Health Care Matters | August 14
RHT Program Draws Scrutiny as Medicaid Cuts Take Effect
As states begin implementing the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program, rural hospitals and some lawmakers are raising concerns about both the program’s funding restrictions and the administrative burden associated with implementation. Rural providers have pointed to compressed timelines, detailed federal reporting requirements, and limits on how states can direct funding, including a 15% cap on provider payments. At the same time, some senators are questioning whether RHTP will be sufficient to offset the financial pressure rural providers may face following the Medicaid reductions enacted through H.R. 1. These concerns are emerging as states move quickly to distribute their first year of funding and providers begin turning state plans into actual projects. Read here and here.
Why It Matters
We have been tracking the RHT Program closely, and two distinct issues are beginning to converge. First, the program was never structured to replace the Medicaid funding reduced through H.R. 1; it is a time-limited investment intended to support changes in rural health care delivery, workforce, technology, access, and other areas. At the same time, the early implementation experience suggests that administrative requirements, short timelines, and restrictions on how funds can be used could make it harder for rural organizations with limited capacity to participate fully. How CMS and states manage those implementation challenges will shape whether RHTP dollars translate into sustainable changes for rural communities.
Look for the Helpers: Helping Patients Make More Confident Choices About Hospital Care
Mayo Clinic’s HealthLocator is a free digital tool designed to make hospital quality information easier for patients and families to understand and use. It brings publicly available data on more than 5,000 hospitals into one place, allowing people to compare quality, safety, and patient experience when deciding where to seek care. A new NEJM Catalyst conversation explores the thinking behind the tool and the belief that greater transparency can help patients make more informed decisions while building trust in the health care system. Read here.
What We're Writing
The Request Beneath the Request: A Responsive Approach to Technical Assistance
Our latest blog explores how effective technical assistance goes beyond delivering a requested tool or answer. Using a provider readiness assessment as an example, we look at how responsive TA can help clarify the underlying implementation challenge, tailor support to the participant’s context, and keep complex work moving forward without overcomplicating what needs to get done. Read here.
What We're Attending
Health Tech Talk Show: Friday News Roundup
August 14, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. ET
Kat Kovalchik McDavitt and Lisa Bari will close out the week with a live discussion of the latest health tech news, highlighting the stories and trends they think deserve attention. The informal conversation will offer a quick take on what mattered most across health care and technology this week. Tune in here.
Unlocking ACCESS: A Joint Discussion on Challenges and Opportunities
August 17, 2026 | 2:00 p.m. ET
The Health Care Transformation Task Force, National Association of ACOs, Accountable for Health, and America’s Physician Groups will host a collaborative discussion with ACCESS participants and their physician, clinician, health system, and ACO partners. The session will focus on implementation challenges, operational strategies that are working in practice, and advocacy priorities that could strengthen the model as rollout continues. Register here.
What We Are Reading
What We're Reading
Collaborations Between Healthcare and Public Health in Rural Settings
A Health Affairs Scholar study examines how rural health care organizations and local health departments collaborate, highlighting the relationships, resources, and infrastructure needed to sustain those partnerships. Read here.
A National Strategy to End the Health Care Workforce Pipeline Crisis
A Health Affairs Forefront article argues for a coordinated national approach to addressing health care workforce shortages across education, training, and employment. Read here.
Improving Access to Medicare Home Health Care: Key Policy Considerations
A Commonwealth Fund issue brief examines how payment incentives, Medicare Advantage practices, and workforce constraints may be limiting beneficiaries’ access to home health care. Read here.
Pop Health Podcast
What This Year's Proposed Physician Fee Schedule Means for ACOs
This year's proposed physician fee schedule includes a wide range of changes that could affect accountable care organizations, clinicians, and Medicare beneficiaries—from updates to financial methodology and quality measurement to new ideas for prospective payment and specialty care.
In this episode, Coral's Joy Chen and Maria Alexander speak with Jake Quinton, Chief Medical Officer for the Center for Medicare about which proposals matter most, what they signal about CMS’s longer-term vision for accountable care, and where CMS is seeking practical feedback from organizations working on the ground.