Telehealth and Health Information Technology in Rural Healthcare resources via the Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: What to Know About Medicare Coverage of Telehealth

Wed, 13 May 2026 09:50:50 -0500

Discusses telehealth use by Medicare patients before, during, and after declaration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Notes temporary telehealth provisions set to expire December 31, 2027, telehealth provisions made permanent, and trends in use since 2020. Includes rural and urban comparisons of telehealth use since 2020. Discusses payment models for Medicare and Medicare Advantage, current policies related to telehealth, program integrity, and the cost of coverage through Medicare. -- KFF

News: RUS: Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Community Connect Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2026

Wed, 13 May 2026 08:41:10 -0500

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Community Connect Grant Program for fiscal year 2026. The Community Connect Grant Program provides financial assistance to eligible applicants who will provide service at or above the broadband grant speed to all premises in rural, economically challenged communities where broadband service does not exist. Program guidance and application forms are available on USDA's website.

Resource: Transforming Rural Hospitals Through Telehealth Partnerships: Strategic Playbook

Tue, 12 May 2026 11:05:41 -0500

Provides hospital leaders with strategies to foster telehealth partnerships within health systems to improve rural hospital financial sustainability, clinical capacity, and long-term viability. Discusses rural hospital strain as well as the economic, community, and population health value of rural hospitals and how telehealth partnerships can mitigate financial issues and create sustainability. Includes a telehealth partnership maturity model, practical framework, and rural hospital implementation considerations.

News: RUS: Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2026

Thu, 07 May 2026 08:45:58 -0500

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is accepting applications for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program for fiscal year 2026. DLT grant funds support the use of telecommunications-enabled information, audio and video equipment, and related advanced technologies by students, teachers, medical professionals, and rural residents. Program guidance and application forms are available on USDA's website.

News: Sanders Announces Applications are Open for $209 Million in Rural Health Transformation Funds

Tue, 05 May 2026 11:27:49 -0500

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced the application process is underway for $209 million in funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program. Initial awards will be centered on the Telehealth, Health‑Monitoring, and Response Innovation for Vital Expansion (THRIVE) initiative, which will modernize rural healthcare delivery through telehealth, emergency medical response systems, and remote patient monitoring technologies.

Resource: Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2026 MIPS Promoting Interoperability Performance Category Hardship Exception Application Guide

Mon, 04 May 2026 11:12:33 -0500

Provides guidance on how clinicians can apply for a MIPS hardship exception. Highlights guidance for having your MIPS Promoting Interoperability performance category reweighted to 0% in cases of insufficient internet connectivity, decertified electronic health record technology, or other circumstances out of the clinicians' control. -- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

News: How Tech Can Bridge Gaps in Rural Healthcare Data Struggles

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:03:40 -0500

Discusses the implementation of prescription benefit information in electronic health records among rural providers. Discusses federal policy work to ease challenges with using health technology in rural practices.

Resource: Closing the Digital Divide: AI Governance for Rural Hospitals

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 14:38:21 -0500

Explores how rural healthcare leaders can design artificial intelligence (AI) governance frameworks that reflect the realities of rural care. Summarizes a discussion among rural healthcare leaders regarding their experiences with AI governance and identifies 7 best practices. -- American Hospital Association

Event: Fed Health's Rural Transformation Efforts

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:05:29 -0500

Tysons VA
May 21, 2026 -- Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society

Resource: Advancing Technology Innovation through the Rural Health Transformation Program

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:44:54 -0500

Identifies common themes across Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) plans related to proposed health technology initiatives. Covers the information technology infrastructure, telehealth and remote patient monitoring, artificial intelligence, and catalyst funds and pilot programs. -- Bipartisan Policy Center

Resource: Telehealth Resource Center Skills Matrix

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 09:24:30 -0500

Outlines the technical assistance and subject matter expertise of the 14 federally funded Telehealth Resource Centers in specific telehealth topics, clinical specialties, and areas of telehealth implementation. -- National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers

Event: Supporting the Frontline: Mental Health Screening for Healthcare Workers in Rural Communities

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:58:16 -0600

Resource: Mental Health Specialist Telemedicine Uptake and Patient Location

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 11:36:17 -0600

Analyzes 17,742 Medicare fee-for-service claims for mental health specialists between 2018 and 2023 to identify the proportion of telemedicine visits that are with rural, low-access-to-care, or other distant communities. Includes analysis of new and established patients. Discusses study findings as part of larger discussions regarding telehealth increasing access to healthcare for rural and other hard to reach populations.

Resource: From Expansion to Expiration: Federal Policy Waivers and Telehealth Utilization in US Primary Care (2016–2024)

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 09:55:43 -0600

Examines the impact of COVID-19 federal policy waivers on the long-term sustainability of telehealth access. Provides a scoping review of 2016-2024 articles focused on telehealth utilization for primary care, the removal of geographic restrictions in telehealth policy, and the subsequent impact on healthcare access for rural areas.

