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Rural Health
News by Topic: Health insurance

May 18, 2026 - Pre-publication notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services containing methods to improve the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including payment parameters and provisions related to the HHS-operated risk adjustment and risk adjustment data validation (HHS-RADV) programs. Among other things, this rule also contains 2027 user fee rates for qualified health plans (QHPs) through Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) and State-based Exchanges on the Federal platform (SBE-FPs). This rule is effective 60 days from publication of the notice in the Federal Registration which is scheduled for May 20, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 15, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a 6-month nationwide moratorium on the Medicare enrollment of home health agencies. The moratorium takes effect on May 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 15, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a 6-month nationwide moratorium on the Medicare enrollment of hospices. The moratorium takes effect on May 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 14, 2026 - Quarterly listing of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and Federal Register notices published from January through March 2026, including contact information for general questions or additional information about specific sections.
Source: Federal Register
May 13, 2026 - Notice of proposed rule from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on a proposal to amend regulations to establish certain fertility benefits as a new category of limited excepted benefits. Specifically, the agencies seek comments on the proposal to establish excepted fertility benefits as a new category of limited excepted benefits, the limits of the category itself, and the associated proposed conditions for such benefits to qualify as a limited excepted benefit set forth in this proposed rule. Comments are due by July 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 1, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on a new information collection titled "Generic Clearance for the Collection of Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) Respondent "Pulse" Feedback." The MCBS Pulse will establish a proactive, data-driven process that will enable CMS to accomplish three goals: 1) enhancing operational efficiency by enabling decision-makers to obtain time-sensitive data points not available from other sources to inform program planning and development; 2) adding early design phase questionnaire testing capabilities by collecting rapid turnaround feedback on nascent questionnaire concepts; and 3) gathering directional feedback from beneficiaries on emerging concerns for exploratory purposes and early-stage issue identification. Comments are due by June 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 30, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey; and 2) Hospice Survey and Deficiencies Report Form and Supporting Regulations. Comments are due by June 29, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 30, 2026 - Announces proposed bipartisan legislation to extend the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration program 5 more years. RCHD allows for innovative hospital payment model testing under Medicare to maintain healthcare access for rural communities.
Source: Office of Senator Chuck Grassley
Apr 28, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the 2028 Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Quality Measure Set. The HCBS Quality Measure Set is a set of nationally standardized quality measures for Medicaid-funded HCBS intended to promote more common and consistent use of nationally standardized quality measures in HCBS programs within and across States, create opportunities for CMS and states to have comparative quality data on HCBS programs, and drive improvement in quality of care and outcomes for people receiving HCBS. Specifically, CMS seeks comments on proposed mandatory and voluntary measures for the 2028 HCBS Quality Measure Set; how States collect, calculate, and report data on the measures in the proposed 2028 HCBS Quality Measure Set; the proposed measures in the 2028 HCBS Quality Measure Set for which States are required to report stratified data, including rural/urban status; and more. Comments are due by May 28, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 27, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on proposed revisions to the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey for Merit-based Incentive Payment Systems (MIPS). The CAHPS for MIPS survey is used in the Quality Payment Program (QPP) to collect data on fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries' experiences of care with eligible clinicians participating in MIPS. The proposed revisions are related to the vendor participation form to collect cost information from survey vendors. Comments are due by June 26, 2026.
Source: Federal Register