Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare business and finance
Indian Health Service and Health Care Affordability Issues Among American Indian/ Alaska Native People by Rurality
Report explores healthcare affordability and Indian Health Service (IHS) utilization among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) in rural and urban communities. Highlights rates of patients receiving care at IHS, privately insured, and uninsured in rural and urban communities, among other measures.
Author(s): Ingrid Jacobson, Katie Rydberg, Alexis Swendener, et al.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Report explores healthcare affordability and Indian Health Service (IHS) utilization among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) in rural and urban communities. Highlights rates of patients receiving care at IHS, privately insured, and uninsured in rural and urban communities, among other measures.
Author(s): Ingrid Jacobson, Katie Rydberg, Alexis Swendener, et al.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2026 Improvement Activities Performance Category Quick Start Guide
Provides an overview of Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) requirements, data collection, and data submission for the improvement activities performance category for the 2026 performance year. Includes information about special status scoring for small practices and clinicians located in a rural or Health Professional Shortage Area.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) requirements, data collection, and data submission for the improvement activities performance category for the 2026 performance year. Includes information about special status scoring for small practices and clinicians located in a rural or Health Professional Shortage Area.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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The Importance of the Health Care Sector to the Kansas Economy
Describes how the healthcare sector contributes to the Kansas economy in terms of available jobs, income, and quality of life. Provides data on contributions and growth projected through 2032 and includes discussions focused on rural areas.
Author(s): Donna K. Ginther, Pat Oslund, Thomas Becker
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Kansas Hospital Association, University of Kansas Institute for Policy & Social Research
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Describes how the healthcare sector contributes to the Kansas economy in terms of available jobs, income, and quality of life. Provides data on contributions and growth projected through 2032 and includes discussions focused on rural areas.
Author(s): Donna K. Ginther, Pat Oslund, Thomas Becker
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Kansas Hospital Association, University of Kansas Institute for Policy & Social Research
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Rural and Non-Rural New Hampshire Regional Public Health Networks 2026
County-level map with shadings showing rural and non-rural regional public health network areas.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: New Hampshire Rural Health & Primary Care
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County-level map with shadings showing rural and non-rural regional public health network areas.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: New Hampshire Rural Health & Primary Care
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Healthy Georgia: Our State of Public Health 2026
Reports on population health topics in Georgia, including data on chronic health conditions, behavioral health, health insurance coverage, healthcare affordability, preventive healthcare and screening, and child health. Includes rural-urban data comparisons for each topic, among other demographic, regional, and national comparisons.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Augusta University School of Public Health
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Reports on population health topics in Georgia, including data on chronic health conditions, behavioral health, health insurance coverage, healthcare affordability, preventive healthcare and screening, and child health. Includes rural-urban data comparisons for each topic, among other demographic, regional, and national comparisons.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Augusta University School of Public Health
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Provider Transparency in Rural Healthcare: Turning Data Visibility into Performance
Discusses how rural hospitals and clinics can identify the best measures of provider performance within financial and electronic health records. Describes how making these measures more visible can improve how providers and administrators work together to advance quality and performance. Requires name, email address, and organization information to download.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Stroudwater Associates
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Discusses how rural hospitals and clinics can identify the best measures of provider performance within financial and electronic health records. Describes how making these measures more visible can improve how providers and administrators work together to advance quality and performance. Requires name, email address, and organization information to download.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Stroudwater Associates
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New Hampshire RHT Program Annual Report - Year 1
Reports on the first year of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) in New Hampshire. Details the state policy actions, uses of funds, recipients of funds, progress reports for each program funded by RHTP, and more.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Governor's Office of New Opportunities & Rural Transformational Health
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Reports on the first year of the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) in New Hampshire. Details the state policy actions, uses of funds, recipients of funds, progress reports for each program funded by RHTP, and more.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Governor's Office of New Opportunities & Rural Transformational Health
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Towards Consistency for Behavioral Health Paraprofessionals - Part 1: Where We Stand — A National Landscape of BHP Formalization
Examines how states regulate, educate, and reimburse behavioral health and substance use paraprofessionals. Identifies variations in credentials, training requirements, scope of practice, and financing. Includes a set of state profiles examining how selected states have approached development and regulation of behavioral health paraprofessionals. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Hannah L. Maxey, Mykayla Moore
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organizations: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy, Indiana University School of Medicine
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Examines how states regulate, educate, and reimburse behavioral health and substance use paraprofessionals. Identifies variations in credentials, training requirements, scope of practice, and financing. Includes a set of state profiles examining how selected states have approached development and regulation of behavioral health paraprofessionals. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Hannah L. Maxey, Mykayla Moore
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organizations: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy, Indiana University School of Medicine
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Preparing Hawaiʻi's Health Centers for Value-Based Care: A Cross-Center Needs Assessment and Readiness Report
Discusses health centers' readiness to implement value-based care models in Hawaii, covering topics including data infrastructure, staffing, financial planning, leadership, and payer relations. Compares findings from urban, suburban, and rural or remote health centers.
Author(s): Navya Karkada, Sheryl Irie, Jermy Domingo, Cristina Vocalan
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Hawaii Primary Care Association
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Discusses health centers' readiness to implement value-based care models in Hawaii, covering topics including data infrastructure, staffing, financial planning, leadership, and payer relations. Compares findings from urban, suburban, and rural or remote health centers.
Author(s): Navya Karkada, Sheryl Irie, Jermy Domingo, Cristina Vocalan
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Hawaii Primary Care Association
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Iowa Health & Human Services System County Snapshots
Provides 2026 snapshots of all Iowa counties related to population characteristics, access to healthcare, mental health, substance use, economic stability, housing, transportation, and health behaviors and outcomes.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
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Provides 2026 snapshots of all Iowa counties related to population characteristics, access to healthcare, mental health, substance use, economic stability, housing, transportation, and health behaviors and outcomes.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
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