Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health insurance
2025-2026 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review Final Recommendations Report
Reviews the 24 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2025-2026 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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Reviews the 24 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2025-2026 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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State-Level Impacts of Key Medicaid Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
Explores the potential impacts of 12 healthcare provisions within the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21) on Medicaid and state budgets. Presents estimated impacts for each state provision-by-provision and overall. Includes analysis related to Medicaid determination, provider taxes, state-directed payments, work requirements, and the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Author(s): Preethi Rao, Lawrence Baker, Federico Girosi, et al.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Explores the potential impacts of 12 healthcare provisions within the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21) on Medicaid and state budgets. Presents estimated impacts for each state provision-by-provision and overall. Includes analysis related to Medicaid determination, provider taxes, state-directed payments, work requirements, and the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Author(s): Preethi Rao, Lawrence Baker, Federico Girosi, et al.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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TA Webinar: RHC Billing 101
Recording of a February 24, 2026, webinar providing an overview of traditional Medicare billing guidelines for Rural Health Clinics. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of a February 24, 2026, webinar providing an overview of traditional Medicare billing guidelines for Rural Health Clinics. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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State Medicaid & CHIP Toolkit for Children's Behavioral Health Services and the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) Requirements
Toolkit designed to support state Medicaid and CHIP agencies in ensuring that children and youth experiencing behavioral health conditions get the care they need under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) requirements. Offers state examples within each strategy and sub-strategy presented. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Toolkit designed to support state Medicaid and CHIP agencies in ensuring that children and youth experiencing behavioral health conditions get the care they need under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) requirements. Offers state examples within each strategy and sub-strategy presented. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Catalog of Value-Based Initiatives for Rural Providers
Summarizes rural-relevant, value-based programs currently or recently implemented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the CMS Innovation Center. Designed to help rural healthcare leaders identify HHS value-based programs that are suitable for rural participation. Contains descriptions of each demonstration and provides direct links to the corresponding agency web page.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Summarizes rural-relevant, value-based programs currently or recently implemented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the CMS Innovation Center. Designed to help rural healthcare leaders identify HHS value-based programs that are suitable for rural participation. Contains descriptions of each demonstration and provides direct links to the corresponding agency web page.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Nonventilator Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia: Prevalence and Hospital and Patient Characteristics, 2019-2023
Presents statistics on inpatient hospital stays involving nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NVHAP) between 2019-2023. Examines data by patient and hospital characteristics, including patient age group, urban or rural location, Critical Access Hospital status, and hospital ownership status.
Author(s): Rhona Limcangco, David P. Calfee, Melissa A. Miller
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Presents statistics on inpatient hospital stays involving nonventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NVHAP) between 2019-2023. Examines data by patient and hospital characteristics, including patient age group, urban or rural location, Critical Access Hospital status, and hospital ownership status.
Author(s): Rhona Limcangco, David P. Calfee, Melissa A. Miller
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Rural Health Transformation Program: State Focus on Community Health Workers
Describes examples of state initiatives regarding community health workers (CHWs) outlined Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) applications from Arizona, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Includes results of a scan of CHW proposals for each state with a publicly available RHTP application.
Author(s): Megan D'Alessandro, Sandra Wilkniss
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Describes examples of state initiatives regarding community health workers (CHWs) outlined Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) applications from Arizona, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Includes results of a scan of CHW proposals for each state with a publicly available RHTP application.
Author(s): Megan D'Alessandro, Sandra Wilkniss
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Rural-Based Accountable Care Organizations Agreement Renewal
Policy brief describing characteristics of Accountable Care Organizations participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Compares trends in exits and entries into MSSP between rural and urban areas from 2013-2022.
Author(s): Edmer Lazaro, Dan M. Shane, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Policy brief describing characteristics of Accountable Care Organizations participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Compares trends in exits and entries into MSSP between rural and urban areas from 2013-2022.
Author(s): Edmer Lazaro, Dan M. Shane, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Evaluation of the Making Care Primary Model
Provides an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center's Making Care Primary (MCP) Model. Explores model participation, participants' early implementation experiences, and the model's chances for meeting model expansion criteria related to cost and quality.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center's Making Care Primary (MCP) Model. Explores model participation, participants' early implementation experiences, and the model's chances for meeting model expansion criteria related to cost and quality.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Medicare Shared Savings Program Assigned Beneficiaries Among Original Medicare Enrollees
Describes trends of Medicare beneficiaries assigned to Medicare Shared Savings Program (SSP) Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Presents data on metropolitan and nonmetropolitan SSP ACO assignment and Medicare Advantage enrollment between 2018 and 2024, as well as the percentage of original Medicare beneficiaries assigned to an ACO in 2024 by metropolitan status and state.
Additional links: State Tables
Author(s): Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Describes trends of Medicare beneficiaries assigned to Medicare Shared Savings Program (SSP) Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). Presents data on metropolitan and nonmetropolitan SSP ACO assignment and Medicare Advantage enrollment between 2018 and 2024, as well as the percentage of original Medicare beneficiaries assigned to an ACO in 2024 by metropolitan status and state.
Additional links: State Tables
Author(s): Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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