By Sarah Jane Tribble, Arielle Zionts, & Maia Rosenfeld – In late December, President Donald Trump’s administration announced how much all 50 states would get under its new Rural Health Transformation Program, assigning them to use the money to fix systemic problems that leave rural Americans without access to good health care. Now, the clock is ticking.
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By Sarah Jane Tribble & Arielle Zionts – Echo Kopplin wants South Dakota’s leaders to know that money from a new $50 billion federal rural health fund should help residents with limited transportation options. Kopplin, a physician assistant who works with seniors, low-income people, and mental health patients in the rural Black Hills, shared her thoughts at a meeting hosted by state officials.
By Arielle Zionts – Rural hospital leaders are questioning whether they can continue to afford to do business with Medicare Advantage companies, and some say the only way to maintain services and protect patients is to end their contracts with the private insurers.
By Arielle Zionts – Rural America has a shortage of health care providers. The Indian Health Service, which serves Indigenous patients in mostly rural areas, has also struggled to recruit and retain staff. Rural residents make up about 14% of the U.S. population but fewer than 5% of incoming medical students, according to a study of 2017 data.