Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals
Regional Highlights: Changes in Hospital-Based Obstetric Care in the US, 2010-2024
Describes changes in availability of obstetric services at hospitals in the 4 U.S. census regions, including hospitals that lost obstetric services and the percentage of all hospitals without obstetric services. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Kevan O'Hanlon, Emily C. Sheffield, Katy Backes Kozhimannil
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Describes changes in availability of obstetric services at hospitals in the 4 U.S. census regions, including hospitals that lost obstetric services and the percentage of all hospitals without obstetric services. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Kevan O'Hanlon, Emily C. Sheffield, Katy Backes Kozhimannil
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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MBQIP Report Resources
Provides a list of resources for State Flex Programs (SFPs) and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to support them in utilizing quarterly Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) reports in quality improvement activities.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Provides a list of resources for State Flex Programs (SFPs) and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to support them in utilizing quarterly Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) reports in quality improvement activities.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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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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Medicare Payment Basics: Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Services Payment System
Overview of Medicare's payment system for inpatient psychiatric services provided in freestanding hospitals or specialized hospital-based units. Demonstrates how payments for these services are adjusted to reflect geographic differences in labor costs, and cost of care by facility and patient characteristics.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Overview of Medicare's payment system for inpatient psychiatric services provided in freestanding hospitals or specialized hospital-based units. Demonstrates how payments for these services are adjusted to reflect geographic differences in labor costs, and cost of care by facility and patient characteristics.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Long-term Care Hospitals Payment System
Overview of Medicare payments for long-term care hospitals (LTCH) and services. Discusses the LTCH prospective payment system (PPS) and payment rate settings for LTCH and site-neutral cases.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Overview of Medicare payments for long-term care hospitals (LTCH) and services. Discusses the LTCH prospective payment system (PPS) and payment rate settings for LTCH and site-neutral cases.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Outpatient Hospital Services Payment System
Outlines Medicare's payments for outpatient hospital services, including considerations for rural sole community hospitals.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Outlines Medicare's payments for outpatient hospital services, including considerations for rural sole community hospitals.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Critical Access Hospitals Payment System
Presents an overview of Medicare eligibility and payments for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Presents an overview of Medicare eligibility and payments for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
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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Tribal Health Facilities in Arizona
Map of Arizona's tribal health facilities, including Indian Health Service hospitals and clinics, tribally-operated hospitals and clinics, and Urban Indian Health Programs (UIHP).
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Map of Arizona's tribal health facilities, including Indian Health Service hospitals and clinics, tribally-operated hospitals and clinics, and Urban Indian Health Programs (UIHP).
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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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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