- 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
Pennsylvania Holds First Meeting of the H.R. 1 Workgroup
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) has indicated to their partners that they intend to take a person-centered approach to H.R. 1 implementation and will work to mitigate and minimize harm where they can.
To help accomplish those goals, DHS put together an H.R. 1 Workgroup to review upcoming changes and to work with DHS to prepare and engage with leaders on ways partners can help affected Pennsylvanians prepare for these changes and maintain their benefits. The workgroup held their first meeting earlier this week. Here are some key items of interest:
- DHS launched the Human Services Helpers Substack in October 2025 to improve information and resource sharing for H.R. 1 implementation and other DHS updates. Providers are encouraged to subscribeto receive the latest information and updates.
- Work requirements are back in place for many SNAP recipients. Work requirements for Medicaid expansion recipients will not go into effect until January 1, 2027.
- To help individuals comply with work requirements, DHS launched http://www.dhs.pa.gov/work, which offers a comprehensive overview of new work requirements and information on how Pennsylvanians can meet requirements through work, volunteering, or education/training.
Pennsylvanians can use PA Navigate to search for volunteer opportunities.
State Income Tax Removed from Pennsylvania Primary Care Loan Repayment Program
The Pennsylvania Primary Care Loan Repayment Program awardees have historically been subject to state income tax on the loan repayment award. We are pleased to announce that the guidance on this has changed, and the loan repayment award is no longer subject to state-level income tax.
Current recipients were notified of this change by the Primary Care Office and were advised to consult a tax professional regarding tax reporting. The date of the next application cycle has not yet been released, but prospective applicants are encouraged to monitor the Primary Care Office’s website for updates.
Pennsylvania Posts Medicaid Managed Care Directory
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) regularly posts their Medicaid Managed Care Directory, which includes contact information for the physical health and behavioral health MCOs by region and provides information on the Dental Benefit Managers and Vision Benefit Managers.
CMS Releases Toolkit for Children’s Behavioral Health Services
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the “State Medicaid & CHIP Toolkit for Children’s Behavioral Health Services and the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) Requirements.”
This toolkit serves as a resource for state Medicaid and CHIP agencies in ensuring that children and youth experiencing behavioral health conditions get the care they need and includes strategies for developing a behavioral health care delivery system that can meet a range of children’s needs, promoting early intervention for children’s behavioral health conditions, improving children’s access to behavioral health care through service coordination and integration, and increasing the workforce capacity for children’s behavioral health services. The toolkit also provides descriptive information on behavioral health services and models of care, as well as resources related to the delivery of behavioral health services for children and youth.
For more information on children’s behavioral health services and EPSDT, please see the toolkit.
New Report Explores Relationship Between Oral Health, Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment
Having a mental health condition such as depression, anxiety, or a substance use challenge can negatively impact one’s oral health. Likewise, poor oral health can create or exacerbate challenges associated with mental health, cognitive health, and substance use.
Read the full article from National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
Pennsylvania’s Rural Health Transformation Integrates CHWs
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded Pennsylvania $193 million for the first year of its’ approved, five-year Rural Health Transformation Plan (RHTP). This plan was created to foster innovation and improve access to essential health services in rural communities. PA is home to the third largest rural population in the nation.
Community Health Workers (CHW) are an essential community-based workforce who improve whole person and family health, connect patients to resources, and helps bridge gaps in care and address social needs. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Service is actively moving forward to create pathways to fund this essential workforce and ensure policy reflects the added value of the CHW workforce.
New Article: Pennsylvania’s ‘Maternity Deserts’ are Reaching a Crisis Point
Health officials blame the closures on a national OB-GYN shortage, along with rural population decline, high liability costs, a drop in immigration, and the particular challenges of recruiting rural obstetricians.
New Brief: Solutions for Reducing Administrative Burdens in Value-Based Primary Care
There is strong evidence and a growing consensus that greater investment in primary care through value-based models provides teams the resources they need to deliver proactive, whole-person primary care. Unfortunately, administrative burdens discourage primary care participation in new care models that can improve primary care access and comprehensiveness.
In conjunction with Value Week, the Primary Care Collaborative has developed a brief exploring how policymakers and other decision makers can reduce administrative burdens and streamline participation in value-based models.
The brief draws on surveys of the PCC community, expert feedback and existing literature to create concrete recommendations for streamlining primary care’s experience in alternative payment models.
New Report! Designing Rural Value-Based Care for the Future
The Rural Health Value (RHV) team is pleased to announce the release of “Designing Rural Value-Based Care for the Future” – a new report identifying strategies and ideas to accelerate rural healthcare organization participation and success in value-based care (VBC) and value-based payment (VBP). In June 2025, The RHV team convened a group of rural health care leaders to discuss the current state and future opportunities of rural VBC and payment. This Summit report is the latest in the series of Rural Health Value convenings and briefs that have offered insight, strategies, and recommendations for those implementing VBC and those designing VBP programs.
Related resources on the Rural Health Value website:
- Rural Value-Based Care – The Payer Perspective, Rural Health Value Summit Report. The report explores insights, innovations, successes, and challenges in rural health value-based care (VBC) contracting with findings gleaned from an RHV convening of professionals and executives from national and regional health care payer organizations. This report summarizes challenges and solutions followed by suggestions for rural health care organization leaders from the Summit participants. (2024)
- Rural Health Value Summit: Driving Value Through Community-Based Partnerships. Four rural communities (in AR, MI, OR, SC) shared experiences with health care and community-based partnerships that highlighted opportunities for policymakers, payers, and health system leaders for building and supporting social needs infrastructure in rural communities in alignment with value-based care strategies. (2023)
Rural Health Value facilitates the transition of rural healthcare organizations, payers, and communities from volume-based to value-based health care and payment models. Visit www.ruralhealthvalue.org.
For more information, contact Clint MacKinney, MD, MS, Co-Principal Investigator, at clint-mackinney@uiowa.edu.
Pennsylvania Governor Unveils 2026-27 Budget Proposal
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro presented his 2026–27 budget proposal to the General Assembly and the people of Pennsylvania — building on three years of historic progress by continuing to do what’s working across the commonwealth to lower costs, create economic growth, strengthen public safety, support students, and continue Pennsylvania’s rise.
The governor’s $53 billion budget proposal maintains fiscal responsibility, continues to cut taxes, and ensures taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. However, the ballooning cost of Medicaid and the challenges of dealing with an aging population will continue to put intense pressure on the budget. The line item for the Primary Care Practitioner Program, which funds the Pennsylvania Career Center and the state Primary Care Loan Repayment Program, was once again funded at $8,350,000.
Read more information about the proposed budget. You can also read a transcript of the budget address.