CMS’ Roadmap for Rural Health
In August, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) hosted the three in-person Rural Health Hackathons in Bozeman, MT, Dallas, TX, and Wilson, NC, convening local rural health providers, community-based organizations (CBOs), industry and tech entrepreneurs, philanthropies, policy experts, and patients. During the Hackathon, participants were placed into multidisciplinary teams to generate creative and actionable solutions for ongoing and emerging rural health challenges related to access to care, care delivery, and workforce. CMMI also welcomed input virtually from stakeholders across the country unable to attend an in-person session.
Hackathon Themes
The Hackathons served as a platform for participants to explore the unique challenges facing health care in rural areas across three key themes: access to care, care delivery, and workforce. While challenges in these areas are present in health care across all settings, rural communities face distinct obstacles that amplify their impact. One major issue is the limited availability of comprehensive health care services, ranging from primary and preventive services to specialty care. Additionally, administrative burden, which impacts the entire health care system, is even more pronounced in rural settings as rural providers often have fewer resources and limited staff to manage complex billing and reporting requirements and electronic health record systems, leading to increased burden and reduced time for patient care. Finally, rural communities face significant difficulties in recruiting, training, and retaining health care professionals, from physicians to nurses, exacerbating existing workforce shortages.
CMS’ Path Forward
During the Hackathon, participants shared existing novel rural health programs that could be scaled and generated new solutions for sustainably transforming rural health systems which will be used by CMS to inform their near and long-term plans to support rural health transformation. Examples of the suggested tactics participants developed, and actions CMS may explore to advance and re-imagine health care in rural, Tribal, frontier, and geographically isolated areas are outlined in the table below.
Rural Health Priorities – 2025 and Beyond
CMMI’s ongoing dedication to improving rural health underscores the need to align with the president-elect’s healthcare priorities. The upcoming Trump administration is anticipated to focus on expanding community-based home healthcare, addressing the workforce shortage by removing disincentives and supporting unpaid family caregivers with tax credits and reduced bureaucracy. CMMI's continued efforts to enhance rural health will be crucial in supporting the incoming administration's healthcare agenda and advancing broader health care priorities for rural America.
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