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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Access

Aug 22, 2025 - Discusses the suicide risks for veterans, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services that increase access to healthcare, and secure firearm storage as a means to reduce suicide risk.
Source: VA News
Aug 13, 2025 - Describes a tour of Alaskan rural and tribal healthcare facilities by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, noting common challenges with healthcare access for rural and remote communities. Discusses approaches to health and nutrition in Native American communities.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Aug 4, 2025 - Summarizes data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) describing utilization of HRSA-funded health centers. Discusses quality of care badges awarded to nearly 1,000 health centers across the country. Notes that 1 in 5 rural residents receive primary care from these health centers.
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration
Jul 28, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the Department of Defense (DOD) Defense Health Agency (DHA) finalizing provisions published in two interim final rules (IFRs) that temporarily added coverage for the treatment use of investigational drugs under U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized expanded access (EA) programs when for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and permitted coverage of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID)-sponsored clinical trials for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19. Among other things, this rule discusses the DOD's decision not to make permanent the coverage of treatment use of investigational drugs under FDA EA programs while updating language for care associated with their administration and broadens the COVID-19 clinical trial benefit to include coverage of clinical trials sponsored or approved by any National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center or Institute to treat or prevent infectious diseases associated with a pandemic or epidemic. This rule is effective August 27, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 9, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the Federal Communications Commission announcing that the Office of Management and Budget has approved an information collection related to certain rules related to the FCC's August 17, 2023, Enhanced A-CAM Order and April 14, 2024, Connect America Fund Order. The revised information collection is effective July 9, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 1, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a 6-year model, the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model. The WISeR Model will test the implementation of technology-enabled prior authorization processes for select services, with the aim of reducing fraud, waste (including low-value care), and abuse in Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) in six states: Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington. This notice is effective January 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 26, 2025 - The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) will hold a virtual public meeting on July 22, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Eastern. Agenda items include updates from VA leadership, the Executive Director of the VA Office of Rural Health, and the Committee Chair, as well as presentations by subject matter experts on general rural healthcare access.
Source: Federal Register