Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health insurance
Medicare Payment Basics: Durable Medical Equipment Payment System
Overview of Medicare payments for medical equipment used to treat beneficiaries at home. Defines durable medical equipment (DME), details the DME fee schedule, and discusses the competitive bidding program (CBP) for DME. Includes information on adjustments to fee schedule payment rates outside of competitive bidding areas (CBAs).
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Overview of Medicare payments for medical equipment used to treat beneficiaries at home. Defines durable medical equipment (DME), details the DME fee schedule, and discusses the competitive bidding program (CBP) for DME. Includes information on adjustments to fee schedule payment rates outside of competitive bidding areas (CBAs).
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Ambulance Services Payment System
Provides an overview of Medicare payments for ambulance services. Discusses rural add-on payment policies, geographic categories determining payment rates, super-rural ZIP codes, and ambulance fee schedules.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Provides an overview of Medicare payments for ambulance services. Discusses rural add-on payment policies, geographic categories determining payment rates, super-rural ZIP codes, and ambulance fee schedules.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Accountable Care Organizations Payment Systems
Provides an overview of Medicare's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs. Discusses the payment mechanics of ACOs, including the maximum shared savings and losses of Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs by track and level.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Provides an overview of Medicare's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs. Discusses the payment mechanics of ACOs, including the maximum shared savings and losses of Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs by track and level.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Critical Access Hospitals Payment System
Presents an overview of Medicare payments for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Compares differences in Medicare payments for CAHs, Sole Community Hospitals, and Medicare-Dependent Hospitals.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Presents an overview of Medicare payments for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Compares differences in Medicare payments for CAHs, Sole Community Hospitals, and Medicare-Dependent Hospitals.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Advantage Enrollees Have Access to About Half of the Physicians Available to Traditional Medicare Beneficiaries
Explores how provider networks vary across Medicare Advantage plans and when compared to traditional Medicare. Examines the share of physicians available to Medicare Advantage enrollees as a share of physicians available to traditional Medicare beneficiaries by analyzing Medicare Advantage provider directories for 2022. Includes information on the availability of physicians to Medicare Advantage enrollees and traditional Medicare beneficiaries in rural counties.
Author(s): Matthew Rae, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Tricia Neuman, Karen Pollitz
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Explores how provider networks vary across Medicare Advantage plans and when compared to traditional Medicare. Examines the share of physicians available to Medicare Advantage enrollees as a share of physicians available to traditional Medicare beneficiaries by analyzing Medicare Advantage provider directories for 2022. Includes information on the availability of physicians to Medicare Advantage enrollees and traditional Medicare beneficiaries in rural counties.
Author(s): Matthew Rae, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Tricia Neuman, Karen Pollitz
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule (CMS-1832-F)
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and other Medicare Part B issues for calendar year 2026. Summarizes provisions related to telehealth services; improving care for chronic illness and behavioral health needs; Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) care coordination services, services requiring direct supervision, and telecommunication services; and more.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and other Medicare Part B issues for calendar year 2026. Summarizes provisions related to telehealth services; improving care for chronic illness and behavioral health needs; Rural Health Clinic (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) care coordination services, services requiring direct supervision, and telecommunication services; and more.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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State Telehealth Laws and Reimbursement Policies Report, Fall 2025
Provides an overview of state telehealth policies as of early September 2025. Covers Medicaid reimbursement, private payer laws, and professional requirements.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Infographic, State Summary Chart
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Provides an overview of state telehealth policies as of early September 2025. Covers Medicaid reimbursement, private payer laws, and professional requirements.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Infographic, State Summary Chart
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Barriers to Health Care among Rural Adults by Disability Status
Examines various barriers to healthcare access for rural adults with a disability. Utilizes 2022 National Health Interview Survey data to analyze rural adults with disabilities compared to rural adults without disabilities, with further breakdowns by demographic and socioeconomic variables as well as delayed healthcare due to cost, inability to afford prescription medication, clinic hours or availability, transportation, travel time, or insurance status.
Author(s): Alexis Swendener, Mariana Tuttle, Ingrid Jacobson, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2), e70086
Date: 10/2025
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Examines various barriers to healthcare access for rural adults with a disability. Utilizes 2022 National Health Interview Survey data to analyze rural adults with disabilities compared to rural adults without disabilities, with further breakdowns by demographic and socioeconomic variables as well as delayed healthcare due to cost, inability to afford prescription medication, clinic hours or availability, transportation, travel time, or insurance status.
Author(s): Alexis Swendener, Mariana Tuttle, Ingrid Jacobson, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2), e70086
Date: 10/2025
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Healthcare Access and Health Related Quality of Life of New Mexican Adults: Results from the 2023 New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Reports on healthcare access and health-related quality of life in New Mexico using New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (NM BRFSS) data. Covers topics including self-reported quality of mental and physical health, health insurance coverage, routine healthcare check-ups, flu vaccination among older adults, and likelihood of having a personal healthcare provider. Provides data breakdowns for each topic by level of rurality and other demographics.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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Reports on healthcare access and health-related quality of life in New Mexico using New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (NM BRFSS) data. Covers topics including self-reported quality of mental and physical health, health insurance coverage, routine healthcare check-ups, flu vaccination among older adults, and likelihood of having a personal healthcare provider. Provides data breakdowns for each topic by level of rurality and other demographics.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2024 Performance Year/2026 MIPS Payment Year - Payment Adjustment User Guide
Provides information on Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) payment adjustments for calendar year 2026. Describes how 2024 MIPS scores relate to 2026 payment adjustments and how payment adjustments are applied. Offers answers to frequently asked questions.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides information on Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) payment adjustments for calendar year 2026. Describes how 2024 MIPS scores relate to 2026 payment adjustments and how payment adjustments are applied. Offers answers to frequently asked questions.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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