- 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
Revised Federal Regulations Published for Opioid Treatment Programs
In February 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published the first significant revision in more than 20 years to 42 CFR part 8, the regulations that guide opioid treatment programs (OTPs).
The changes promote greater retention in care by reducing barriers to receiving evidence-based medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and promoting practitioner’s professional judgment in meeting the needs of individual patients with patient-centered approaches to care.
HHS Announces New AI-Driven Audit Program for Grantees
The Department of Health and Human Services announced the Audit Enforcement and Risk Oversight (AERO) initiative.
AERO, through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources, aims to utilize analytical artificial intelligence tools to conduct audits across all 50 states and other federal grant recipients. AERO will review all audits that grantees have filed in the last five years. States, local governments, nonprofit organizations, and other grantees that receive $1M or more in federal funding must submit an audit to the federal government to ensure compliance with federal regulations and detail their financial operations.
With the AERO initiative, HHS hopes to eliminate or reduce audit noncompliance, unresolved audit findings, and delinquent submissions. HHS did not provide an estimate of potential cost savings, noting that the initiative is too new.
In its press release, the department stated that any entity that is unwilling to address findings from AERO may face temporary payment withholds, suspension or termination of award, withholds of future federal funds, or other remedies permitted under the law.
HRSA Announces Rural Opioid and Residency Funding Announcements
Three new important federal rural health grant opportunities have been announced!
Rural Communities Opioid Response Planning Program (RCORP – Planning) – Apply by July 8. The RCORP – Planning Program helps rural communities build the capacity to develop and sustain substance use disorder (SUD) services by lowering barriers to federal funding and preparing funded organizations to create larger, more complex networks. HRSA has $4 million for up to 40 awards and recipients can receive up to $100,000 per year over a two-year project period. You can view a recording of technical assistance webinar and see slides and other updates under “documents” section for this NOFO in Grants.gov.
Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Impact (RCORP – Impact) – Apply by July 8. The RCORP – Impact Program helps rural communities by expanding access to evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery services through the building of a larger, more responsive workforce to meet behavioral health needs. An integrated and coordinated partnership approach across health and social services is required, leading to sustained long-term recovery and reduction in morbidity and mortality. HRSA has $60 million for up to 80 awards and recipients can receive up to $750,000 per year over a four-year project period. You can view a recording of technical assistance webinar and see slides and other updates under the “documents” section for this NOFO in Grants.gov.
Visit the HHS webpages Tips for Preparing Grant Proposals and HRSA Grants Page for important information on pre-application requirements and guidance on submitting a well thought out application.
Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program – Apply by July 8. The RRPD program provides start-up funding to grant recipients to create accredited rural residency programs in a qualifying medical specialty as well as FORHP-funded technical assistance for rural graduate medical education for the duration of their project period. HRSA has $11.25 million to award up to 15 awardees up to $750,000 for a three-year grant period. You can view a recording of the technical assistance webinar for this opportunity. There are frequently asked questions for interested applicants.
Applicants may also benefit from the resources and tools available in the Rural GME Development Portal, including profiles of current and past RRPD grantees.
For each funding opportunity, visit the HHS webpages Tips for Preparing Grant Proposals and HRSA Grants Page for important information on pre-application requirements and guidance on submitting a well thought out application.
National SNAP Tracker Available
New federal regulations enacted under H.R. 1 have altered eligibility rules for certain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries, including expanded work requirements and stricter time limits. These rules now require individuals to work, volunteer, or participate in an education or training program for at least 20 hours per week (or 80 hours per month).
As of March 2026, enrollment in SNAP has declined by 11% over the past year, a trend that is not unique to Pennsylvania.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has developed a national tracker highlighting SNAP enrollment losses across the country.
HRSA Shares Oral Health Literacy Resources
The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) has oral health literacy resources available on their website. These free materials are intended for health professionals, health educators, community health workers, and any other organizations working with patients. Topics include pregnancy and young children, oral health for adults, and oral health in connection with other health conditions.
