Rural Dispatch: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026
$50B Rural Health Transformation Program Needs More Transparency, Groups Say
By Arielle Zionts
States must submit Rural Health Transformation Program progress reports to the federal government, but they aren’t required to proactively post those reports, or related information, publicly.
States Bet Big on Rural Health Startups, With a Silicon Valley Twist
By Sarah Jane Tribble
States are spending rural health dollars on tech startups, betting that untested companies will succeed where doctors have vanished and hospitals have collapsed. Louisiana’s call for innovative technology drew more than 200 pitches, seeking from $250,000 to $3 million in seed money.
Rural Americans Wait After Judge Delivers Mixed Ruling on Digital Equity Dollars
By Sarah Jane Tribble
A federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump can’t unilaterally kill the $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act, but he also sided with the administration by saying using race as a factor in awarding the grants is unconstitutional. The split decision has halted digital-skills programs for ethnic and racial minorities.
Trump and Kennedy’s Health Industry Deals Haven’t Been Enforced and Are at Risk of Vanishing
By Stephanie Armour
The agreements, covering issues like drug pricing, reducing the use of synthetic food dyes, and cutting back on insurance prior authorization rules, were announced with fanfare and touted as victories. But it’s not clear whether they’ll result in lasting change.
Trump Forced To Reinstate Digital Equity Grant Program, Minus Race Criteria He Decried
By Sarah Jane Tribble
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A Generation of Kids Suffer as Trump Destabilizes Immigrant Families
By Claudia Boyd-Barrett
Children in immigrant families are facing health threats from President Donald Trump’s policies: separation from parents detained or deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, economic and housing instability, withdrawal from health and nutrition programs, and an overarching environment of fear.
In Toss-Up House District, Voters Crave Leadership To Fix Broken Healthcare
By Samantha Rangel, KVPR
Voters in California’s 22nd Congressional District call healthcare a top priority in November’s midterm elections. Although challenger Randy Villegas has built a following among residents craving change, undecided voters say they want to hear more from the Democrat and from GOP incumbent Rep. David Valadao on their affordability plans.
Rising Healthcare Costs Have Hit Georgia’s Most Conservative District. But Its Politics Are Unlikely To Change.
By Briah Lumpkins
With the expiration of enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans, thousands of Georgians are paying more for coverage or going uninsured. In one of the state's reddest districts, the economic impact is growing faster than the political fallout.
Indigenous Groups Are Exempt From Medicaid Work Rules, but Native Hawaiians Aren’t
By Ashley Mizuo
Native Hawaiians will have to comply with the new work requirements in President Donald Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act, despite facing significant obstacles to employment and healthcare.
Black Lung Disease Remains a Threat, but Federal Officials Delay Effort To Address It
By Taylor Sisk
The disease has long been a risk of coal mining, an industry the Trump administration is trying to reinvigorate.
California Eyes Prison Heat Protections That Fall Short of Workplace Standards
By Erin Rode, Capital & Main
California is crafting weaker heat protections for prisons than other workplaces, citing billions in costs to cool aging institutions as climate and health risks increase. It’s a second-class standard, health and safety advocates say, and would leave correctional workers more susceptible to heat illness.
A Camp for Children With Brain Injuries Zips Ahead, Despite Federal Uncertainty
By Lydia McFarlane, WVIA
Federal programs that support brain injury research and services are in flux, with lapsed legislation and a diminished injury-tracking workforce. Still, in rural Pennsylvania, children with acquired brain injuries gathered for a summer camp that emphasized community, confidence, and fun.
Nursing Home Beds Are Becoming More Scarce
By Paula Span
As the oldest baby boomers turn 80, researchers worry there won’t be enough room in nursing facilities for a rapidly graying nation.
A NY Hospital Tried To Close Its Birthing Center. This City United To Fight Back.
By Noam N. Levey and Hannah Norman
Democrats and Republicans in Troy, New York, joined together to challenge a national Catholic health system determined to close the last birthing center in the county.
Healthcare a Vague but Potent Issue for Election 2026
Healthcare in general, and health costs in particular, are a top issue for voters in 2026. But it remains unclear exactly how voters want lawmakers to fix the problem. Meanwhile, the Trump administration doubled down on its fraud-fighting efforts. Tami Luhby of CNN, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico Magazine, and Sarah Jane Tribble of KFF Health News join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Readers Wrestle With Healthcare Inequalities and Want a Word With Congress
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Summer’s Health Policy Themes
As summer wanes, some of the season’s major health policy stories continue to simmer, including declining insurance coverage, increasing measles cases, and cuts to federal health programs. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Dean Rosen about his work for former Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum, who died last week at 94.