| Where states are allocating their Rural Health Transformation Program money. |
Happy Wednesday! New research published in the journal Science Advances confirmed that the earliest known human footprints in North America are up to 23,500 years old, taking place during the last ice age, and that humans would have experienced “marked environmental changes” during that time. The footprints were found alongside those of mammoths and giant sloths, which means that Disney’s Ice Age movies may be more like documentaries. In today’s edition: 🏥 Care package 🏋️ New powers 🧑💻 Bought by Zocdoc —Maia Anderson, Cassie McGrath, Caroline Catherman |
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Rural health Funding updates  Anna Kim | The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Oct. 9 released a report detailing how states have allocated their first year of funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). The program was created through President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act and distributes $50 billion to all 50 states between 2026 and 2030 to be used to improve their rural health infrastructures, with $10 billion granted per year. It was created after some lawmakers voiced concerns that Medicaid cuts in the OBBB would cause them to lose support from rural constituents. However, experts have said the RHTP won’t be enough to offset the cuts to state Medicaid budgets, which total an estimated $665 billion from 2025 to 2034, according to a report from research institute Rand Corporation. Each state submitted a proposal to CMS by last November detailing initiatives they plan to use the funding for. So far, states have largely focused on things like maternal health, substance use disorder treatment, and increasing telehealth access, we previously reported. States have until Oct. 30 to allocate their first-year funds, which must then be spent by September 2027. Any unspent money goes back to CMS to redistribute in 2028. Take a look at how three states have used their first-year funding.—MA |
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Payers Exclusion report  Sopa Images/Getty Images | The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) can now exclude providers, suppliers, and other participants from federal programs like Medicaid. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. officially delegated the authority to CMS in an Oct. 14 notice, fulfilling a commitment he made during a press conference in July. Previously, CMS could only revoke a person or group’s ability to bill Medicare. Now, CMS can also exclude them from other federal healthcare programs. Until now, the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG), an independent oversight agency, had been the only department with exclusion authority over every federal healthcare program. Legal experts told Healthcare Brew there are questions about how this change will work. If the CMS administrator were to exercise this new power, it means stakes would be higher for providers and suppliers as the current administration ramps up its efforts to root out fraud and abuse. Rooting out fraud has been a priority for the Trump administration, though as Healthcare Brew has previously reported, experts say it’s not as widespread as the administration claims. “The effect of exclusion means that you really can’t have a job at any kind of organization that bills federal healthcare programs. So it’s a much more serious and wide-reaching action than CMS revoking your Medicare [billing privileges],” Tony Maida, a partner at law firm McDermott Will & Schulte, told Healthcare Brew. Keep reading here.—CC |
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Tech Buy, Buy, Buy  Sopa Images/Getty Images | Ever listened to a podcast with ads? Then you’ve probably heard of Zocdoc, a company that helps patients find appointments. While the company has been around for 19 years, it has never made a single acquisition—until now. On Oct. 14, the company announced that it had acquired Sohar Health, another health tech founded in 2023 that verifies patients’ insurance coverage. Zocdoc users already had the ability to go online, type in their insurance, area, and medical needs, and the site would give them possible provider matches. Sohar’s technology ensures patients have eligible insurance to get that care. Sohar’s insurance eligibility technology has been integrated into Zocdoc’s website since 2025, when the companies inked a partnership. Now, Zocdoc owns Sohar, meaning it can expand the technology to other companies, too. Get the rest of the story here.—CM |
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vital signs  Francis Scialabba | Today’s top healthcare reads. Stat: 9+%. That’s how much the S&P 500’s healthcare sector has increased in the past three months. (Axios) Quote: “Before, we used to say, ‘Here’s an antidepressant. Make sure you work out. Why don’t you try a glass of wine?’ All of those were not helpful. We’re using hormones mainstream now.”—Kameelah Phillips, an ob-gyn, on new guidelines from the American College of Gynecology on how to treat menopause (CBS News) Read: How some nonprofits are raking in money from the No Surprises Act. (Stat) |
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Jobs  | Real jobs, shared through real communities. CollabWORK brings opportunities directly to Healthcare Brew readers—no mass postings, no clutter, just roles worth seeing. Click here to view the full job board. |
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Uninsured by Design  Illustration: Morning Brew, Photos: Adobe Stock | With open enrollment season here, explore short-term, farm bureau, and health-sharing plans: how they work, who they serve, the legal gaps they exploit, and the risks of limited coverage. Check it out |
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