Rural Health
Research Gateway

Pam Silberman, JD, DrPH

North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center

Phone: 919.966.4525
Email: pam_silberman@unc.edu

Completed Projects - (6)

  • Early Rural Experiences of Changes to Medicaid
    This project will 1) develop baseline state-level snapshots of rural enrollment in Medicaid and 2) estimate and model enrollment expansion in each state. We will also conduct a baseline provider key informant interviews in late 2013 to gauge expected effects, with follow up interviews in Summer 2014 as a sentinel warning system of early effects of changes to Medicaid in order to inform timely policy development.
    Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Topics: Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Hospitals and clinics, Medicaid and CHIP
  • Impact of The Medicaid Budget Crisis on Rural Communities: A 50-State Survey
    The impact of the Medicaid budgetary crisis on rural communities across the US will be assessed through a 50-state survey of state Medicaid agencies, state Offices of Rural Health and state rural health associations.
    Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Topic: Medicaid and CHIP
  • Medicaid Managed Care in Rural Areas: Innovative Case Management Strategies
    Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Topics: Care management, Medicaid and CHIP
  • Premium Assistance Programs: Exploring Public-Private Partnerships as a Vehicle for Expanding Health Insurance to Rural Uninsured
    This project examines the experience of states that have implemented premium assistance programs in rural areas to determine whether there are certain design features or certain types of rural communities where these programs may be more feasible.
    Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Topics: Private health insurance, Uninsured and underinsured
  • State Facts about Medicaid: Rural Specific Data
    This project will develop state-specific fact sheets which will include information on the groups covered (and income eligibility), structure of the state's SCHIP program, services covered, delivery system, some provider payment information for certain safety net providers, and percentage of the state's rural and urban population that are enrolled in Medicaid. Additional information comparing urban and rural areas of the state will be provided, when available. The rural and urban comparisons will include total numbers of Medicaid recipients, Medicaid expenditures, and enrollment in different types of managed care plans.
    Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Topics: Medicaid and CHIP, Rural statistics and demographics
  • Tracking the Implementation of Medicaid Managed Care in Rural Areas
    Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Topic: Medicaid and CHIP

Publications - (13)

2017

2015

2014

  • Best Practices for Health Insurance Marketplace Outreach and Enrollment in Rural Areas
    Fact Sheet
    North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Date: 12/2014
    Research suggests enrollment rates for those in rural areas was less than urban areas during the first Health Insurance Marketplace enrollment period. Interviews of navigators, health centers, and others in rural counties with high enrollment rates were conducted to uncover best practices for marketing, outreach/education, in-reach, and enrollment.
  • Geographic Variation in Plan Uptake in the Federally Facilitated Marketplace
    Policy Brief
    North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Date: 10/2014
    This brief combines the data on plan selection in the federally facilitated marketplaces with estimates of those likely to qualify for the marketplace to calculate the percentage of potential eligible individuals who chose a health insurance plan (the uptake rate). It contains a heat map showing the variation in uptake rates across the country.

2007

  • State Profiles of Medicaid and SCHIP in Rural and Urban Areas
    North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Date: 08/2007
    This final report is one component of a larger project that includes the development of web-based State Profiles of Medicaid and SCHIP in Rural and Urban Areas. The report provides national data comparing Medicaid enrollment and expenditures in rural and urban counties.

2006

  • Premium Assistance Programs for Low Income Families: How Well Does It Work in Rural Areas?
    North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Date: 01/2006
    This paper reports the results of a study on the viability in rural areas of premium assistance programs use Medicaid or State Children's Health Insurance funding to subsidize the premium costs of employer-sponsored insurance or private non-group policies for eligible individuals.

2005

  • The Impact of Medicaid Cuts on Rural Communities
    North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Date: 08/2005
    This study assesses the perception of state Medicaid staff and individuals from State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) and Rural Health Associations (RHA) regarding the impact on rural areas of state Medicaid policy changes that occurred between 2002 and 2004.

2003

2002

2000

  • Effect of Market Reform on Rural Public Health Departments
    North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Date: 01/2000
    This study seeks to determine how rural health departments and the populations they serve have been affected by recent health system changes, especially Medicaid managed care.