Rural issues
The 2026 AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, February 8-11 in San Antonio, will gather more than 1,000 rural health leaders committed to advancing rural health and providing quality care for patients and communities. The conference will feature top rural practitioners sharing actionable…
Medicare pays most acute care hospitals under the inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS). Some of these hospitals receive additional support from Medicare to help address potential financial challenges associated with being rural, geographically isolated and low volume. These programs are Low-…
A new AHA Market Scan Trailblazer report suggests tat rural hospital constraints related to operating margins, workforce shortages, geographic isolation, and growing administrative burden may be accelerating a more pragmatic and targeted approach to artificial intelligence adoption.
The House of Representatives Jan. 22 voted 341-88 to pass the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 (H.R.7148), which contains conferenced legislation for the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development.
- Legislation and Legislative Advocacy
- Medicaid
- Medicare
- Medicare Sequestration Payment Reductions
- Cybersecurity
- Rural issues
- Workforce
- Child and Adolescent Health
- Maternal Health
- Medical Education and Research
- Access to Behavioral Health
- Substance Use Disorder
- Disaster Preparedness
- 340B Drug Pricing Program
AHA Rural Health Update is a compilation of news from the AHA and its Rural Health Services team. Update provides constituents with a synopsis of breaking news on key issues targeted to rural providers.
This Trailblazer explores how rural hospitals are using AI to stabilize operations and extend care without large-scale IT investment.
More than 57 million rural Americans depend on their hospital not only as an important source of care but also as a critical component of their area's economic and social framework. Rural hospitals also face the same difficulties shared by many hospitals — including financial stress, workforce…
The House Jan. 22 voted 341-88 to pass a three-bill minibus for fiscal year 2026 that includes funding for key health programs and other bipartisan health care provisions and extensions. The bill includes extensions of AHA-supported priorities, such as the Medicare-dependent hospital and…
Rural Health News Update for January 22, 2026.
Legislative reform recommendations for Congress to consider to further support flexible implementation and widespread participation in value-based and alternative payment models while delivering improvements in the cost and quality of care.