Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance
Early Adoption of Telehealth/Remote Patient Monitoring and Hospital Revenue Changes During COVID-19
Evaluates telehealth and remote patient monitoring use between 2019 and 2020 among 1,742 rural and urban hospitals to determine the impact of COVID-19 on utilization and revenue. Discusses potential policy measures given study findings.
Author(s): Claudia A. Rhoades, Brian E. Whitacre, Alison F. Davis
Citation: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 31(10)
Date: 12/2025
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Evaluates telehealth and remote patient monitoring use between 2019 and 2020 among 1,742 rural and urban hospitals to determine the impact of COVID-19 on utilization and revenue. Discusses potential policy measures given study findings.
Author(s): Claudia A. Rhoades, Brian E. Whitacre, Alison F. Davis
Citation: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 31(10)
Date: 12/2025
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National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) Hospital Cost Tool
Interactive tool providing information on how much hospitals spend on patient care services, how costs relate to the hospital charges, and actual prices paid by health plans. Presents data on a range of measures for hospital revenue, costs, profitability, and break-even points for over 5,000 hospitals nationwide between 2011 and 2024. Includes the ability to view and compare hospital financial metrics at the hospital, state, and health system levels.
Additional links: Hospital Cost Tool and Resources
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Interactive tool providing information on how much hospitals spend on patient care services, how costs relate to the hospital charges, and actual prices paid by health plans. Presents data on a range of measures for hospital revenue, costs, profitability, and break-even points for over 5,000 hospitals nationwide between 2011 and 2024. Includes the ability to view and compare hospital financial metrics at the hospital, state, and health system levels.
Additional links: Hospital Cost Tool and Resources
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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R3 Report: National Patient Safety Goal for Suicide Prevention
Establishes safety goals and practices for suicide prevention in Joint Commission-accredited hospitals. Highlights specific requirements for accredited Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Joint Commission
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Establishes safety goals and practices for suicide prevention in Joint Commission-accredited hospitals. Highlights specific requirements for accredited Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Joint Commission
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Reimbursement and Policy Considerations of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in Rural Family Medicine
Examines the current Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) reimbursement landscape, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in rural primary care and emergency departments. Includes a section on financial differences between providing POCUS in Critical Access Hospitals and in Rural Health Clinics.
Author(s): Kylie Long, Geoffrey Bocobo, Andrew Goldsmith
Citation: The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 38(6), 967-973
Date: 11/2025
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Examines the current Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) reimbursement landscape, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in rural primary care and emergency departments. Includes a section on financial differences between providing POCUS in Critical Access Hospitals and in Rural Health Clinics.
Author(s): Kylie Long, Geoffrey Bocobo, Andrew Goldsmith
Citation: The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 38(6), 967-973
Date: 11/2025
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What to Ask (About) a Hospital
Describes payment and financial considerations for hospitals as it relates to the hospital's organizational structure, type of care provided, location, patient population, training programs, and alternative payment models. Discusses rural considerations throughout with a close analysis in Section 6: How a Hospital's Location Matters.
Author(s): Christine H. Monahan, Kennah Watts, Julia Burleson, Rachel Swindle, Ariel Winter
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Blood Cancer United, Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR)
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Describes payment and financial considerations for hospitals as it relates to the hospital's organizational structure, type of care provided, location, patient population, training programs, and alternative payment models. Discusses rural considerations throughout with a close analysis in Section 6: How a Hospital's Location Matters.
Author(s): Christine H. Monahan, Kennah Watts, Julia Burleson, Rachel Swindle, Ariel Winter
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Blood Cancer United, Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR)
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Georgia Tax Incentive Evaluation: Rural Hospital Tax Credit
An audit of the Georgia Rural Hospital Tax Credit, discussing both fiscal and economic impacts as well as public benefits. Offers an overview of the history of the program, how the tax credit operates, and characteristics of tax credit recipient hospitals.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Peter Bluestone, Federico Corredor
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Georgia State University Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
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An audit of the Georgia Rural Hospital Tax Credit, discussing both fiscal and economic impacts as well as public benefits. Offers an overview of the history of the program, how the tax credit operates, and characteristics of tax credit recipient hospitals.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Peter Bluestone, Federico Corredor
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Georgia State University Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
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Calendar Year 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center Final Rule (CMS-1834-FC)
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2026. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to hospital price transparency; Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and partial hospital program rate setting; updates to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; hospital quality start ratings; and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & 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 for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2026. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to hospital price transparency; Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and partial hospital program rate setting; updates to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; hospital quality start ratings; and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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RHCs and CAHs Participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP): Characteristics of the Providers and Communities
Describes the characteristics of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) currently participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) in 2023. Compares CAH and RHC characteristics by MSSP participation, ownership status, and free-standing versus provider-based RHC status.
Author(s): Edmer Lazaro, Dan Shane, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Describes the characteristics of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) currently participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) in 2023. Compares CAH and RHC characteristics by MSSP participation, ownership status, and free-standing versus provider-based RHC status.
Author(s): Edmer Lazaro, Dan Shane, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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A New Rural Blueprint: Strategic Partnerships That Keep Care Local
Discusses the Wisconsin High Value Network (WHVN), a clinically integrated network (CIN) focused on value-based care arrangements, data sharing, and quality improvement initiatives. Describes WHVN's strategic partnerships, governance, specialty care network, and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Discusses the Wisconsin High Value Network (WHVN), a clinically integrated network (CIN) focused on value-based care arrangements, data sharing, and quality improvement initiatives. Describes WHVN's strategic partnerships, governance, specialty care network, and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Rural Hospital Financial Distress: Relative Risk in 2025
Infographic with a state-level map showing the number and percent of rural hospitals in each state at highest relative financial distress risk in 2025. Features statistics showing states with multiple hospitals, one hospital, and no hospitals at highest risk. Includes information on states with highest percentage of rural hospitals at highest relative risk of financial distress.
Author(s): Tyler Malone, George Pink, Julie Perry, Mark Holmes
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organizations: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Infographic with a state-level map showing the number and percent of rural hospitals in each state at highest relative financial distress risk in 2025. Features statistics showing states with multiple hospitals, one hospital, and no hospitals at highest risk. Includes information on states with highest percentage of rural hospitals at highest relative risk of financial distress.
Author(s): Tyler Malone, George Pink, Julie Perry, Mark Holmes
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organizations: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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