These Pennsylvania Hospitals Could Close Due to Medicaid Cuts, Study Says
Twelve Pennsylvania hospitals and medical centers are at risk of closing due to recent Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to a new study from consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. The study found that 446 hospitals in the U.S. are at risk of closing or offering reduced services when the new cuts take effect. President Donald Trump signed the act into law in July, and it will cut $911 billion in federal spending from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program over the next 10 years.
These hospitals are:
- Bucktail Medical Center, Renovo, Clinton County
- UPMC Greene, Waynesburg, Greene County
- Highlands Hospital, Connellsville, Fayette County
- Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Darby, Delaware County
- Roxborough Memorial Hospital, Philadelphia
- Nazareth Hospital, Philadelphia
- Lower Bucks Hospital, Bristol, Bucks County
- Millcreek Community Hospital, Erie
- UPMC Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh
- Valley Forge Medical Center, Norristown, Montgomery County
- Suburban Community Hospital, Norristown, Montgomery County
- UPMC McKeesport, McKeesport, Allegheny County
New Analysis: Estimates of the Reach of the High Unemployment Exception to Medicaid Work Requirements
As states prepare to implement Medicaid work requirements by January 2027, most of the states subject to work requirements (42 states and the District of Columbia) are planning to adopt an optional hardship exception for Medicaid expansion enrollees and applicants living in counties with high unemployment rates. A new KFF analysis estimates the reach of the high unemployment exception:
- In the 39 states that are adopting or may adopt the hardship exception, about 1.4 million or 7.5% of Medicaid expansion enrollees live in one of the 133 counties that currently meet the high-unemployment criteria. Nine in 10 of those enrollees are concentrated in five states: California, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Oregon. Among the 12 undecided states, a large share of Medicaid expansion enrollees (32,800) live in Arizona counties with high unemployment.
- Four states—Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Oklahoma—do not plan to adopt the exception. About 3,300 Medicaid expansion enrollees in Iowa and Missouri live in high-unemployment counties and could be exempt if the states decided to adopt the exception.
The analysis uses 12-month average county unemployment rates; however, soon-to-be released guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) may require a different methodology.
New Data Highlights How Eds and Meds Shape Regional Employment
Universities and hospitals are often discussed together as “anchor institutions,” but new research explores how they impact regional economies in distinct ways.
A recent update to the Anchor Economy Dashboard now offers a clearer view of how the eds and meds sectors shape local economies. The latest version includes more recent employment, income, and GDP data and, for the first time, separates hospitals and higher education institutions — allowing users to see and compare the economic impacts of each sector in their region.
Key insights:
- Hospitals are larger employers: They account for 70 percent of anchor-related employment nationally and generate more than half of anchor-related jobs in 90 percent of regions.
- Different growth trajectories: The median increase in hospital-related employment was 35 percent from 2004 to 2024 versus 19 percent for higher education across regions in the sample. One possible explanation for this is changes in local population size.
Examining regional anchor composition can help communities assess local economic opportunities and vulnerabilities. Read the research brief.
- See hospital and higher education employment, income, and GDP in your region.
- Compare your community to similar areas across the nation.
- Better understand long-term trends shaping your economy.
New Brief: Medicare Advantage Enrollment Update 2025
This policy brief is part of the RUPRI Center’s ongoing annual series analyzing Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment trends. It examines both total and rural/urban (nonmetropolitan/metropolitan) enrollment patterns, as well as shifts in the types of MA plans selected by beneficiaries. The brief also explores how past policy changes may have influenced these enrollment dynamics.
Authors: Edmer Lazaro, DPT, MSHCA; Fred Ullrich, BA; Dan M. Shane, PhD; Keith Mueller, PhD
CMS: More Restrictive Definition of Medical Frailty in New Medicaid Work Requirements Rule
On June 1, 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule on Medicaid work requirements that adopts a restrictive definition of medical frailty—differing from states’ early expectations.
The more restrictive definition of medical frailty adopted by the Trump Administration will be challenging for states to implement and could lead to more people falling through the cracks and losing coverage.