This study describes the development and application of a dual-framework approach using Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes to identify and address geographic disparities at both institutional and national levels. The authors demonstrate how RUCA-based geographic classification can be applied to institutional cancer registry data to characterize the rurality of patient populations served, and how the same framework can be scaled to national datasets to identify disparities across the cancer care continuum.

his systematic economic evaluation developed a framework for analyzing Medicaid coverage policy variations in behavioral and integrative health services for co-occurring chronic pain and OUD. The authors reviewed Medicaid coverage policies across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, examining benefits for treatments including physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture, and medications for OUD.