The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), which was initially proposed to offset rural health system losses due to Medicaid cuts, has become the centerpiece of the Trump administration's approach to innovating healthcare solutions on a geographic basis. A new report from Georgetown's Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR) shows...
Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the awards for the Trump administration's Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), which is meant to bolster rural health systems in the wake of substantial cuts to the Medicaid program. Arizona is set to receive $167 million, about two-thirds of what it...White Papers, E books, Reports and more
The Federation of American Hospitals and the American Hospital Association released a new Dobson|DaVanzo analysis finding that the expansion of physician-owned hospitals (POHs) in rural markets could significantly weaken the financial position of full-service rural hospitals. According to the study, new POHs tend to serve healthier,...
Arizona has applied for $1 billion in federal funding to stabilize rural health systems already under pressure from workforce shortages, low reimbursement rates, and growing patient demand. The move comes as Gov. Katie Hobbs and rural hospital leaders brace for deeper challenges tied to President Donald Trump’s new budget package,...
On Tuesday, the Congressional Budget Office released a report on the growth of the drug purchases made through the 340B Drug Pricing Program (340B) between 2010 and 2021, including the program's effect on the federal budget.
Modern Healthcare explains that the 19% average growth rate in spending is higher than the overall 4% rise in...National News
Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration expected to curb the impact of Medicaid cuts on rural hospitals by introducing a $50 billion rural health fund for a “rural health transformation program.”
The fund will only cover around one-third of the estimated loss of federal Medicaid funding in rural areas, and is only...
Last week, President Donald Trump signed the GOP's One Big Beautiful Bill into law, representing the single largest cut to government health programs in history.
The Medicaid cuts will not be evenly distributed and some states will be more significantly impacted than others. Virginia, Louisiana, Nevada, Illinois and New Jersey are...
On Monday, the U.S. Senate passed its own version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, President Donald Trump's signature legislation. The bill contains heavy cuts to the Medicaid program and other changes to U.S. healthcare infrastructure and government payment systems, but the bill must be reconciled in the House before it can go to the...
A new report demonstrates the importance of Medicaid for childbirth in rural communities.
The new paper by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families examined the role of Medicaid in coverage for women of childbearing age living in small towns and rural areas, expounding on prior research that found a higher reliance...
Providers who use telehealth platforms are already concerned about the restrictions they will face if the public health emergency (PHE) ends and COVID-19-related waivers for telemedicine expire. But new rules from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will further complicate their practices.
Under the DEA's new rule, patients will...News
Rural hospitals and health systems have an outsized impact on the health and economic well-being of rural communities supporting one in every 12 rural jobs in America. A September report from the American Hospital Association poses solutions to preserve care in local communities.
The report considers the vital role of rural hospitals,...National News
On June 30, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a new provider type developed for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and certain rural hospitals to help them avert potential closure and provide support for the essential services they provide to the communities they serve.
A Rural Emergency Hospital ...CMS Rules
On February 24, the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) gave a long-awaited announcement regarding the future of the Global and Professional Direct Contracting Model (GPDC). The existing model will phase out by December 31, 2022 and will be redesigned to create the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access and...Arizona News
On Monday, the White House announced an executive order (EO) directed at easing the "customer experience" of interacting with federally regulated public programs. The order directs certain federal agencies to make it easier for individuals to apply for and receive benefits, specifically through telehealth services, a personalized web...
Hospitalizations across the state are on the rise due to the extended surge related to the Delta variant of the coronavirus. Only 7% of intensive care unit beds are available statewide and 38% are in use by COVID-19 patients, a new high since February 2021.
On Wednesday, December 1, 2021, Arizona reported 3,163 new cases of COVID-19...
Cases are on a slow uptick nationwide with new cases on Tuesday, November 23 totaling 92,785. The rolling seven-day average for new cases is 95,481. There were 1,474 new deaths nationally and the total number of deaths nationally is now over 775,000. About 70% of the country has received at least one dose of the vaccine and just under...Arizona News
According to a poll conducted by Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute, healthcare is the foremost concern among the state’s rural population.
Water quality and health insurance tied for first place with 79% of respondents rating the importance of the two issues as either an 8, 9, or 10, on a scale of 1-10. In light...Arizona News
The University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix is offering to cover medical school tuition for those who commit to practice primary care in underserved regions of the state for at least two years following their residency.
An American Medical Association (AMA) study published in the summer linked increasing...Arizona News
Healthcare information technology giant Cerner has proven to be a favorite among health systems when selecting electronic health records (EHRs) as it recently secured a spot in the Mayo Clinic and Oxford University partnership and three new rural health system.
As Mayo Clinic establishes its first health facility in the United...National News
The latest of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates to unveil a health plan is South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, centering his proposal on rural health needs and emphasizing major shortage areas such as primary care, maternal care, mental health and substance abuse providers.
Buttigieg's plan offers support for Sen....
