- 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
New Topic Guide Addresses Community Health Workers in Rural Settings
The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) recently updated its topic guide for community health worker (CHW) initiatives, currently playing a prominent role in state Rural Health Transformation Program efforts across the country.
The site includes FAQs about CHW roles, training, certification, and a Community Health Workers Toolkit for guidance on planning, implementing, and sustaining a CHW program in your rural community.
Senior Medicare Patrols Address Independence, Health, Well-being
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services with a mission to maximize the independence, well-being, and health of older adults, individuals with disabilities, and their families and caregivers.
The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is a national network that covers all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. SMPs recruit and train retired professionals and other volunteers to recognize and report health care fraud and help seniors make better financial and health care choices.
Visit the SMP Resource Center to get the latest news and/or report on consumer fraud, find online learning events, and become a volunteer.
Engaging Service Members, Veterans, Families: A Toolkit for Behavioral Health Clinics
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides methods for Community Behavioral Health Clinics deliver services to military service members, veterans, and their families.
The resource features discussion about challenges and considerations for providing treatment in rural and remote areas.
Women Face Health Care Affordability Challenges
Findings from the 2026 KFF Women’s Health Survey show that health care costs remain a major barrier for many women, leading to delayed care to rationed medications to cuts in spending on basic needs. Read more
Also, the latest volume of The Monitor explores how women navigate contraceptive information, including which sources they trust and how misinformation can shape decisions. Read The Monitor
Survey Probes Rural Voters’ Increasing Anxieties On Rising Cost of Living, Health Costs, Before Midterms
Rural voters’ frustrations about the cost of living in their community are growing and appear to be chipping away at Republicans’ enthusiasm to vote as the midterm elections near, according to findings from a new KFF/AP survey. Explore the poll findings
KFF Health News and the AP report on how rising costs are shaping rural voters’ views of the economy and the Trump administration. Read the story
Pennsylvania Marketplace Rates Continue to Rise
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) approved 2027 Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance rates for individuals and small group health insurance markets through the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority (Pennie).
Pennsylvanians shopping on Pennie for 2027 coverage will see an average increase of 15.97%, while small businesses will see an average increase of 10.28%. Insurers saw a 13% increase in medical claims from 2024 to 2025 further underscoring their request to increase rates overall. Health Insurance Affordability has been the number one reason customers pinpoint as their barrier to purchasing and staying enrolled in health insurance coverage.
When congress failed to reauthorize enhanced premium tax credits for the 2026 plan year, this caused many individuals to drop coverage. As of September 1, 2026, total Pennie enrollment was 417,158. In total, including Open Enrollment 2026, Pennie has seen nearly 202,000 individuals cancel coverage.
Court Rules that Change to the “Federal Public Benefit” Definition Must go Through the Notice-and-Comment Regulatory Process
In July 2026, the federal Administration issued a series of Federal Register Notices (FRNs) expanding the list of “Federal Public Benefits” that certain groups of non-citizens are prohibited from receiving.
On September 21, the District Court of Rhode Island issued a permanent injunction, holding that changes of this type must be made through regulation and therefore are subject to notice and comment. The Court vacated (i.e., voided) the existing FRNs and prohibited the Administration from enforcing them. Notably, the Court did not address whether specific programs — such as the Health Center Program — should be considered Federal Public Benefits, stating that courts should avoid “prejudging the notice-and-comment process.”
The Administration is expected to soon launch the regulatory process to implement the policies the FRNs sought to establish, so this reprieve may be only temporary. In the meantime, the ruling technically applies only to the plaintiff states and DC. To date, however, the Administration has not broadly enforced the FRNs in non-plaintiff states. It is hoped that approach will continue while the regulatory process moves forward.
Total RHTP Funding Will Offset 5-6% of Planned Federal Medicaid Cuts
Nationally, the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) will provide $50 billion in Federal funding over 5 years (2026-30), including $1 billion in Pennsylvania.
By comparison, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is expected to reduce Federal Medicaid spending by $840 billion to $1 trillion over 10 years (2025-2034), with about one-third of those reductions due to work requirements. Thus, total RHTP spending will account for between 5% and 6% of total Federal Medicaid reductions.
Pennsylvania Medicaid Expansion Recipients Receive First Notice of Impending Work Requirements
In August 2026, current Pennsylvania Medicaid recipients who are eligible under Medicaid expansion received a mailing outlining the upcoming Medicaid work requirements. The mailing included:
- How to meet requirements.
- Situations that may make individuals exempt from work requirements.
A copy of the initial outreach mailing is available online. Mailings started going out the last week of August and were sent out over four mailings through September. For the most up-to-date information on the implementation of the work requirements check out the Medicaid Changes Communications Toolkit.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has developed this communications toolkit to assist providers and others with outreach to help Medicaid recipients understand these changes and what they must do to keep their Medicaid.
340B State Legislation Introduced in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania legislators Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-49), with co-sponsor Rep. Tarik Khan (D-194), introduced HR 2797, an act providing for 340B drug reimbursement, reimbursement claims methodology, safety net reimbursement protection, safety net prescription drug distribution and access protections and enforcement; and imposing penalties. This is just the start of a long battle to secure protections for 340B in Pennsylvania.