By Laura Young – The future of tech enabled care has never felt more real than it does heading into 2026. We are standing at a moment where statewide interoperability, Medicaid modernization, AI acceleration, and community level transformation are converging to reshape how data supports the people who need it most.
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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.
By Laura Young – A review of the state-submitted RHT abstracts shows that while workforce, telehealth, and hospital sustainability remain prominent, the most consistent throughline across states is the need to fix how information moves at the last mile.
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.
The application period, open from September 15 through November 5, 2025, invited every state to design a plan for transforming its rural health care system. Each proposal must outline how states intend to expand access, enhance quality, and improve outcomes for patients through sustainable, state-driven innovation.
By Halle Parker – 20 years after Katrina, Louisiana still struggles with evacuation plans that minimize health risks. Transportation officials say the price is too high to switch to methods used in Florida and Texas.
By Russell Teague – Rural care in America just got a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and a stress test. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has launched the Rural Health Transformation Program, a $50 billion, five-year initiative aimed at helping states reimagine rural care delivery.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled details on how states can apply to receive funding from the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program created under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act to strengthen health care across rural America.
By Deborah Kozick & Brian Dees – Individuals residing in rural areas face numerous challenges when it comes to accessing healthcare. These challenges are compounded by disparities in health status and outcomes between individuals residing in urban and rural areas.