Rural Health Policy resources via the Rural Health Information Hub

Event: Collaborative Learning Opportunity #2: Setting the Stage for Payment Reform in Rural Health Settings

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:57:52 -0500

-- National Academy for State Health Policy, Rural Health Redesign Center

Event: Rural Health Transformation: Insights from States

Fri, 29 May 2026 10:44:02 -0500

-- Bipartisan Policy Center

Resource: Governors' Policy Actions in Rural Health Workforce

Fri, 15 May 2026 13:51:51 -0500

Describes policy actions taken by governors to advance healthcare career pathways, education and training, and recruitment and retention, as well as policies related to licensure and scope of practice. Includes examples from state Rural Health Transformation Program project narratives. -- National Governors Association

Resource: Average Salary Expense in Rural and Urban Hospitals Before and During the Low Wage Index Policy, 2018–2022

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:55:44 -0500

Examines and compares wage patterns of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals, and Urban PPS hospitals as related to the Low Wage Index Policy (LWIP) in effect from 2020-2022. Utilizes hospital data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS) between 2018 and 2022 and analyzes median salaries. Discusses the impact of Medicare payments and LWIP on hospitals. -- North Carolina Rural Health Research Program

Resource: Strengthening the Rural Health Workforce

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:56:53 -0500

Discusses legislation passed by state legislatures to address rural healthcare workforce challenges. Describes policies related to measuring the health workforce, encouraging rural practice, enhancing access to specialty care, and retaining rural healthcare professionals. -- National Conference of State Legislatures

Resource: MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2026

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:11:00 -0500

Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for Medicare fee-for-service payment systems, Medicare Advantage (MA), and Medicare Part D. Includes mandated reports on the impact of regulatory changes to the home health prospective payment system and dual-eligible special needs plans. -- Medicare Payment Advisory Commission

Resource: Looking Ahead: FY 2026 Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Preview Webinar

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 09:11:08 -0600

Webinar recording featuring speakers from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) sharing an overview of their 2026 priorities. It covers planned competitive community-based funding opportunities, resources, and opportunities to improve rural health related to healthcare workforce, behavioral health, healthcare network development, and more. -- Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Resource: Fourteen of Thirty Selected Indian Health Service and Rural Providers Did Not Comply or May Not Have Complied With Terms and Conditions and Federal Requirements for Expending Provider Relief Fund Payments

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:58:02 -0600

Examines whether 30 selected Indian Health Service (IHS) and rural providers that received Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments spent funds in accordance with Federal and program requirements. Describes unallowable and potentially unallowable expenditures and inaccurately calculated or unsupported lost revenues and their causes. Presents recommendations for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and HRSA's response. -- Office of Inspector General (HHS)

Resource: Rural Health Transformation Program: Funding Amounts and State Policy Actions

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 16:08:40 -0600

Presents an analysis of Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) first-year funding across three components of the award: baseline, rural facility and population, and workload. Summarizes which states addressed certain current or proposed state policies intended to enhance the impact of the program in their RHTP applications. -- The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research

Resource: Rural Health Transformation Program: Rural Facility and Population Score Estimates by State

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:39:00 -0600

Spreadsheet indicating estimated rural facility and population scores for each state according to the methodology in Appendix 4 of the Rural Health Transformation Program Notice of Funding Opportunity. -- The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research

Resource: Rural Health Transformation 50 State Spotlights

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 09:29:05 -0600

Summarizes the goals and key themes of each state's Rural Health Transformation Program application. Highlights select initiatives, expected impact of the program, and related state policy actions. -- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Resource: RHT Program State Project Abstracts

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:50:29 -0600

Presents the one-page project abstracts submitted by each state as part of their applications for the Rural Health Transformation Program. -- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Resource: Rural Health Transformation Program State Application Summary: State-level Initiatives & Proposed Activities

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:09:13 -0600

Summarizes focus areas for each state in the applications for the Rural Health Transformation Program and highlights common themes across all applications. -- National Rural Health Association

Event: 2026 NCSL Legislative Summit

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 09:12:28 -0600

Chicago IL
July 27, 2026 -- National Conference of State Legislatures

Resource: State Rural Health Transformation Programs and Applications

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 14:59:58 -0600

A collection of state Rural Health Transformation Program project narratives, summaries, and related information.

