Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document
Nicotine and Tobacco Product Use among US Youth in 10th and 12th Grade, 2023–2025: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study
Examines trends in youth nicotine, tobacco, and multi-product co-use. Utilizes 2023-2025 survey data from 10th and 12th graders and analyzes lifetime use and past 30-day use of various nicotine and tobacco products according to grade, demographics, parent education, and school location of urban, suburban/town, or rural.
Author(s): Dayoung Bae, Junhan Cho, Alyssa F. Harlow, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, 65, 101673
Date: 01/2027
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Examines trends in youth nicotine, tobacco, and multi-product co-use. Utilizes 2023-2025 survey data from 10th and 12th graders and analyzes lifetime use and past 30-day use of various nicotine and tobacco products according to grade, demographics, parent education, and school location of urban, suburban/town, or rural.
Author(s): Dayoung Bae, Junhan Cho, Alyssa F. Harlow, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, 65, 101673
Date: 01/2027
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The Association of Hospital Characteristics With Medicaid Managed Care Hospital Prices
Examines the relationship between hospital characteristics and Medicaid facility prices for routine procedures. Utilizes 2021-2023 facility claims data from Elevance Health-affiliated Medicaid plans, alongside American Hospital Directory data, to compare prices by Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and children's hospital status, ownership (for-profit, religiously affiliated, or government), teaching status, system affiliation, rurality, and size.
Author(s): Brett Alfrey, Benjamin Ukert, Aliza S. Gordon
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(6), e70178
Date: 12/2026
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Examines the relationship between hospital characteristics and Medicaid facility prices for routine procedures. Utilizes 2021-2023 facility claims data from Elevance Health-affiliated Medicaid plans, alongside American Hospital Directory data, to compare prices by Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and children's hospital status, ownership (for-profit, religiously affiliated, or government), teaching status, system affiliation, rurality, and size.
Author(s): Brett Alfrey, Benjamin Ukert, Aliza S. Gordon
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(6), e70178
Date: 12/2026
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State Telehealth Laws and Reimbursement Policies Report, Fall 2026
Provides an overview of state telehealth policies as of October 2026. Covers Medicaid reimbursement, private payer laws, professional requirements, and licensing.
Additional links: Infographic, Interstate Licensure Compacts – State Compact Participation Chart, State Summary Chart
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Provides an overview of state telehealth policies as of October 2026. Covers Medicaid reimbursement, private payer laws, professional requirements, and licensing.
Additional links: Infographic, Interstate Licensure Compacts – State Compact Participation Chart, State Summary Chart
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Evaluating the Feasibility of Implementing School Staff Well-Being Programs
Examines the School Wellness Integration Targeting Child Health (SWITCH) initiative that focuses on supplemental staff well-being programming. Analyzes staff feedback from 6 majority rural schools that participated in 2 years of programming and provides data on perceptions of well-being programming, such as quality, effectiveness, impact, feasibility, and more.
Author(s): Jimmy Duhamahoro, Angela M. Tuttle Prince, Spyridoula Vazou, Sally S. DuBois, Gregory J. Welk
Citation: Journal of School Health, 96(11), e70286
Date: 11/2026
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Examines the School Wellness Integration Targeting Child Health (SWITCH) initiative that focuses on supplemental staff well-being programming. Analyzes staff feedback from 6 majority rural schools that participated in 2 years of programming and provides data on perceptions of well-being programming, such as quality, effectiveness, impact, feasibility, and more.
Author(s): Jimmy Duhamahoro, Angela M. Tuttle Prince, Spyridoula Vazou, Sally S. DuBois, Gregory J. Welk
Citation: Journal of School Health, 96(11), e70286
Date: 11/2026
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November 2026 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) November 2026 meeting. Covers changes to the Medicare physician fee schedule that affect primary care, charge-based coinsurance at Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), an analysis of aberrant patterns of care among hospice and home health providers, findings from MedPAC focus groups, and Medicare eligibility notification and the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) operations and funding.
Additional links: Charge-based Coinsurance at Rural Health Clinics, Findings from MedPAC's Focus Groups with Medicare Beneficiaries and Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Pharmacists
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) November 2026 meeting. Covers changes to the Medicare physician fee schedule that affect primary care, charge-based coinsurance at Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), an analysis of aberrant patterns of care among hospice and home health providers, findings from MedPAC focus groups, and Medicare eligibility notification and the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) operations and funding.
