Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
December 2025 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), post-acute care, skilled nursing facility services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, home health services, hospice services, and outpatient dialysis services. Includes discussions on improving Medicare payment approaches and mandated reports on the impact of recent changes to the home health prospective payment system and an assessment of the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services; Mandated Report on Rural Emergency Hospitals; And Update on Site-neutral Payments - Presentation Slides, Mandated Report: Assessment of the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System - Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2025 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs), post-acute care, skilled nursing facility services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, home health services, hospice services, and outpatient dialysis services. Includes discussions on improving Medicare payment approaches and mandated reports on the impact of recent changes to the home health prospective payment system and an assessment of the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system.
Additional links: Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Services; Mandated Report on Rural Emergency Hospitals; And Update on Site-neutral Payments - Presentation Slides, Mandated Report: Assessment of the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System - Presentation Slides
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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How USPS Network Changes Threaten Prescription Drug Access for Vulnerable Populations
Discusses the impact of mail processing changes on mail-order medication and asthma and diabetes management for rural communities. Highlights the "triple burden" of limited pharmacy access, high use of mail-order prescriptions, and proximity to postal service restructuring. Includes rural and urban comparisons, Medicare data, and county-level analysis.
Author(s): Elena Patel, Joshua Feng, Matthew Higgins
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: The Brookings Institution
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Discusses the impact of mail processing changes on mail-order medication and asthma and diabetes management for rural communities. Highlights the "triple burden" of limited pharmacy access, high use of mail-order prescriptions, and proximity to postal service restructuring. Includes rural and urban comparisons, Medicare data, and county-level analysis.
Author(s): Elena Patel, Joshua Feng, Matthew Higgins
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: The Brookings Institution
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Advancing Trauma Systems in the United States: Bridging Disparities Through State-Level Legislation and a Health Systems Approach
Discusses disparities in trauma care in rural and urban communities in the United States. Examines weaknesses in the current trauma system and provides associated legislative solutions. Offers policy strategies for rural regions and trauma systems with limited capacity.
Author(s): Bilal Irfan, Zain Hashmi, Tatiana Ramos, Molly Jarman
Citation: Health Services Research, e70073
Date: 12/2025
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Discusses disparities in trauma care in rural and urban communities in the United States. Examines weaknesses in the current trauma system and provides associated legislative solutions. Offers policy strategies for rural regions and trauma systems with limited capacity.
Author(s): Bilal Irfan, Zain Hashmi, Tatiana Ramos, Molly Jarman
Citation: Health Services Research, e70073
Date: 12/2025
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Early Adoption of Telehealth/Remote Patient Monitoring and Hospital Revenue Changes During COVID-19
Evaluates telehealth and remote patient monitoring use between 2019 and 2020 among 1,742 rural and urban hospitals to determine the impact of COVID-19 on utilization and revenue. Discusses potential policy measures given study findings.
Author(s): Claudia A. Rhoades, Brian E. Whitacre, Alison F. Davis
Citation: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 31(10)
Date: 12/2025
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Evaluates telehealth and remote patient monitoring use between 2019 and 2020 among 1,742 rural and urban hospitals to determine the impact of COVID-19 on utilization and revenue. Discusses potential policy measures given study findings.
Author(s): Claudia A. Rhoades, Brian E. Whitacre, Alison F. Davis
Citation: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 31(10)
Date: 12/2025
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New Jersey Rural Health Transformation Program Application
New Jersey's application for the Rural Health Transformation Program. Discusses the rural health landscape in the state, rural residents' healthcare needs, proposed initiatives and uses of funds, and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organizations: New Jersey Department of Health, New Jersey Department of Human Services
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New Jersey's application for the Rural Health Transformation Program. Discusses the rural health landscape in the state, rural residents' healthcare needs, proposed initiatives and uses of funds, and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organizations: New Jersey Department of Health, New Jersey Department of Human Services
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Telehealth FAQ Calendar Year 2026
Provides information on Medicare telehealth regulations and payment policy for calendar year 2026. Includes information on audio-only services, behavioral health services, direct supervision, and more. Highlights changes that take effect on January 31, 2026 under current law.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides information on Medicare telehealth regulations and payment policy for calendar year 2026. Includes information on audio-only services, behavioral health services, direct supervision, and more. Highlights changes that take effect on January 31, 2026 under current law.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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A Novel Approach to Incorporate Frontier Areas Into Urban–Rural Geographic Classifications: Integrated Metropolitan-to-Frontier Area Codes
Explores an effort to develop a rural-urban classification that captures the remoteness of frontier areas. Details the tract-level Integrated Metropolitan-to-Frontier Area Codes (tlMFAC), a combination of the USDA's Frontier and Remote Area (FAR) definition and the Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Codes. Discusses the conceptual framework for tlMFAC and the census tract-level results of applying the definition nationally.
Author(s): Brody J. Gibson, Elizabeth Dobis, John Cromartie, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4), e70102
Date: 11/2025
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Explores an effort to develop a rural-urban classification that captures the remoteness of frontier areas. Details the tract-level Integrated Metropolitan-to-Frontier Area Codes (tlMFAC), a combination of the USDA's Frontier and Remote Area (FAR) definition and the Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Codes. Discusses the conceptual framework for tlMFAC and the census tract-level results of applying the definition nationally.
Author(s): Brody J. Gibson, Elizabeth Dobis, John Cromartie, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4), e70102
Date: 11/2025
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Calendar Year 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center Final Rule (CMS-1834-FC)
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2026. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to hospital price transparency; Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and partial hospital program rate setting; updates to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; hospital quality start ratings; and more.
Date: 11/2025
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 for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2026. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to hospital price transparency; Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and partial hospital program rate setting; updates to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; hospital quality start ratings; and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Studying the Current and Future Needs of a Statewide Health Care System: Summary of Responses to a Request for Information and Recommendations for a Future Comprehensive Study - Minnesota
Assesses health system capacity in Minnesota and proposes investments in infrastructure, healthcare workforce, data collection, and emerging care delivery. Offers recommendations to the Legislature with considerations for rural communities included.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Assesses health system capacity in Minnesota and proposes investments in infrastructure, healthcare workforce, data collection, and emerging care delivery. Offers recommendations to the Legislature with considerations for rural communities included.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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PACE in Rural Communities: Emerging Evidence on Integrated Care for Older Adults
An interview conversation with Carrie Henning-Smith of the the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (UMN) Rural Health Research Center about All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Covers how PACE supports older adults, the impact of PACE in rural communities as well as potential barriers, and policy and partnership needs.
Author(s): Megan Lisch
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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An interview conversation with Carrie Henning-Smith of the the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (UMN) Rural Health Research Center about All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Covers how PACE supports older adults, the impact of PACE in rural communities as well as potential barriers, and policy and partnership needs.
Author(s): Megan Lisch
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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