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This is a preview of the November 6 edition of Access Health—Tap here to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Good morning. Yesterday was the submission deadline for Rural Health Transformation applications, and some states have started releasing overviews of their plans. Here’s what we know so far (a special thanks to my colleague Lauren Giella for her reporting on this topic). At the time of writing on Wednesday, three state governors had publicly unveiled their blueprints: North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe and Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves. Unsurprisingly, telehealth expansion and stronger workforce pipelines were core to their proposals. But I did find another common thread throughout the states’ plans: They all called for some level of interoperability between health care stakeholders. Missouri aims to create a “unified, regional network” that will connect providers, public health agencies, at-home resources and digital health tools to expand access, according to Kehoe’s news release. Mississippi wants to build a “connected, data-driven network of emergency, clinical and community-based services,” Reeves said. And Armstrong outlined four strategic initiatives for his state, including “connecting technology, data and providers for a stronger North Dakota.” A few weeks ago, on the heels of the Summit on the Future of Rural Health Care, I wrote about the skepticism that many health care executives expressed when asked about the $50 billion transformation fund. (If you missed it, you can check out that newsletter here.) I’ve come across a few recurring concerns: (1) that the plans will be too broad to effect real change, (2) that they’ll set up costly programs that won’t be sustainable once the cash infusions end and (3) that $50 billion is not nearly enough to offset the $1 trillion in Medicaid and CHIP cuts that hospitals are expecting in the next decade. We don’t have every state’s plan yet, and the information we do have isn’t very detailed. But so far, those concerns I outlined above appear to be valid—especially when it comes to the sections on “connected networks.” Health care IT executives know that data exchanges aren’t easy to build. Leaders spoke about this in depth at Newsweek’s Digital Health Care Forum, chronicling privacy concerns, internal data silos and complex relationships among competitors. And those are concerns from well-funded health systems, which have more solid IT infrastructures than their rural, independent counterparts. Plus, maintaining a connected network will undoubtedly take resources, and the fund only lasts five years. It is unclear how these projects will sustain themselves over the next few decades. Fortunately, states won’t be working toward these goals on their own. This week, a coalition of health tech companies launched the Collaborative for Healthy Rural America, specifically designed to advance the Rural Health Transformation projects. The group intends to address access challenges through “shared infrastructure, unified data and modern technology,” and will work up an “AI-enabled interoperable operating platform” to help states carry out their visions, according to the Collaborative’s website and news release. Founding members include Lumeris (primary care), Teladoc Health (virtual care), Nuna (an app with an AI “coach” for chronic disease patients), Deloitte (for data systems interoperability expertise), and Unite Us (a company that builds networks to coordinate care and improve communications between health care and human services organizations). Plus, the Collaborative aims to improve access nationwide, not just in awarded states. Perhaps these companies, which are well-resourced and nationally scaled, could give some of the state-wide plans a helpful boost—and keep this entire endeavor from being a bust. We’ll know more when the winners are announced December 31, and as the funds are distributed in early 2026. What stood out to you from the early Rural Health Transformation Fund proposals? Send me an email at a.kayser@newseek.com and let me know. In Other News Major health care headlines from the week Newsweek will host a live webinar, “Traveler to Teammate: Becoming a Hospital Where Nurs...
