Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Reimbursement and payment models
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2025 Merit-Based Incentive Payment (MIPS) Value Pathways (MVPs) Implementation Guide
Provides an overview of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Value Pathways (MVPs), a voluntary reporting option that can be used to meet MIPS reporting requirements for the 2025 performance year. Describes subgroup reporting, reporting requirements, scoring, performance feedback and public reporting, and how to register to report an MVP. Includes information on considerations and exceptions for small practices and clinicians in a rural or Health Professional Shortage Area.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Provides an overview of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Value Pathways (MVPs), a voluntary reporting option that can be used to meet MIPS reporting requirements for the 2025 performance year. Describes subgroup reporting, reporting requirements, scoring, performance feedback and public reporting, and how to register to report an MVP. Includes information on considerations and exceptions for small practices and clinicians in a rural or Health Professional Shortage Area.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Eligibility and Participation in the 2026 Performance Year
Provides an overview of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligibility criteria. Addresses calculation of the low-volume threshold exclusion at the individual and group levels, opt-in and voluntary reporting options, and the impact of special status designations such as rural and small practices.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Provides an overview of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligibility criteria. Addresses calculation of the low-volume threshold exclusion at the individual and group levels, opt-in and voluntary reporting options, and the impact of special status designations such as rural and small practices.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Progress Towards Vitality: A Review of Maternal Health Financing Mechanisms in Georgia
Reports on maternal health financing in Georgia and outlines a variety of federal, state, local, and private sources of funding. Examines how funding and reimbursement influences maternal healthcare delivery, details program models, and presents recommendations for policymakers, funders, and providers. Discusses rural areas throughout.
Author(s): Elizabeth Murphy, Shalanda Henderson, Shannon Raines, Nannette Beckley, Meaghan Hunt
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Georgia Health Initiative, NORC at the University of Chicago
view details
Reports on maternal health financing in Georgia and outlines a variety of federal, state, local, and private sources of funding. Examines how funding and reimbursement influences maternal healthcare delivery, details program models, and presents recommendations for policymakers, funders, and providers. Discusses rural areas throughout.
Author(s): Elizabeth Murphy, Shalanda Henderson, Shannon Raines, Nannette Beckley, Meaghan Hunt
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Georgia Health Initiative, NORC at the University of Chicago
view details
Scaling Medical-Dental Integration Nationally: Outcomes from the MORE Care Initiative
Presents a study evaluating the implementation of the MORE Care initiative, an oral health integration model, into six rural counties in Ohio. Details the outcomes of the two year pilot program, including oral health assessments, fluoride varnish, and dental referral systems implemented into primary care practices.
Author(s): Matthew Vermillion, Christine Kanan, Caroline McLeod, Caroline McLeod, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 14
Date: 02/2026
view details
Presents a study evaluating the implementation of the MORE Care initiative, an oral health integration model, into six rural counties in Ohio. Details the outcomes of the two year pilot program, including oral health assessments, fluoride varnish, and dental referral systems implemented into primary care practices.
Author(s): Matthew Vermillion, Christine Kanan, Caroline McLeod, Caroline McLeod, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 14
Date: 02/2026
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details
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
view details