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Rural Health
News by Topic: Health insurance

Jun 29, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making corrections to the June 3, 2026, interim final rule titled "Medicaid Program; Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals."
Source: Federal Register
Jun 26, 2026 - Notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making changes related to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for calendar year 2027 and proposing updates to the payment rate for renal dialysis services furnished by an ESRD facility to individuals with acute kidney injury (AKI). Among other things, this rule also proposes updated requirements for the ESRD Quality Incentive Program and includes requests for information (RFI) to inform future policies related to increasing home dialysis uptake, improving palliative dialysis, and supporting alternative dialysis schedules. Comments are due by August 24, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 18, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on revisions to an information collection titled "Submission of 1135 Waiver Request Automated Process." CMS aims to better support emergency response by capturing the emergency date, simplifying ongoing status updates for stakeholders, and providing a more comprehensive view of cybersecurity incidents through expanded reporting on patient and operational impacts. The Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) initiative was codified in the Consolidate Appropriations Act, 2025, and is no longer part of the 1135 waiver information collection request. Comments are due by July 20, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 15, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking public input regarding its comprehensive review of the Essential Health Benefits (EHB) framework and the requirement that the scope of EHB be equal to the scope of benefits provided under a typical employer plan. Among other things, CMS seeks comments on current interpretations of EHB, state approaches to selecting and updating EHB-benchmark plans, methodologies used to determine the scope of benefits included as EHB, and how these approaches relate to access and market stability under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Comments are due by July 15, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 11, 2026 - Describes a planned notice of proposed rulemaking regarding budget neutrality standards for Medicaid section 1115 demonstrations. The new standard is expected to be in effect on or after January 1, 2027. States with demonstrations up for renewal in 2027 may be required to take additional steps in the renewal process. More information will be released in future rulemaking.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Newsroom
Jun 11, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) establishing the CMS Office of Health Technology and Products (OHTP). OHTP will provide enterprise leadership and oversight for CMS healthcare technology modernization, digital products, and transformation of platforms and services supporting Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other CMS-administered programs. This organizational change was effective June 9, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 10, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the reinstatement with change of an information collection titled "Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback." Information collected will be used to ensure that CMS customers and stakeholders have effective, efficient, and satisfying experiences with CMS's programs. Comments are due by August 10, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 10, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the extension of an information collection titled "Physician Certifications/Recertifications in Skilled Nursing Facilities Manual Instruction." The physician certification and recertification is intended to ensure that the beneficiary's need for services has been established and then reviewed and updated at appropriate intervals and is a condition for Medicare Part A payment for post-hospital skilled nursing facility (SNF) care. Comments are due by July 10, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 10, 2026 - Announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the approval of the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation (COLA) as an accreditation organization for clinical laboratories under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) program for the specialty of histocompatibility. This approval is applicable from July 10, 2026, to June 10, 2031.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 4, 2026 - Notice of final rule from the Office of Personnel Management; Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of the Treasury; Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Department of Labor (DOL); and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) related to certain provisions of the No Surprises Act regarding the Federal independent dispute resolution (IDR) process. Among other things, this rule finalizes new requirements relating to the disclosure of information that group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage must include along with the initial payment or notice of denial of payment for certain items and services subject to the surprise billing protections in the No Surprises Act, amendments to certain requirements related to the open negotiation period preceding the Federal IDR process, and the definition of bundled payment arrangements. These rules are effective August 3, 2026.
Source: Federal Register