Requests for Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding applications are live and providers have a short window to apply for program funds as reporting deadlines already loom large. States remain optimistic that the program's funding will facilitate much needed improvements to health delivery in rural areas.
In Arizona,...
AHCCCS has opened two Requests for Grant Applications (RFGAs) under the Arizona Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). The funding totals $13.5 million and the grants are designed to help rural healthcare organizations share operating costs and expand access to behavioral health and substance-use services.
Arizona received nearly...Arizona News
In a report released yesterday, Protect Our Care, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on expanding healthcare coverage and defending the Affordable Care Act, identified seven Arizona hospitals at risk of cuts or closure and nine Arizona clinics that have closed or announced closure since the passage of Trump's flagship legislation, The...National News
Reviewing national data from 2012 through 2023, a new ASPE issue brief examined rural hospital closures, finding that the strongest predictors of whether a rural hospital will close or convert to an outpatient-only facility were significantly low occupancy rates, a for-profit status, and a location near urban counties. A rural hospital's...
The National Rural Health Association is rolling out a new in district advocacy toolkit as Congress heads into its spring recess, aimed at helping rural providers and stakeholders engage lawmakers in their home districts.
The Senate recess runs March 28 through April 12, while the House recess extends through April 13.
The toolkit...
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,...
Across the country and in Arizona, hospitals both urban and rural are preparing for Medicaid cuts, which are anticipated to significantly compromise the delivery of care for safety net providers.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, is projected to reduce federal spending on the Medicaid program by $900...
The State of Arizona is gathering feedback on its participation in the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) through a new Request for Information (RFI). Arizona intends to submit a plan to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), seeking funds aimed at improving healthcare access and quality in rural parts of the...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...Arizona News
Healthcare providers across the nation and in Arizona are bracing for the potential impacts from Medicaid cuts as lawmakers scramble to clean up the big, ugly mess caused by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
Although more than two million Arizonans rely on and receive health coverage from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment...Arizona News
According to recently released data from the Medicare Cost Report, seven Arizona hospitals with a negative patient service margin (an indicator of loss) are at risk of closure.
The July report provides the patient service and total margins of all 27 rural Arizona hospitals, those below are deemed at risk.
Note: Arizona Indian Health...National News
Last week, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the topic of "cracking down on deceptive practices" related to the advertisement of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans.
The hearing covered a long list of issues with third-party marketers who represent MA plans, including allegations of false information, harassment, switching...
Rural hospitals experience unique issues as providers across the medical industry, and specifically in regards to Medicare Advantage (MA). Plan availability, the structure of available plans, and difficulties with processing payments are all reasons rural health systems are increasingly fighting MA.
A new study by Milliman highlights...
A group of 12 Democratic State Attorneys including Arizona's Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a lawsuit last Thursday asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to remove prescription and dispensation restrictions on mifepristone.
The attorneys general argue that removing the FDA restrictions would increase access to...
The American Hospital Association (AHA) ran a survey of 300 hospitals and health systems to determine the overall impact of cuts made to the 340B prescription drug pricing program. It found an enormous financial impact on struggling hospitals, specifically those in rural and underserved areas.
The 340B drug pricing program requires...
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 ...Arizona News
Santa Cruz Valley Regional Hospital in Green Valley, Arizona will close on June 30. Hospital CEO Steve Harris announced that the decision comes after the hospital was unable to secure staffing for the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
According to Becker's Hospital CFO Report, the hospital issued a Worker Adjustment and Retraining...National News
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...
On Wednesday, September 29, there were 3,388 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Arizona and 39 new COVID-19-related deaths. Deaths are reported by actual date of death. For intensive care unit beds, only 8% remain available statewide, with 30% of ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 patients.
This information can be found on the Arizona...