Resource: Investing in Primary Care: The Nurse Practitioner Will See You Now

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:25:48 -0500

Describes opportunities to support advancement of preparation and growth for nurse practitioners (NPs) to meet the population's primary care needs. Explores the importance of NPs in rural and underserved communities, and Health Professional Shortage Areas. -- Milbank Memorial Fund

Resource: Transforming Rural Health Care Through Medicaid Innovation: Tip Sheet Series

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:11:20 -0500

Informational tip sheets discussing the use of Medicaid innovations to assist states in creating their Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program applications. Covers issues such as behavioral health, school-based services, integrated care access, community health workers, community paramedicine, specialty care, and healthcare technology. Provides examples, strategies, Medicaid policy information, and resources. -- Center for Health Care Strategies

Event: 2026 39th Annual State Health Policy Conference

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 09:00:20 -0500

New York City NY
September 28, 2026 -- National Academy for State Health Policy

Resource: Supporting Rural Health Facilities

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 09:28:37 -0500

Discusses strategies pursued by states to strengthen the financial stability of rural hospitals and expand access to primary care, behavioral healthcare, and emergency care. Describes state policies related to technical assistance, financial stabilization grants, payment models, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), health centers, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs), and free-standing emergency departments. -- National Conference of State Legislatures

Resource: State Strategies for Strengthening Rural Health: Insights from NASHP's 2025 Annual Conference

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:13:15 -0500

Summarizes a session from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) 2025 Annual Conference regarding state strategies to improve access to care in rural communities. Highlights policies from North Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia related to workforce and capacity challenges, broadband and telehealth, behavioral health access points, and linking health and social care. -- National Academy for State Health Policy

Resource: Rural Health Transformation Program Resources

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:01:59 -0500

Offers data, analysis, and other resources related to the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). Includes links to rural facility and population score estimates by state and an analysis of RHTP funding awarded for the first year by state. -- The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research

Event: 2028 39th Annual Rural Health Policy Institute

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 09:56:56 -0500

Washington DC
February 8, 2028 -- National Rural Health Association

Resource: Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 10:04:09 -0500

Provides an overview of the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program. Includes information on the strategic goals of the program, program structure, approved uses of funds, eligibility, and application timeline. -- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Resource: Rural Beneficiary Access to Medicare Advantage-Part D Plans

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 10:53:48 -0500

Policy brief updating RUPRI's analysis of Medicare Advantage-Part D plans (MA-PDs) including enhanced benefit plan availability and differences in characteristics across metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas. Features statistics including number of MA-PDs and stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs), average monthly premium costs, and availability in metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas from 2008-2023. -- RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis

Resource: Health Provisions in P.L. 119-21, the FY2025 Reconciliation Law

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:22:31 -0500

Provides an overview of the healthcare-related provisions of the July 2025 reconciliation law (Public Law 119-21). Offers detailed summaries of provisions that impact Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare, private health insurance, and rural health providers. Discusses the Rural Health Transformation Program. -- Congressional Research Service

Resource: Ways and Means Republican Members Share Commitment to Value-Based Health Care and Outline Priorities For Medicare Innovation Hub

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 15:23:08 -0500

An April 2025 letter from the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means majority members regarding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center (CMMI). Offers considerations for new and existing models related to promoting value, improving care in rural and underserved communities, and incorporating public input. -- House Ways and Means Committee

Resource: Enhancing Rural Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 11:15:41 -0500

Provides an overview of issues related to opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural areas. Discusses access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), MOUD workforce, telehealth to support access to MOUD, and Medicaid 1115 demonstrations that address OUD. Offers policy recommendations related to regulatory barriers, reimbursement flexibility, workforce, and service site expansion to increase access to MOUD in rural areas. -- National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services

Resource: The Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM): Fourth Annual Evaluation Report

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 10:51:13 -0600

Evaluates the fourth performance year of the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model (PARHM), an initiative designed to test if global budgets can help rural hospitals improve their financial viability, provide flexibility to meet locally defined community health needs, and reduce overall healthcare spending. Provides an overview of the model and describes the implementation experience of participating hospitals and payers. Presents a descriptive quantitative assessment of financial performance, spending and utilization, access to care, and quality of care outcomes from 2016, the model's baseline, through 2022. Includes three case studies discussing three themes: experiences with global budget reconciliation, behavioral health transformation, and interactions and alignment between PARHM and other value-based care programs. -- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Resource: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting Summary, Santa Fe and Las Vegas, New Mexico, September 4-6, 2024

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 11:15:03 -0600

Summarizes the 95th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Santa Fe and Las Vegas, New Mexico. Presents an overview of national, state, and community perspectives on the rural opioid and substance use crisis. -- National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services

Resource: For Analysis of the Rural Impacts of Health Policies and Proposals, Federal Lawmakers of All Stripes Look to This Expert Panel

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 14:06:45 -0600

Shares the 30-year history of the RUPRI Health Panel, a nonpartisan policy analysis group. Describes the contributions this group has made to rural health policy and insights from panel members. -- Rural Health Information Hub