Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

How Do Services Offered Within Opioid Treatment Programs Vary Based on State Methadone Policies?
Examines the availability of opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in various states as well as access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) options, psychosocial services, and housing supports. Analyzes 1,501 opioid treatment programs (OTPs) and their characteristics, including state restrictiveness, services offered, facility type, rurality, and more.
Author(s): Zoe Lindenfeld, Noa Krawczyk, Erin A. Taylor, Denis Agniel, Jonathan H. Cantor
Citation: Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment, 190, 210062
Date: 11/2026
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October 2026 MACPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) October 2026 meeting. Covers hospital cost drivers, drug price negotiation in the Medicaid program, utilization management for medications for opioid use disorder in Medicaid, access to behavioral health services for adult Medicaid enrollees with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Policy Pathways to Support NP-Owned Primary Care Practices in Rural Areas
Examines various policy pathways to develop the nurse practitioner (NP) workforce and provide accessible primary care in rural areas. Uses 2024 Medicare claims data to show the concentration of NP-only practices by state and draws on focus groups with NP owners to highlight strengths and challenges of rural NP-owned practices. Discusses state-level policy actions that reduce barriers facing NP-owned primary care practices.
Author(s): Monica O'Reilly-Jacob, Jennifer Perloff
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Rural-Urban Disparities in the Delivery and Intensity of the Medicare Hospice Benefit
Analyzes how receipt, duration, location, and frequency of hospice care vary by rural or urban dwelling among Medicare-enrolled decedents aged 66 years or older, using 2013-2022 Master Beneficiary Summary File (MBSF) data.
Author(s): Claire Ankuda, Ken Covinsky, Bocheng Jing, et al.
Citation: JAMA, 336(13), 1167-1169
Date: 10/2026
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Community Readiness and Feasibility of the Exercising Together© Program for Cancer Dyads in Underserved Oregon Counties
Assesses community readiness and program feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a live-remote exercise program for cancer survivors and their partners in rural and high or persistent poverty counties in Oregon.
Author(s): Deanne Tibbitts, Christopher Chalmers, Sydnee Stoyles, et al.
Citation: Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 20, 2095-2105
Date: 10/2026
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Chronic Pain among Adults: Demographic and Behavioral Health Insights
Report explores chronic pain by demographic and behavioral health indicators. Compares rates of chronic pain by large metro, small metro, and nonmetro areas.
Citation: NSDUH Data Spotlight, 3(6)
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Aligning Payment Strategy with Community Need: A Framework for Rural Healthcare Leaders
Describes a framework for rural health providers to build partnerships with payers. Discusses what payers need, knowing the true cost of access, defining services needed for each community, and using data and transformation planning as contracting tools.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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Georgia Nurse Workforce Fact Sheet
Provides information on Georgia's nursing workforce, based on 2024-2025 nurse licensure data. Features a county-level map showing nurse density, as well as rural and urban county status.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce
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Patient Preferences for Portable Versus Table-Mounted Visual Field Devices in Rural Alabama: A Mixed Methods Study Within a Telemedicine Setting
Evaluates patient preference and satisfaction with the use of table-mounted, tablet-based, and virtual reality-based visual field screening devices among 271 patients receiving telemedicine services at 3 Federally Qualified Health Centers in rural Alabama.
Author(s): Ellen K. Antwi-Adjei, Sourav Datta, Christopher A. Girkin, et al.
Citation: PLOS One, 21(10), e0348821
Date: 10/2026
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Utah RHTP Awardee Announcement
Presents a list of organizations and funding amounts Utah intends to announce as grant awardees under the first year of the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Utah Department of Health and Human Services
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