How Medicaid Policy Shapes the Future of Rural Communities

How Medicaid Policy Shapes the Future of Rural Communities

March 24, 2026 · 14 min

About this episode

Michael Shepherd discusses the impact of Medicaid policy on rural communities and the broader implications for local health services and economies.

Health policy researcher Michael Shepherd explores the importance of Medicaid in rural communities—not only for those who directly receive benefits, but for everyone who counts on having a local clinic, mental health provider, or hospital. Shepherd explains what major changes to Medicaid could mean for rural communities, and how every policy shift can have profound consequences for families, local economies, and entire regions. ----- Learn more about the University of Michigan School of Public Health: publichealth.umich.edu Follow us on social media: Facebook | facebook.com/umichsph Instagram | instagram.com/umichsph LinkedIn | linkedin.com/school/university-of-michigan-school-of-public-health X | x.com/umichsph YouTube | youtube.com/sphweb Discover Michigan Public Health's degree programs, sign up for our interest list .

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Guest: Michael Shepherd

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