Additional links: Charge-based Coinsurance at Rural Health Clinics, Findings from MedPAC's Focus Groups with Medicare Beneficiaries and Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, and Pharmacists
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Association of Medicaid Unwinding With Hospital Financial Outcomes Among General Acute Care and Critical Access Hospitals
Explores the impacts of Medicaid unwinding, the 18-month period during which states reassessed enrollees' eligibility and disenrolled those who no longer qualified for Medicaid coverage at the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, on general acute care and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) finances. Describes the trends regarding uncompensated care costs and Medicaid revenue between 2021-2024, and compares data from the pre-unwinding (2021-2022) and post-unwinding (2023-2024) periods.
Author(s): Nima Khodakarami, Joel E. Segel
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(6), e70182
Date: 11/2026
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Explores the impacts of Medicaid unwinding, the 18-month period during which states reassessed enrollees' eligibility and disenrolled those who no longer qualified for Medicaid coverage at the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, on general acute care and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) finances. Describes the trends regarding uncompensated care costs and Medicaid revenue between 2021-2024, and compares data from the pre-unwinding (2021-2022) and post-unwinding (2023-2024) periods.
Author(s): Nima Khodakarami, Joel E. Segel
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(6), e70182
Date: 11/2026
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The State of Mental Health in America 2026
Report presents data on mental health and substance use for youth and adults across all 50 states. Highlights barriers to mental health wellness, such as lack of mental healthcare coverage, mental health workforce shortages, and cost of treatment, among other factors. Discusses some challenges specific to rural communities.
Author(s): Maddy Reinert
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Mental Health America
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Report presents data on mental health and substance use for youth and adults across all 50 states. Highlights barriers to mental health wellness, such as lack of mental healthcare coverage, mental health workforce shortages, and cost of treatment, among other factors. Discusses some challenges specific to rural communities.
Author(s): Maddy Reinert
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Mental Health America
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Rural Health Transformation Program State Programmatic Snapshots: 2026 Release - Year 2 Funding
Provides an overview of each state's Rural Health Transformation Program initiatives and focus areas. Describes policy action commitments outlined in states' project narratives and the funding states received related to these commitments for budget period 2. Includes overall funding amounts received by states for budget periods 1 and 2.
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of each state's Rural Health Transformation Program initiatives and focus areas. Describes policy action commitments outlined in states' project narratives and the funding states received related to these commitments for budget period 2. Includes overall funding amounts received by states for budget periods 1 and 2.
Date: 11/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Policy Impact of the Rural Emergency Hospital Designation: A Mixed Methods Study of Leaders' Conversion Experiences and Motivations
Presents a study on the financial profile and other factors affecting the decision to convert rural hospitals to a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Explores financial factors like days of cash on hand, total unreimbursed costs, and total capital purchases, among others, and discusses the challenges of converting to an REH.
Author(s): Christopher Wiggs, Dunc Williams Jr., Kevin Wiley
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(4), e70240
Date: 11/2026
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Presents a study on the financial profile and other factors affecting the decision to convert rural hospitals to a Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Explores financial factors like days of cash on hand, total unreimbursed costs, and total capital purchases, among others, and discusses the challenges of converting to an REH.
Author(s): Christopher Wiggs, Dunc Williams Jr., Kevin Wiley
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(4), e70240
Date: 11/2026
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Personal Networks and Cognitive Health Across Rural–Urban Contexts
Analyzes the role of social bridging in aging-related cognitive decline among adults in rural versus urban areas, using interview data of 509 Indiana adults aged 55 and older interviewed between November 2023 and March 2024 as part of the Social Environment and Cognitive Health in Urban and Rural Areas study.
Author(s): Siyun Peng, Brea L. Perry, Adam R. Roth
Citation: The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 81(Suppl 3), S265-S274
Date: 11/2026
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Analyzes the role of social bridging in aging-related cognitive decline among adults in rural versus urban areas, using interview data of 509 Indiana adults aged 55 and older interviewed between November 2023 and March 2024 as part of the Social Environment and Cognitive Health in Urban and Rural Areas study.
Author(s): Siyun Peng, Brea L. Perry, Adam R. Roth
Citation: The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 81(Suppl 3), S265-S274
Date: 11/2026
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