Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare facilities
Medicare Payment Basics: Hospital Acute Inpatient Services Payment System
Overview of Medicare payments to hospitals for acute inpatient care. Includes information on rate setting, Medicare payments for medical education, payments to Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH), new technology payments special payments for rural hospitals, quality incentive payments and penalties, and payment rate updates.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Overview of Medicare payments to hospitals for acute inpatient care. Includes information on rate setting, Medicare payments for medical education, payments to Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH), new technology payments special payments for rural hospitals, quality incentive payments and penalties, and payment rate updates.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Location of Critical Access Hospitals
U.S. map showing Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Updated quarterly.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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U.S. map showing Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Updated quarterly.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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September 2026 MACPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) September 2026 meeting. Covers community engagement requirements in Medicaid, state directed payments and healthcare-related taxes, a comparison of an updated inpatient hospital payment index across states, utilization management for medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in Medicaid, and Medicaid coverage of assistive technology for adults, among other things. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Medicaid Coverage of Assistive Technology for Adults: Data Analysis and Stakeholder Interviews
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) September 2026 meeting. Covers community engagement requirements in Medicaid, state directed payments and healthcare-related taxes, a comparison of an updated inpatient hospital payment index across states, utilization management for medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in Medicaid, and Medicaid coverage of assistive technology for adults, among other things. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Medicaid Coverage of Assistive Technology for Adults: Data Analysis and Stakeholder Interviews
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Power of Partnerships Between Health Centers & Rural Hospitals
Provides a brief overview of the rural healthcare landscape. Presents case studies describing partnerships between health centers and rural hospitals in New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania that aim to strengthen access, improve outcomes, and build long-term sustainability. Identifies key themes and actionable strategies that can be adapted across rural communities.
Additional links: Case Studies at a Glance, July 2026
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Impact! Communications, Inc., National Association of Community Health Centers
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Provides a brief overview of the rural healthcare landscape. Presents case studies describing partnerships between health centers and rural hospitals in New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania that aim to strengthen access, improve outcomes, and build long-term sustainability. Identifies key themes and actionable strategies that can be adapted across rural communities.
Additional links: Case Studies at a Glance, July 2026
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Impact! Communications, Inc., National Association of Community Health Centers
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Telehealth and Federally Qualified Health Centers
Provides an overview of state policies relating to Medicaid fee-for-service coverage and reimbursement of telehealth services at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) as of May 2026. Includes state-by-state information on FQHC eligibility for reimbursement for being originating and distant sites, store-and-forward services, audio-only services, remote patient monitoring, and more.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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Provides an overview of state policies relating to Medicaid fee-for-service coverage and reimbursement of telehealth services at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) as of May 2026. Includes state-by-state information on FQHC eligibility for reimbursement for being originating and distant sites, store-and-forward services, audio-only services, remote patient monitoring, and more.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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Geographic Accessibility of Burn Centers in the United States
Examines access to burn centers in the contiguous U.S. according to geography and community income. Analyzes location of burn centers by region and rurality and includes county-level maps showing median household income as well as distance and drive time to nearest burn center.
Author(s): Philong Nguyen, Joshua Wang, Yousef Tanas, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(9), e2636854
Date: 09/2026
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Examines access to burn centers in the contiguous U.S. according to geography and community income. Analyzes location of burn centers by region and rurality and includes county-level maps showing median household income as well as distance and drive time to nearest burn center.
Author(s): Philong Nguyen, Joshua Wang, Yousef Tanas, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(9), e2636854
Date: 09/2026
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Frontiers: A Rural Maternal Health Podcast Series
A podcast series that examines strategies hospitals use to improve access to maternal healthcare and connect rural areas with clinical expertise.
Additional links: Episode 1 - Frontiers: Committing to Rural Maternal Care, Episode 2 - Frontiers: The People Powering Rural Maternal Care, Episode 3 - Connected Rural Maternal Care, Closer to Home
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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A podcast series that examines strategies hospitals use to improve access to maternal healthcare and connect rural areas with clinical expertise.
Additional links: Episode 1 - Frontiers: Committing to Rural Maternal Care, Episode 2 - Frontiers: The People Powering Rural Maternal Care, Episode 3 - Connected Rural Maternal Care, Closer to Home
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Availability of Real-Time Prescription Benefit Information Among U.S. Hospitals
Describes the availability of real-time prescription benefit (RTPB) information across U.S. hospitals in 2025. Presents data and analysis on RTPB information availability by hospital type, including Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation, rural location, system affiliation, Accountable Care Organization (ACO) participation, ownership status, and more.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Describes the availability of real-time prescription benefit (RTPB) information across U.S. hospitals in 2025. Presents data and analysis on RTPB information availability by hospital type, including Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation, rural location, system affiliation, Accountable Care Organization (ACO) participation, ownership status, and more.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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AI in Rural Health: Data, Insights, and Discussion on AI's Growing Role in Rural Hospital Operations
Webinar discussing recent research on how artificial intelligence (AI) adoption has varied by rurality and other facility characteristics. Includes discussion from webinar participants on implementation strategies, experiences, and expectations in Oklahoma hospitals.
Author(s): Brian Whitacre
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Health
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Webinar discussing recent research on how artificial intelligence (AI) adoption has varied by rurality and other facility characteristics. Includes discussion from webinar participants on implementation strategies, experiences, and expectations in Oklahoma hospitals.
Author(s): Brian Whitacre
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Health
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Rural Hospital Closures and Mortality From Time-Sensitive Conditions in Texas
Examines the relationship between mortality and rural hospital closures in Texas. Analyzes time-sensitive deaths per 100,000 residents across 175 counties between 2006 and 2019 and observes changes in mortality rates in a county where a rural hospital closed or in a nearby affected area. Includes county-level map showing location of hospital closures.
Author(s): Mark A. Poisler, Kritee Gujral
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(9), e2636325
Date: 09/2026
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Examines the relationship between mortality and rural hospital closures in Texas. Analyzes time-sensitive deaths per 100,000 residents across 175 counties between 2006 and 2019 and observes changes in mortality rates in a county where a rural hospital closed or in a nearby affected area. Includes county-level map showing location of hospital closures.
Author(s): Mark A. Poisler, Kritee Gujral
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(9), e2636325
Date: 09/2026
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