Health Executives Encouraged by Trump’s Rural Health Options

Health-care executives and policy analysts reacted optimistically to a new method of paying groups of rural doctors, hospitals, and other health-care providers to coordinate care, but they are wary about the risk involved.

These groups—also known as accountable care organizations—will get advanced payments to build up their infrastructure and prepare to be paid based on patient outcomes under a new model announced Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The model is intended to bring a more consistent income to health-care providers in rural areas. Many rural communities are facing a shortage of providers, fewer services in ...