Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities
Medicare Waiver Expiration & Telehealth FAQs
Provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the expiration of Medicare telehealth waivers on September 30, 2025. Covers in-person visit requirements, billing procedures, and the applicability of policies across different care settings, including Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
Additional links: Chart: Telehealth Medicare Post-September 30, 2025
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the expiration of Medicare telehealth waivers on September 30, 2025. Covers in-person visit requirements, billing procedures, and the applicability of policies across different care settings, including Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
Additional links: Chart: Telehealth Medicare Post-September 30, 2025
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Rural & Safety Net Health Facilities in Arizona
Map of Arizona's Critical Access Hospitals, Indian Health Service and Tribal Facilities, Rural Health Clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Highlights FORHP rural area and USDA frontier and remote area definitions.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Map of Arizona's Critical Access Hospitals, Indian Health Service and Tribal Facilities, Rural Health Clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Highlights FORHP rural area and USDA frontier and remote area definitions.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Positive Outliers: How Some Rural Communities Maintain Access to Labor and Delivery Services
Explores healthcare providers' approaches to ensuring maternal care access in rural Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Mississippi. Provides case studies on the role of rural hospitals and clinics in providing labor and delivery services, discusses financial and logistical challenges faced by providers, and details funding, policy, and service delivery strategies supporting continued access.
Author(s): Sarah Klein, Molly Castle Work
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Bassett Research Institute, Commonwealth Fund
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Explores healthcare providers' approaches to ensuring maternal care access in rural Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Mississippi. Provides case studies on the role of rural hospitals and clinics in providing labor and delivery services, discusses financial and logistical challenges faced by providers, and details funding, policy, and service delivery strategies supporting continued access.
Author(s): Sarah Klein, Molly Castle Work
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Bassett Research Institute, Commonwealth Fund
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2010-2023 County-Level Hospital-Based Obstetric Care Status
County-level dataset containing the county Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, county, state, and indicator of whether each county had hospital-based obstetrics care in years 2010-2023. Available for download as an XLS file.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Emily C. Sheffield, Kevan O'Hanlon, Katy Kozhimannil
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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County-level dataset containing the county Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, county, state, and indicator of whether each county had hospital-based obstetrics care in years 2010-2023. Available for download as an XLS file.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Emily C. Sheffield, Kevan O'Hanlon, Katy Kozhimannil
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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An Enhanced Method for Identifying Hospital-Based Obstetric Unit Status, Version 2 with Addendum
Results of a study using data from American Hospital Association annual surveys from 2010-2018 to conduct single- and multi-year assessments of obstetric unit status and to identify closures of obstetric units. Compares results obtained through the enhanced method with results of a survey sample of rural hospitals with obstetric units open at the time of the assessment and those with recently closed units. Addendum describes methodology updates since a previously published January 2022 report as well as additional findings using 2010-2023 data.
Additional links: An Enhanced Method for Identifying Hospital-Based Obstetric Unit Status (Version 1, 2022)
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, Emily C. Sheffield, et al.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Results of a study using data from American Hospital Association annual surveys from 2010-2018 to conduct single- and multi-year assessments of obstetric unit status and to identify closures of obstetric units. Compares results obtained through the enhanced method with results of a survey sample of rural hospitals with obstetric units open at the time of the assessment and those with recently closed units. Addendum describes methodology updates since a previously published January 2022 report as well as additional findings using 2010-2023 data.
Additional links: An Enhanced Method for Identifying Hospital-Based Obstetric Unit Status (Version 1, 2022)
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, Emily C. Sheffield, et al.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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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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The Evolving Role of Critical Access Hospitals in Rural Physician Training
Research letter examining prevalence of Critical Access Hospital (CAH)-based training and comparing CAHs with other rural teaching hospitals to evaluate potential for expansion. Features statistics on characteristics of training programs in CAHs and other rural teaching hospitals.
Author(s): Lori Rodefeld, Mukesh Adhikari, Catherine (Kasia) Horger, John Boll, Emily M. Hawes
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 6(10), e254742
Date: 10/2025
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Research letter examining prevalence of Critical Access Hospital (CAH)-based training and comparing CAHs with other rural teaching hospitals to evaluate potential for expansion. Features statistics on characteristics of training programs in CAHs and other rural teaching hospitals.
Author(s): Lori Rodefeld, Mukesh Adhikari, Catherine (Kasia) Horger, John Boll, Emily M. Hawes
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 6(10), e254742
Date: 10/2025
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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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2025 Cybersecurity Year in Review, Part Two: Mitigating Third-Party Risk, Ensuring Clinical Continuity and Addressing AI Risk
Explains steps healthcare organizations should take to address cybersecurity risks. Discusses the need to prepare for interruption to services of 30 days or longer and the importance of focusing on clinical continuity. Also provides examples of how AI is being used in cyberattacks.
Author(s): John Riggi, Scott Gee
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Explains steps healthcare organizations should take to address cybersecurity risks. Discusses the need to prepare for interruption to services of 30 days or longer and the importance of focusing on clinical continuity. Also provides examples of how AI is being used in cyberattacks.
Author(s): John Riggi, Scott Gee
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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National Outcomes of Increasing Cervical Cancer Screening in Federally Qualified Health Centers
Analyzes the population served by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in 2023 to determine the number of adults underscreened for cervical cancer and how improving screenings in FQHCs would impact meeting a Healthy People 2030 goal. Includes rural and urban comparisons in addition to other sociodemographic factors.
Author(s): Trisha L. Amboree, Prajakta Adsul, Haluk Damgacioglu, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(10)
Date: 10/2025
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Analyzes the population served by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in 2023 to determine the number of adults underscreened for cervical cancer and how improving screenings in FQHCs would impact meeting a Healthy People 2030 goal. Includes rural and urban comparisons in addition to other sociodemographic factors.
Author(s): Trisha L. Amboree, Prajakta Adsul, Haluk Damgacioglu, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(10)
Date: 10/2025
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