) examine rural-urban differences in Marketplace-based plan enrollment and how enrollment is affected by plan availability and provider network size and scope.
Related Publications
- Case Study of Successful Health Insurance Outreach, Education, & Enrollment Strategies: Bay Area Medical Center, Marinette WI, September 22nd, 2015
- Case Study of Successful Health Insurance Outreach, Education, & Enrollment Strategies: Marcum and Wallace Memorial Hospital, Irvine KY, September 22nd, 2015
- Successful Health Insurance Outreach, Education, and Enrollment Strategies for Rural Hospitals, November 13th, 2014
- Rural-Urban Differences in Obstetric Care, 2002-2010, and Implications for the Future, January 2nd, 2014