The Coral Blog
Expert perspectives on policy, performance, and system change.
The Coral Blog is where we break down what’s happening in health care and what it means for leaders working to improve outcomes and affordability. Drawing from our cross-sector experience, we offer commentary that connects the dots between regulation, strategy, and operations.
From Plans to Implementation: What the First Six Months of the RHT Program Are Actually Showing
When the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program was first announced, the size of the investment drew immediate attention. A $50 billion federal rural health program naturally created expectations that states, providers, vendors, consultants, and technology companies would move quickly to position themselves.
What CMS’s Proposed Medicaid Payment Rule Could Mean for State Directed Payments
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a proposed rule that would change how certain Medicaid payments are limited, documented, and reviewed. The proposal focuses on Medicaid managed care state directed payments and certain targeted Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) payments.
CMS Announces the First Year of Rural Health Transformation Program Funding: What the FY26 Awards Show
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has officially announced the first year of funding under the Rural Health Transformation Program with $10 billion flowing to all 50 states for the first year. We analyzed the FY26 distribution across all 50 states and outline what it signals as implementation gets underway.
CMMI Launches New Technology-Supported Chronic Care Model: What You Need to Know About ACCESS
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Innovation Center (CMMI) has announced the ACCESS (Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions) Model, a new ten-year voluntary payment model designed to support continuous, technology-enabled care for Medicare beneficiaries with common chronic conditions.
Three Things States Should Know Before Applying for CMMI’s Innovation in Behavioral Health Model
In January 2024, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation announced the Innovation in Behavioral Health model, an eight-year initiative that funds states to encourage behavioral health providers to integrate physical and behavioral health care within a behavioral health setting for adults with moderate to severe mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
The Rural Health Crisis Requires More Than Money—It Demands Strategy
Sixty million Americans depend on rural hospitals and clinics for their care, yet these facilities are disappearing at an alarming rate. Emergency funding has repeatedly failed to stop the bleeding because it treats symptoms, not causes. The new $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program offers states and the people who depend on care in rural communities an unprecedented chance to fundamentally reimagine how rural care works.