Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Pharmacy and prescription drugs
Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule
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 2027. Summarizes provisions related to remote monitoring, improving care for chronic illness and behavioral health needs, Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Diabetes Self-Management Training (DSMT) and Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) services, RHC and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) mental health and telecommunication visits, the Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program, and more.
Date: 11/2026
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 under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and other Medicare Part B issues for calendar year 2027. Summarizes provisions related to remote monitoring, improving care for chronic illness and behavioral health needs, Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Diabetes Self-Management Training (DSMT) and Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) services, RHC and Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) mental health and telecommunication visits, the Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program, and more.
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Medicare Advantage Plan Availability Varies Widely by County for 2027
Describes the availability of Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans in 2027. Presents data on MA-PD plan availability by county in 2026 and 2027, as well as the number of counties 10 MA insurers have entered and exited between 2026 and 2027.
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Describes the availability of Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans in 2027. Presents data on MA-PD plan availability by county in 2026 and 2027, as well as the number of counties 10 MA insurers have entered and exited between 2026 and 2027.
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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October 2026 MACPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) October 2026 meeting. Covers hospital cost drivers, drug price negotiation in the Medicaid program, utilization management for medications for opioid use disorder in Medicaid, access to behavioral health services for adult Medicaid enrollees with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 10/2026
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) October 2026 meeting. Covers hospital cost drivers, drug price negotiation in the Medicaid program, utilization management for medications for opioid use disorder in Medicaid, access to behavioral health services for adult Medicaid enrollees with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Building on the 2025 National Academies Pharmacy Workshop: Pharmacy Deserts in the United States
Describes pharmacy access in the United States, including discussions of "pharmacy desert" definitions by rurality, drivers of recent pharmacy desert trends, and the impact of pharmacy deserts on health outcomes. Highlights potential policy strategies for addressing pharmacy deserts with a focus on the pharmacy workforce, reimbursement and payment models, new technologies, and service delivery models.
Author(s): Lucas A. Berenbrok, Delesha Carpenter, Teresa M. Salgado, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(10)
Date: 10/2026
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Describes pharmacy access in the United States, including discussions of "pharmacy desert" definitions by rurality, drivers of recent pharmacy desert trends, and the impact of pharmacy deserts on health outcomes. Highlights potential policy strategies for addressing pharmacy deserts with a focus on the pharmacy workforce, reimbursement and payment models, new technologies, and service delivery models.
Author(s): Lucas A. Berenbrok, Delesha Carpenter, Teresa M. Salgado, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(10)
Date: 10/2026
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MedPAC Payment Basics
Series of briefs providing an of Medicare payment systems. Covers payments systems including Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics, hospital acute inpatient services, and more.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Series of briefs providing an of Medicare payment systems. Covers payments systems including Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics, hospital acute inpatient services, and more.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Part D Payment System
Overview of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, including subsidy amounts, payments to plans, how enrollee premiums are calculated, and benefit and payment updates.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Overview of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, including subsidy amounts, payments to plans, how enrollee premiums are calculated, and benefit and payment updates.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Beneficiary and Clinician Perspectives on Medicare and Other Issues: Findings from 2026 Focus Groups in Select States, and 2021–2026 Rural Focus Groups
Summarizes findings from 21 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between May and June 2026, including one virtual focus group of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Compiles findings from 14 focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries between 2021 and 2026. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, and prescription drugs.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Summarizes findings from 21 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between May and June 2026, including one virtual focus group of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Compiles findings from 14 focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries between 2021 and 2026. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, and prescription drugs.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Pharmacists' Perspectives on Current Issues in Pharmacy and Medicare: Findings from 2026 Virtual Focus Groups
Summarizes findings from three focus groups of pharmacists who serve Medicare beneficiaries in outpatient settings in 2026. Covers topics related to pharmacist workload and patient access to pharmacy care, including pharmacists' daily responsibilities, reimbursement rates, drug stocking and shortages, pharmacy closures, labor market conditions, pharmacist well-being, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Summarizes findings from three focus groups of pharmacists who serve Medicare beneficiaries in outpatient settings in 2026. Covers topics related to pharmacist workload and patient access to pharmacy care, including pharmacists' daily responsibilities, reimbursement rates, drug stocking and shortages, pharmacy closures, labor market conditions, pharmacist well-being, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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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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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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