Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule: Quality Payment Program (QPP) Fact Sheet and Policy Comparison Table
Provides an overview of the 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule, focusing on policy changes impacting the Quality Payment Program (QPP). Provides proposal highlights, current policies versus proposed policies, and related QPP resources.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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As Alpha-gal Syndrome Spreads, Rural Providers Are on the 'Front Line'
Provides an overview of alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a tick-borne allergy to mammalian products. Describes the spread of AGS and the importance of raising awareness of AGS among rural primary care providers.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Improving Access to Medicare Home Health Care: Key Policy Considerations
Highlights themes from interviews with 20 policy experts on home health agencies to identify factors contributing to declines in use of Medicare home health services. Discusses payment models, Medicare Advantage, workforce shortages, and family caregivers. Offers policy measures that may increase home health utilization.
Author(s): Barbara Lyons, Jane Andrews
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Data Snapshot: Updated Ohio Enrollment In The Federal ACA Marketplace
Examines policy changes and their impact on Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace enrollment in Ohio. Includes a county-level map and changes in marketplace enrollment and cost from 2025 to 2026.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Geographic Variation in Blood Transfusion among TRICARE Beneficiaries
Explores the geographic variations in blood distribution and transfusion practices using the U.S. Military Health System's TRICARE insurance database. Breaks down data by age, sex, and whether beneficiaries received care in rural or urban areas, among other measures.
Author(s): Avery A. Thompson, Mahima Jain, Tanujit Dey, et al.
Citation: Transfusion, 66(7), 1326-1335
Date: 07/2026
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Putting the Roadmap to a Comprehensive State Graduate Medical Education Strategy into Practice: State Perspectives
Explores ways in which Missouri, North Carolina, and Wisconsin are planning and implementing aspects of their state graduate medical education strategies. Offers insights for other states investigating ways to sustain a rural healthcare workforce and considering a "grow your own" approach to expanded residency training.
Author(s): Lori Rodefeld, Raquel Davis, Erin P. Fraher, et al.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Economic Cynicism, COVID-19 and Deaths of Despair in Rural Ohio Counties
Explores the relationship between economic cynicism, COVID-19, and deaths of despair (DoDs) in rural counties in Ohio. Highlights rates of social connection, economic disadvantage and cynicism, and how they correlate with DoDs, among other measures.
Author(s): Christopher R. Browning, Bethany Boettner, Catherine A. Calder, Elisabeth Root
Citation: Sociology of Health & Illness, 48(6), e70227
Date: 07/2026
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Defining Veteran Rurality: An Analysis of the U.S. Veterans Health Administration Rural–Urban Taxonomy
Examines the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) "Categorization B" rural–urban taxonomies and changes to drive time estimates to VHA care as determined by these taxonomies. Analyzes drive time across RUCA codes, Categorization B designation, and VHA designation. Discusses VHA rural and highly rural designations and the importance of aligning rural definitions to the VHA's access-to-care priorities.
Author(s): Diana J. Govier, Travis I. Lovejoy, Sarah S. Ono, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(3), e70182
Date: 07/2026
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The Role of Rurality and Area-Level Disadvantage in Lifestyle Risk Factors and Psychological Well-Being among Cancer Survivors: Findings from the 2021 NCI HINTS-SEER
Examines how rurality and area-level disadvantage are associated with obesity, smoking, and depression or anxiety among cancer survivors, using 2021 HINTS-SEER data. Compares the roles of area-level and individual factors in influencing cancer survivorship outcomes in rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Anita M. Kumar, Carrie A. Miller, Reyna Han, et al.
Citation: Cancer Causes & Control, 37, 125
Date: 07/2026
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Food Service Directors' Knowledge and Beliefs About Ultraprocessed Foods in California's San Joaquin Valley Schools
Examines food service director (FSD) perspectives on ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) while planning meals for schools in the largely rural San Joaquin Valley of California. Utilizes interview data from 20 FSDs and discusses themes such as healthfulness of UPFs, scratch-cooked foods versus UPFs, and reasons for including or not including UPFs in school menus.
Author(s): Anjali Gupta, Alix Zuceth Duran Gomez, Donna Matheson, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 07/2026
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