Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Reimbursement and payment models
Medicare Payment Basics: Hospice Services Payment System
Overview of the Medicare hospice benefit and Medicare payments to hospice providers. Describes the four levels of care of the hospice prospective payment system and payment rates.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Overview of the Medicare hospice benefit and Medicare payments to hospice providers. Describes the four levels of care of the hospice prospective payment system and payment rates.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Home Health Care Services Payment System
Overview of Medicare payments for home healthcare services. Includes information on rate-setting and payments for quality reporting and performance. Describes the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and the home health resource groups (HHRGs) based on clinical and functional status.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Overview of Medicare payments for home healthcare services. Includes information on rate-setting and payments for quality reporting and performance. Describes the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and the home health resource groups (HHRGs) based on clinical and functional status.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Durable Medical Equipment Payment System
Overview of Medicare payments for medical equipment used to treat beneficiaries at home. Defines durable medical equipment (DME), details the DME fee schedule, and discusses the competitive bidding program (CBP) for DME. Includes information a revised methodology for awarding contracts in the next round of competitive establishing payment rates in 2028.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Overview of Medicare payments for medical equipment used to treat beneficiaries at home. Defines durable medical equipment (DME), details the DME fee schedule, and discusses the competitive bidding program (CBP) for DME. Includes information a revised methodology for awarding contracts in the next round of competitive establishing payment rates in 2028.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Ambulance Services Payment System
Provides an overview of Medicare payments for ambulance services. Discusses rural add-on payment policies, geographic categories determining payment rates, super-rural ZIP codes, and ambulance fee schedules.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Provides an overview of Medicare payments for ambulance services. Discusses rural add-on payment policies, geographic categories determining payment rates, super-rural ZIP codes, and ambulance fee schedules.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Accountable Care Organizations Payment Systems
Provides an overview of Medicare's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs. Discusses the payment mechanics of ACOs, including the maximum shared savings and losses of Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs by track and level.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Provides an overview of Medicare's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs. Discusses the payment mechanics of ACOs, including the maximum shared savings and losses of Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs by track and level.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Medicare Payment Basics: Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Services Payment System
Overview of Medicare's payment system for inpatient psychiatric services provided in freestanding hospitals or specialized hospital-based units. Demonstrates how payments for these services are adjusted to reflect geographic differences in labor costs, and cost of care by facility and patient characteristics.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Overview of Medicare's payment system for inpatient psychiatric services provided in freestanding hospitals or specialized hospital-based units. Demonstrates how payments for these services are adjusted to reflect geographic differences in labor costs, and cost of care by facility and patient characteristics.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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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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2025 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Performance Feedback FAQs for Small Practices
Provides answers to frequently asked questions about the 2025 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance feedback for small practices. Includes information on how to access and navigate performance feedback, as well as performance category reweighting and redistribution.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Provides answers to frequently asked questions about the 2025 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance feedback for small practices. Includes information on how to access and navigate performance feedback, as well as performance category reweighting and redistribution.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Telehealth and Federally Qualified Health Centers
Provides an overview of state policies relating to Medicaid fee-for-service coverage and reimbursement of telehealth services at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) as of May 2026. Includes state-by-state information on FQHC eligibility for reimbursement for being originating and distant sites, store-and-forward services, audio-only services, remote patient monitoring, and more.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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Provides an overview of state policies relating to Medicaid fee-for-service coverage and reimbursement of telehealth services at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) as of May 2026. Includes state-by-state information on FQHC eligibility for reimbursement for being originating and distant sites, store-and-forward services, audio-only services, remote patient monitoring, and more.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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What Will It Take to Sustain Maternal Care in Rural Communities? These Strategies Are Helping Keep Care Close to Home
Discusses challenges facing rural maternal healthcare, such as workforce shortages, low birth volumes, and reimbursement. Provides strategies to help improve sustainability, focusing on leadership, diversifying the workforce, strengthening regional and community partnerships, extending community care, addressing behavioral health and social needs, and supporting financial sustainability.
Author(s): Julia J. Resnick, Aisha Syeda
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Discusses challenges facing rural maternal healthcare, such as workforce shortages, low birth volumes, and reimbursement. Provides strategies to help improve sustainability, focusing on leadership, diversifying the workforce, strengthening regional and community partnerships, extending community care, addressing behavioral health and social needs, and supporting financial sustainability.
Author(s): Julia J. Resnick, Aisha Syeda
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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