Resource: Telemedicine in Rural EMS: Expanding Capabilities and Scope

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:28:51 -0600

Discusses the integration of telemedicine and emergency medical services (EMS) for improving rural health outcomes by connecting EMS with trauma specialists and expanding what is available as prehospital care. Describes the workforce, equipment, and infrastructure needs.

Resource: Patterns of Telehealth Use During Pregnancy and Postpartum Among Commercially Insured Women

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 09:46:11 -0600

Examines the use of telehealth among pregnant and postpartum women by rural versus urban location and type of service. Utilizes 2019-2021 data to examine telehealth visits by patient characteristics, predelivery versus postpartum use, service type, and rurality. Discusses the role of telehealth to access mental health services and differences between rural and urban telehealth use.

Resource: Provider-Level Variation in the Delivery of Primary Care Telehealth for the Rural Medicare Advantage Population

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:32:51 -0600

Results of a study comparing use of telehealth primary care between rural and nonrural Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries by providers' level of telehealth delivery. Based on data from claims for MA beneficiaries enrolled in Humana Inc. plans from January 2021 to June 2024.

Event: IHS Health IT Modernization Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer: Roadmap to Cohorts

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 16:49:53 -0600

-- Indian Health Service

Resource: National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers: Annual Report 2025

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 13:40:38 -0600

Provides an annual update on the activities of the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers (NCTRC). Covers specific initiatives and developments for the two national and 12 regional Telehealth Resource Centers. -- National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers

Event: ONC Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC)

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:55:30 -0600

-- Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

Event: ONC Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC)

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:50:47 -0600

-- Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology

Resource: 2025 Broadband/Internet Availability Survey Report

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:05:38 -0600

Presents findings of a survey capturing rural broadband and internet availability data as reported by 201 internet companies that responded to NTCA's survey. Describes technologies used to provide broadband services, broadband availability and subscription rates, anchor institutions, network deployment progress, supply chain challenges, barriers to widespread fiber deployment, broadband deployment mapping, and more. -- NTCA: The Rural Broadband Association

Organization: Pulse Telehealth Resource Center

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:48:17 -0600

One of the telehealth resource centers funded by the federal Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT). Assists healthcare organizations, networks, and providers, and communities in the implementation of cost-effective telehealth programs to serve rural and medically underserved areas and populations. Serves Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

Resource: Telemedicine Utilization and Preventive Services Among a Rural Population

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:40:33 -0600

Compares 2,012,290 rural adults who used telemedicine between January 2019 and December 2023 to identify associations with subsequent preventive service use. Notes the potential impact of study findings on increasing preventive care utilization for rural residents. Discusses the impacts of COVID-19 and other demographic and health status factors on the data.

Resource: Telehealth: 2026 National Patient Safety Goals

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 11:42:18 -0600

Identifies National Patient Safety Goals for the Joint Commission's Telehealth Accreditation Program. Covers patient and resident identification, caregiver communication, medication safety, suicide prevention, and more. Effective January 1, 2026. -- Joint Commission

Resource: Use of Telehealth in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Areas, United States 2021-2023

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 15:14:05 -0600

Statistical brief on differences in telehealth use in nonmetropolitan and metropolitan areas, utilizing 2021-2023 AHRQ Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC) data. Breaks down rural and urban frequency of telehealth use by specialty, primary source of payment, and more. -- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Resource: Revisiting the Rural and Urban Divide in Hospital Health Information Technology Adoption: Evidence From 2023

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 09:20:18 -0600

Presents a study assessing the adoption of telehealth, patient engagement, and health information exchange functionalities in rural and urban hospitals in 2023. Bases findings on American Hospital Association Annual Survey and Information Technology Survey data. Breaks down data by metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural hospital settings.

Resource: Transforming Care: The Impact of COVID-19 on Telehealth Adoption in U.S. Home Health Care Agencies

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:24:03 -0600

Surveys 474 home health agencies between November 2022 and March 2024 to identify telehealth use and the perceived impact of COVID-19 policies on telehealth adoption. Includes rural and urban comparisons of telehealth modalities utilized to discuss targeted policies to support rural adoption.

Resource: Telehealth FAQ Calendar Year 2026

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 10:41:15 -0600

Provides information on Medicare telehealth regulations and payment policy for calendar year 2026. Includes information on audio-only services, behavioral health services, direct supervision, and more. -- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Resource: Gaps in Artificial Intelligence Research for Rural Health in the United States: A Scoping Review

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 13:56:43 -0600

Presents a scoping review exploring the extent of research on artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare in rural communities. Discusses the application of AI in rural US healthcare and challenges that limit the development, implementation, or evaluation of AI in the rural areas.