Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare needs and services
Nov 12, 2025 - Summarizes discussions at a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine webinar describing barriers and facilitators in accessing diagnostic care for rural residents. Highlights projects increasing access to primary and diagnostic care including school-based health centers, mobile units, telehealth, and artificial intelligence. Notes the connection between rural community investment and improving access to diagnostic care.
Source: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine News
Nov 12, 2025 - Highlights 2 new California laws aiming to increase access to maternal healthcare services in rural areas. One law creates a 10 year pilot program to operate standby maternity units for emergency care rather than maintaining staff full time. A second law relaxes licensing rules for birth centers. Discusses new maternity care options as a result of the new policies in Plumas County where a maternity ward closed in 2022.
Source: Cal Matters
Nov 11, 2025 - Describes a new mental health treatment offered for free to veterans and other first responders in Ohio. Highlights one veteran's work to increase access to the treatment in rural areas using mobile units.
Source: The Ohio Newsroom
Nov 10, 2025 - Discusses the high suicide rates for older adult men in the mountain west. Notes that terminal illness, finances, and access to firearms combined with stigma related to mental health are factors in the high rates. Describes Donna's Law as a policy measure to reduce rates of suicide with a firearm.
Source: KUNC
Nov 5, 2025 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) addressing: 1) changes to the Physician Fee Schedule and Medicare Part B payment policies; 2) policies for the Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; 3) the Ambulatory Specialty Model; 4) updates to the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program expanded model; 5) updates to drugs and biological products paid under Part B; 6) Medicare Shared Savings Program requirements; 7) updates to the Quality Payment Program; 8) updates to policies for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs); 9) updates to the Ambulance Fee Schedule regulations; 10) codification of the Inflation Reduction Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 provisions; and 11) updates to the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program. These regulations are effective January 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 5, 2025 - Highlights progress on a facility expansion in rural Wisconsin that will increase access to healthcare diagnostic technology and services for local residents. Describes common challenges for rural residents in accessing these services.
Source: WKBT
Nov 5, 2025 - Offers data showing rural and urban differences in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) incidence and factors contributing to those higher rates. Discusses smoking, occupational hazards, access to healthcare, and social determinants of health. Notes effective approaches for overcoming these contributors to COPD.
Source: Loma Linda University Health News
Oct 31, 2025 - The Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) is opening a new office in rural North Carolina. Services offered include primary care, women's services, and behavioral health. Discusses disparities in care between rural and urban communities in the area, in part due to workforce shortages, and the mission of MAHEC to train and retain healthcare professionals.
Source: WLOS
Oct 31, 2025 - Describes challenges with offering labor and delivery services in rural Texas, discussing reimbursement, workforce shortages, and distance to care.
Source: The Optimist
Oct 30, 2025 - Describes community-wide efforts to combat an increase in suicides in rural Colorado. Highlights a mental health response team comprised of police and a mental health professional. Discusses rural specific drivers of suicide rates.
Source: The Colorado Sun