Rural Healthcare Quality – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Healthcare Quality.
Impact and Opportunities for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics in Rural Communities
Examines ways in which Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) are improving access to and quality of care in rural areas. Highlights opportunities and strategies for CCBHCs to fill service gaps in rural areas and to meet or exceed program requirements.
Author(s): Renee Boak
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Examines ways in which Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) are improving access to and quality of care in rural areas. Highlights opportunities and strategies for CCBHCs to fill service gaps in rural areas and to meet or exceed program requirements.
Author(s): Renee Boak
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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MBQIP Quality Measures National Annual Report - 2024
Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2024. Presents data on the five Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Summarizes quality measure reporting rates and performance among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2024. Presents data on the five Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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2024 QPP Participation and Performance Results: At-a-Glance
Provides an overview of the results of the Quality Payment Program (QPP) for the 2024 performance year. Highlights the percentages of small and rural providers receiving negative, neutral, and positive payment adjustments for 2026.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of the results of the Quality Payment Program (QPP) for the 2024 performance year. Highlights the percentages of small and rural providers receiving negative, neutral, and positive payment adjustments for 2026.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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2026 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System Automatic Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Policy
Addresses the automatic Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) extreme and uncontrollable circumstances (EUC) policy as it applies to individual MIPS eligible clinicians for 2026. Table 2 features information on reweighting for clinicians in a small practice.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Addresses the automatic Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) extreme and uncontrollable circumstances (EUC) policy as it applies to individual MIPS eligible clinicians for 2026. Table 2 features information on reweighting for clinicians in a small practice.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Beyond the Shortage: What Rural Medicine Still Gets Right
Commentary describing the importance of continuity in rural healthcare, leading to better outcomes and increased patient trust. Discusses the advantages of clinicians knowing their patients well.
Author(s): James R. Burmeister, Ida J. Rubino
Citation: Family Medicine, 58(5), 370-371
Date: 05/2026
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Commentary describing the importance of continuity in rural healthcare, leading to better outcomes and increased patient trust. Discusses the advantages of clinicians knowing their patients well.
Author(s): James R. Burmeister, Ida J. Rubino
Citation: Family Medicine, 58(5), 370-371
Date: 05/2026
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Trends in Medicare Advantage Quality for Nonmetropolitan Enrollees, 2019-2023
Examines quality of care in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans by geography, region, and plan type. Analyzes average ratings of 2019-2023 MA plans on a 1-5 star rating scale according to metro, micro, or noncore rural location. Provides additional data on MA enrollments by rural concentration of contracts as well as star ratings by benchmark quartile and quality bonus capping.
Author(s): Abigail Barker, Eliot Jost, Timothy McBride, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Examines quality of care in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans by geography, region, and plan type. Analyzes average ratings of 2019-2023 MA plans on a 1-5 star rating scale according to metro, micro, or noncore rural location. Provides additional data on MA enrollments by rural concentration of contracts as well as star ratings by benchmark quartile and quality bonus capping.
Author(s): Abigail Barker, Eliot Jost, Timothy McBride, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2026 MIPS Promoting Interoperability Performance Category Hardship Exception Application Guide
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.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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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.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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2026 MIPS Eligibility Decision Tree
Presents information to determine if providers are eligible to participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in the 2026 Performance Year. Includes information on the low-volume threshold criteria.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Presents information to determine if providers are eligible to participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in the 2026 Performance Year. Includes information on the low-volume threshold criteria.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Traditional MIPS Scoring Guide for the 2026 Performance Year
Provides details on how scores are calculated for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), one of two tracks under the Medicare Quality Payment Program. Explains the four performance categories that affect Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payments: quality, cost, improvement activities, and promoting interoperability. Includes information for small practices.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Provides details on how scores are calculated for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), one of two tracks under the Medicare Quality Payment Program. Explains the four performance categories that affect Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payments: quality, cost, improvement activities, and promoting interoperability. Includes information for small practices.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2026 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 2026 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.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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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 2026 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.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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