Rural issues
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.
The White House hosted a roundtable on rural health Jan. 16 that included health care leaders, legislators and administration officials.
UnitedHealth Group announced Jan. 14 that it launched a six-month pilot program to reduce Medicare Advantage payment processing times by half for rural hospitals in four states.
The AHA Jan. 14 expressed support for the Rural Hospital Cybersecurity Enhancement Act (S. 2169), legislation that would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to create a comprehensive workforce strategy to train cybersecurity professionals and develop partnerships to expand the…
The American Hospital Association expresses support for the Rural Hospital Cybersecurity Enhancement Act (S. 2169).