Rural Health
Rural Health
Rural-Urban Disparities in Health Care in Medicare
This report describes rural-urban differences in health care experiences and clinical care received nationally in 2019. In addition to comparing the quality of care delivered to rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries overall, the report looks at how these differences vary by race and ethnicity.
Read the Rural-Urban Disparities in Health Care in Medicare (PDF) report.
CMS is rethinking Rural Health. Our goal at CMS is to develop programs and policies that ensure rural Americans have access to high quality care, support rural providers and not disadvantage them, address the unique economics of providing health care in rural America, and reduce unnecessary burdens in a stretched system to advance our commitment to improving health outcomes for Americans living in rural areas. Rethinking Rural Health is a vital part of CMS's push to transform the health care delivery system to a model that delivers high quality, affordable, and accessible health care for every American.
Learn how CMS is applying a rural lens to new and ongoing activities of the Agency and informs the pathway by which CMS can achieve its rural health vision through intra-agency collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and the elevation of programs and policies that will advance the state of rural health care in America.
Learn how CMS is working to improve access to care for rural populations through its Rural Health Council and other initiatives.
Find data related to improving health care access, quality, and outcomes for rural populations.
Learn how CMS is working to improve access to care for rural populations through its Rural Health Council and other initiatives.
Sign up for opportunities and reach out to our CMS Rural Health Coordinators. To receive the latest news on rural health care policy and programs, sign up for the rural health listserv.