Advocacy

MRHA is pleased to serve as the Voice of Rural Health! We are committed to bringing forward a rural perspective to policy conversation that include the health, health care and well-being of rural Minnesotans. We work with local, state and federal partners to bring this voice forward.

Policy Priorities

• Workforce
• Access
• Funding
• Innovation
• Regulation

In staying true to our mission, we believe a rural health system that best serves the people who live in, work in, learn in, and visit rural Minnesota should:

• Focus on prevention, primary care, chronic disease management and medical services to improve health.
• Provide access to health services within a reasonable distance and time of travel.
• Encourage collaborative local and regional solutions for patient-centered delivery of service.
• Place an emphasis on quality and patient safety.
• Promote operational efficiencies that contain cost and provide value to the patient.
• Embrace the use of technology to expand access and involve patients in their care.
• Fairly reimburse for services to ensure providers have the resources they need to sustain and thrive.
• Develop a standardized system to assess Social Determinants of Health and refer vulnerable rural residents to resources designed to reduce preventable health conditions and health care utilization.

We continually monitor legislative activity at the local, state and federal levels. We gather input from our members and partner organizations to keep our priorities in line with the rural health environment.

2026 Legislative Priorities

Since 1994, the mission of Minnesota Rural Health Association (MRHA) (www.mnruralhealth.org) has been to strengthen the health, health care and well-being of rural Minnesotans through leadership, advocacy, education, and collaboration. Our members include rural hospitals, clinics, behavioral health providers, transportation providers, and others who are on the frontlines of delivering the care and services needed to address the health needs that rural communities face.

Sustainability of Rural Medical Transportation

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) in rural Minnesota are often funded through local solutions or regional infrastructure. Rural NEMT is under unendurable strain. Long distances, thin provider coverage, administrative complexity, and payment challenges create conditions where trips are being delayed, declined, or placed at risk. MRHA supports:

• A delay in the implementation of the single NEMT administrator model
• Funding to ensure the sustainability of the rural transportation network
• Regulatory and administrative changes that enables and encourages rural innovation to develop systems that best serves patients

Innovation and Transformation

Rural communities across Minnesota continue to face a steady erosion of access to essential healthcare services. The existing gaps in access stem from a complex set of interrelated challenges that undermine timely, patient-centered care and ultimately worsen health outcomes.
To reverse this trajectory, MRHA supports policy that enables innovation and transformation to maximize the effect of the Rural Health Transformation Fund to invest in new care models, technologies, and community-driven solutions. Strategic, sustained investment in innovation is essential to ensuring that rural Minnesotans can access the services and programs designed to meet their unique needs.

2026 Legislative Priorities