Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Reimbursement and payment models
RHC Cost Reporting 101
Recording of a March 3, 2026, webinar providing an overview of Rural Health Clinic (RHC) cost reporting. Covers key cost report concepts, the cost report approval process, billable visits, allowable and non-allowable costs, best practices, and more. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of a March 3, 2026, webinar providing an overview of Rural Health Clinic (RHC) cost reporting. Covers key cost report concepts, the cost report approval process, billable visits, allowable and non-allowable costs, best practices, and more. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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March 2026 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2026 meeting. Covers research and proposals related to the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system, access to hospice and certain complex palliative services for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease and beneficiaries with cancer, provider participation in Medicare Advantage (MA) networks, MA encounter data in risk adjustment, the complexity of Medicare enrollment decisions for beneficiaries, and Medicare Part B premium payment basics. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Mandated Report: Assessment of the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2026 meeting. Covers research and proposals related to the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system, access to hospice and certain complex palliative services for beneficiaries with end-stage renal disease and beneficiaries with cancer, provider participation in Medicare Advantage (MA) networks, MA encounter data in risk adjustment, the complexity of Medicare enrollment decisions for beneficiaries, and Medicare Part B premium payment basics. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Mandated Report: Assessment of the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Value-Based Payments Are Catching On, but Rural and Small Practices Lag
Describes the current rates of primary care physician (PCP) participation in value-based payment. Includes data on the percent of primary care physicians in rural and small practices that reported receiving revenue from value-based payment in 2025. Discusses barriers and potential solutions to increasing PCP participation in value-based payment.
Author(s): Celli Horstman, Corrine Lewis
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Describes the current rates of primary care physician (PCP) participation in value-based payment. Includes data on the percent of primary care physicians in rural and small practices that reported receiving revenue from value-based payment in 2025. Discusses barriers and potential solutions to increasing PCP participation in value-based payment.
Author(s): Celli Horstman, Corrine Lewis
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Rural Health Value Virtual Summit: Designing Rural Value-Based Care for the Future
Summarizes a June 2025 summit of rural value-based care (VBC) thought leaders regarding the current state and future opportunities of rural VBC and payment. Describes summit participants' experiences related to the adoption of VBC initiatives. Identifies strategies to accelerate rural healthcare provider participation and success in VBC and value-based payment.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Summarizes a June 2025 summit of rural value-based care (VBC) thought leaders regarding the current state and future opportunities of rural VBC and payment. Describes summit participants' experiences related to the adoption of VBC initiatives. Identifies strategies to accelerate rural healthcare provider participation and success in VBC and value-based payment.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Study of the Feasibility and Desirability of Establishing a Delinquent Billing Reimbursement Grant System for Ambulance Service Providers - Survey Results & Overview
Presents a the results of a study on the feasibility of implementing a grant-funded reimbursement system for ambulance service providers in North Dakota. Explores the financial stability of North Dakota's EMS providers under the fee-for-service model and highlights gaps and shortfalls in reimbursement. Discusses the effect of these reimbursement issues in both rural and urban areas.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organizations: North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, North Dakota EMS Association, North Dakota Legislative Council
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Presents a the results of a study on the feasibility of implementing a grant-funded reimbursement system for ambulance service providers in North Dakota. Explores the financial stability of North Dakota's EMS providers under the fee-for-service model and highlights gaps and shortfalls in reimbursement. Discusses the effect of these reimbursement issues in both rural and urban areas.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organizations: North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, North Dakota EMS Association, North Dakota Legislative Council
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State-Level Impacts of Key Medicaid Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
Explores the potential impacts of 12 healthcare provisions within the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21) on Medicaid and state budgets. Presents estimated impacts for each state provision-by-provision and overall. Includes analysis related to Medicaid determination, provider taxes, state-directed payments, work requirements, and the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Author(s): Preethi Rao, Lawrence Baker, Federico Girosi, et al.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Explores the potential impacts of 12 healthcare provisions within the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21) on Medicaid and state budgets. Presents estimated impacts for each state provision-by-provision and overall. Includes analysis related to Medicaid determination, provider taxes, state-directed payments, work requirements, and the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Author(s): Preethi Rao, Lawrence Baker, Federico Girosi, et al.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Catalog of Value-Based Initiatives for Rural Providers
Summarizes rural-relevant, value-based programs currently or recently implemented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the CMS Innovation Center. Designed to help rural healthcare leaders identify HHS value-based programs that are suitable for rural participation. Contains descriptions of each demonstration and provides direct links to the corresponding agency web page.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Summarizes rural-relevant, value-based programs currently or recently implemented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the CMS Innovation Center. Designed to help rural healthcare leaders identify HHS value-based programs that are suitable for rural participation. Contains descriptions of each demonstration and provides direct links to the corresponding agency web page.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Evaluation of the Making Care Primary Model
Provides an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center's Making Care Primary (MCP) Model. Explores model participation, participants' early implementation experiences, and the model's chances for meeting model expansion criteria related to cost and quality.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center's Making Care Primary (MCP) Model. Explores model participation, participants' early implementation experiences, and the model's chances for meeting model expansion criteria related to cost and quality.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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State Strategies to Improve Health Care Market Oversight
Presents a summary of a December 2025 roundtable with policymakers and regulators from 12 states regarding emerging challenges and policy strategies related to healthcare consolidation, workforce pressures, rising costs, and healthcare market oversight. Identifies broad themes, key challenges, examples of state strategies, and links to key resources.
Author(s): Erin C. Fuse Brown
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs.
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Presents a summary of a December 2025 roundtable with policymakers and regulators from 12 states regarding emerging challenges and policy strategies related to healthcare consolidation, workforce pressures, rising costs, and healthcare market oversight. Identifies broad themes, key challenges, examples of state strategies, and links to key resources.
Author(s): Erin C. Fuse Brown
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs.
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Strengthening California's Primary Care Team Workforce: Data and Recommendations for Action
Reports on the state of California's primary care workforce and provides policy recommendations. Provides data and discussion on topics including workforce-related barriers to care, approaches to payment and reimbursement, workforce training, and support for service delivery models. Discusses rural and underserved areas throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Summary of Policy Recommendations, Technical Appendix
Author(s): Diane Rittenhouse, Katie Coleman, Janet Coffman, et al.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: California Health Care Foundation
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Reports on the state of California's primary care workforce and provides policy recommendations. Provides data and discussion on topics including workforce-related barriers to care, approaches to payment and reimbursement, workforce training, and support for service delivery models. Discusses rural and underserved areas throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Summary of Policy Recommendations, Technical Appendix
Author(s): Diane Rittenhouse, Katie Coleman, Janet Coffman, et al.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: California Health Care Foundation
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