- Weathering the Storm Together: Community Resiliency Hubs Hold the Promise of Local Self-Sufficiency and Supportive Mutual Aid
- Virginia Tech Researchers Bring Rural Families into the Nation's Largest Study of Early Brain and Child Development
- Expanding Access to Cancer Care for Rural Veterans
- VA: Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee, Notice of Meeting
- Scaling Rural Wellness with Clever Collaboration
- Stroudwater Associates Enhances Rural Healthcare Dashboard with New Data to Support State Rural Transformation Grant Applications
- Harvest Season Is Here: Busy Times Call for Increased Focus on Safety and Health
- HHS Dispatches More Than 70 Public Health Service Officers to Strengthen Care in Tribal Communities
- Wisconsin Rural Hospitals Team up to Form Network
- CMS Launches Landmark $50 Billion Rural Health Transformation Program
- American Heart Association Provides Blood Pressure Kits at Southeast Arkansas Regional Libraries to Support Rural Health
- Broadening Access to Minimally Invasive Surgery Could Narrow Rural-Urban Health Gaps
- Instead of Selling, Some Rural Hospitals Band Together To Survive
- Help Line Gives Pediatricians Crucial Mental Health Information to Help Kids, Families
- Rural Health: A Strategic Opportunity for Governors
CMS’s New Medicaid Profile Is Required Reading for Health Policy Professionals
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released its latest Medicaid and CHIP Beneficiary Profile, offering valuable insights for health policy professionals and those serving Medicaid populations.
Key findings include:
- Medicaid covered 41.6% of all U.S. births in 2023, with some states reaching as high as 67.9%
- Children represent 35.9% of all Medicaid beneficiaries nationally, with certain states enrolling up to 75% children
- More than one-third of Medicaid/CHIP households also receive SNAP benefits, underscoring the opportunity for Medicaid and SNAP coordination to smooth the consumer experience and ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars.
2026 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) Standards Released
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an informational bulletin with the 2026 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) Standards. Included with the bulletin is the 2026 Dual Eligible Standards chart that displays the new standards for the Medicare Savings Program categories.
Pennsylvania SNAP Updates and Resources
Under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), if some recipients did not meet work requirements that include working, volunteering, or participating in an education or training program for at least 20 hours a week (or 80 hours each month) AND report that they were meeting these work requirements, certain Pennsylvanian’s benefits may have ended beginning Jan. 1.
Due to changes in federal rules, recipients who did not meet those defined requirements will only be able to receive SNAP for three months within a three-year period. To help SNAP recipients and applicants find out if they need to meet these requirements, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has launched a new online screening tool.
To assist with connecting with employment and training program or volunteer opportunities, recipients can access information on the DHS E&T website and PA Navigate