Tracking State Rural Health Transformation Plans
吃瓜不打烊 is working to collect and post approved plans as more states respond to emails and public records requests for their documents.
The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
吃瓜不打烊 covers the health issues facing people who live in America鈥檚 rural reaches.
吃瓜不打烊 is working to collect and post approved plans as more states respond to emails and public records requests for their documents.
21 - 40 of 806 Results
Thousands of people who had a Medicare drug plan with zero-dollar premiums last year got small premium increases this year 鈥 and didn鈥檛 know it. They were dropped from their coverage for failing to pay amounts as little as $8, and most can鈥檛 get it again until 2027.
Gov. Gavin Newsom launched an ambitious initiative to make public schools the epicenter of mental health services for young people. Five years after he promised transformation, many schools have struggled to get the program up and running, and hundreds more have yet to try.
The Trump administration鈥檚 cuts to Medicaid and SNAP may complicate Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo鈥檚 reelection chances.
American hunters skew conservative, rural, and male 鈥 all associated with increased hesitancy about or resistance to vaccines. At the same time, hunters spend more time than most people outdoors and potentially exposed to Lyme disease. So how do they feel about a potential new vaccine against the tick-borne illness?
吃瓜不打烊 journalists made the rounds on national media last week to discuss topical stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
A program in rural eastern Kentucky is receiving opioid settlement funding to address substance use disorders, housing, hunger, and other challenges.
Medicare is testing the use of artificial intelligence to preapprove several healthcare services. Federal health officials say prior authorization can help reduce fraud and contain costs. But doctors and patients describe the trial as 鈥渉orrendous鈥 and full of red tape so far.
Amid advancements in treatment and screening, more Americans are surviving the disease. But many are left with psychological scars, such as lingering anxiety and depression.
Mehmet Oz, head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, framed the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program as 鈥渂old, creative plans鈥 led by states. But as states have started to roll out their plans, federal officials control where and how the money is spent.
After congressional Republicans let expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans expire at the end of last year, some families have decided the price is too great of a financial burden and canceled their coverage.
The Trump administration has laid out what millions of Americans on Medicaid must do to prove they鈥檙e working or completing other activities. Health policy researchers and consumer advocates say there are some important takeaways.
Measles has been spreading in Utah for nearly a year, straining hospitals, schools, and parents. The state鈥檚 outbreak provides a glimpse into a new era in America鈥檚 health, in which vaccine-preventable diseases become common again.
The research is clear: Among the various complex issues that contribute to suicide, loneliness is a big one. Now, there鈥檚 a growing push to address loneliness not just through personal choices but also through public policy.
Immigrant detainees have told courts across the nation that detention officials have failed to treat or stabilize their conditions, from pregnancy to prostate cancer, suggesting that systemic lapses in care extend well beyond record deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
Many telehealth companies have emerged in recent years offering easy access to GLP-1 weight loss drugs as demand has exploded. Meanwhile, researchers and doctors are concerned that some of these online companies aren't properly screening or monitoring patients. 鈥淚t gives a black eye to telemedicine,鈥 one researcher said.
Several rural communities were thrust into a charged national debate over the Trump administration鈥檚 mass deportation strategy when federal officials sought to place new detention centers in them. In Social Circle, Georgia, locals fear the effort will overburden its modest healthcare infrastructure.
Conservative Shasta County stopped a measles outbreak from spreading, enlisting teachers, church leaders, and other trusted community members to get the public on board with health guidelines. Infectious disease specialists say the successful effort could be a guide for other communities struggling to contain the highly contagious virus.
The state is ramping up to implement the federal work requirements six months ahead of the deadline. But Montana is one of several states already struggling to pay for health services.
Congress' decision not to extend enhanced marketplace tax credits has boosted the appeal of alternative health coverage with lower monthly premiums. Consumer advocates dismiss the plans as "junk insurance,鈥 while proponents say patients need alternatives to pricey marketplace options.
Republicans promise that $50 billion in new health funding will help rural America. But it鈥檚 not expected to aid the years-long effort in North Carolina鈥檚 Martin County to reopen its only hospital.
漏 2026 KFF