Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Access

Jul 15, 2026 - Describes a North Carolina network offering training and support for healthcare providers offering medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) through a hub-and-spoke model. Discusses how the model works in rural communities and integrating the treatment into primary care.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Jul 14, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) State Exchange Improper Payment Measurement (SEIPM); and 2) Consumer Experience Survey Data Collection. Comments are due August 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 14, 2026 - The Department of Health and Human Services is seeking comments on training and care delivery models to ensure safe and effective use of psychedelic drugs. Questions for consideration include training regarding patient eligibility, drug administration, and post-administration follow up; access for Federally Qualified Health Centers, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, and Rural Health Clinics; and technologies that allow for expanded access while maintaining patient safety. Comments are due August 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 13, 2026 - Describes a physician assistant scholarship program in a Louisiana university aiming to address rural healthcare workforce shortages in the state. The program will also work with new rural clinical preceptor sites, thereby expanding access to healthcare for rural residents while also offering students rural-focused training.
Source: Red River Radio
Jul 10, 2026 - Describes the Idaho Community Resource Network, a statewide partnership of government and community groups that work to connect families to resources such as rental assistance, childcare, food assistance, and other similar human services with the goal of keeping children out of the foster care system. Discusses the partnership with United Way to make up-to-date information more accessible, particularly for rural residents.
Source: Idaho Capital Sun
Jul 9, 2026 - Discusses the importance of fall prevention for older adults and particularly for rural older adults who are less likely to have access to emergency services and follow up rehabilitation. Notes that data show high rates of fall-related deaths and increases in emergency service responses to falls in Wisconsin. Notes that fall prevention can help aging rural adults maintain independence longer.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Jul 9, 2026 - Describes an air medical response nonprofit program in Montana that aims to bring emergency medical care to residents in remote parts of the state. Discusses how the group manages Montana's geographic and weather challenges, costs associated with equipment and training, and its membership model.
Source: NBC Montana
Jul 8, 2026 - Describes a Veterans Administration (VA) pilot program in New Mexico, Arizona, and Wyoming to make healthcare more accessible for rural veterans by including rural and underserved VA and Indian Health Service locations in VA residencies. Discusses how the program offers innovative service delivery models, builds cultural awareness, and increases the VA and IHS workforce.
Source: VA News
Jul 6, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Defense announcing a new demonstration project titled "TRICARE Demonstration Project for Pre-Hospital Blood Transfusion Ambulance Add-On Reimbursement," also called the "TRICARE PHBT Demonstration" or "PHBTD." This five-year demonstration will test the effectiveness of providing separate, unbundled add-on reimbursement to the TRICARE ambulance fee schedule for the cost of medically necessary blood products and professional services administered by authorized ambulance providers in a pre-hospital setting. The PHBTD will be effective January 1, 2027, and will conclude on December 31, 2031.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 5, 2026 - Describes high rates of suicide in Lake Tahoe and the surrounding rural communities. Discusses limited resources and mental healthcare available for suicide prevention, access to firearms, and community led efforts to address suicide.
Source: The Guardian