Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Reimbursement and payment models
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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A Comparison of Independent and System-Affiliated Rural Hospitals
Compares independent and system-affiliated rural hospitals by organizational characteristics, financial performance, and county characteristics. Presents Medicare Cost Report data from 2023-2024 on the number and percentage of independent and system-affiliated rural hospitals by state, ownership characteristics, Medicare payment classification, use of swing beds, financial distress, and more.
Author(s): Aditya R. Pillutla, Sruthi Malavika Srinivasan, Kristie Thompson, George Pink, Tyler Malone
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Compares independent and system-affiliated rural hospitals by organizational characteristics, financial performance, and county characteristics. Presents Medicare Cost Report data from 2023-2024 on the number and percentage of independent and system-affiliated rural hospitals by state, ownership characteristics, Medicare payment classification, use of swing beds, financial distress, and more.
Author(s): Aditya R. Pillutla, Sruthi Malavika Srinivasan, Kristie Thompson, George Pink, Tyler Malone
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Improving the Value Proposition of Critical Access Hospitals – Lessons from Federal and State Initiatives
Report details how federal and state initiatives can support Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) transition to value-based payment models. Provides examples of initiatives that offer models for use by State Flex Programs (SFPs) for supporting CAHs' transformation to value-based care.
Author(s): John Gale, Rebecca Stearns, Bridget Harr
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Report details how federal and state initiatives can support Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) transition to value-based payment models. Provides examples of initiatives that offer models for use by State Flex Programs (SFPs) for supporting CAHs' transformation to value-based care.
Author(s): John Gale, Rebecca Stearns, Bridget Harr
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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2026 Stability of the Rural Health Safety Net: State and National Data Tables
Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies such as sequestration and bad debt reimbursement on rural hospital revenues, jobs, and gross domestic product. Presented at the February 2026 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies such as sequestration and bad debt reimbursement on rural hospital revenues, jobs, and gross domestic product. Presented at the February 2026 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Chartis Center for Rural Health Research & Resources for the 2026 National Rural Health Association's Rural Health Policy Institute Conference
Offers research and analysis of the stability of the rural healthcare safety net. Includes 2026 Rural State of the State, and presentation slides on this report from the 2026 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute. Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies on rural hospitals.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Offers research and analysis of the stability of the rural healthcare safety net. Includes 2026 Rural State of the State, and presentation slides on this report from the 2026 National Rural Health Association Policy Institute. Provides links to national and state data tables showing the financial impact of federal policies on rural hospitals.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Meeting the Health Needs of Rural America: A Report of the Aspen Health Strategy Group
Presents a model for addressing rural health disparities and encouraging accessible, sustainable healthcare access through community-centered policy, investment, and healthcare delivery. Discusses topics related to health policy, funding, community development, infrastructure, preventive care, and more.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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Presents a model for addressing rural health disparities and encouraging accessible, sustainable healthcare access through community-centered policy, investment, and healthcare delivery. Discusses topics related to health policy, funding, community development, infrastructure, preventive care, and more.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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Update to the Payment for Historically Excepted Tribal Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) for Calendar Year (CY) 2026
Provides an overview of updates to the historically excepted Tribal Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Prospective Payment System (PPS) rate for calendar year 2026.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of updates to the historically excepted Tribal Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Prospective Payment System (PPS) rate for calendar year 2026.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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