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Rural Health
News by Topic: Health insurance

Oct 19, 2026 - Pre-publication notice of a proposed rule that would implement the following sections of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026: 1) section 6219, "Adjustments to Medicare Part D Cost-Sharing Reductions for Low-Income Individuals;" 2) section 6220, "Requiring Enhanced and Accurate Lists of (REAL) Health Providers Act;" and 3) section 6224, "Modernizing and Ensuring Pharmacy Benefit Manager Accountability." The implementation of Section 6219 would reduce the generic drug copayment from $1 to $0 for full-benefit dual eligible individuals at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level, effective for plan years starting January 1, 2028. The implementation of Section 6220, the REAL Health Providers Act, would establish new provider directory accuracy and accountability requirements for Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations beginning in contract year 2028. In addition, CMS has several proposals to implement section 6224, which established requirements related to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and their affiliates specific to the Medicare Part D program. Comments are due by December 15, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 16, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Annual State Report on CMS Value Based Purchasing Arrangements (VBP) Supplemental Rebate Agreements; and 2) Generic Clearance for Improving Customer Experience (OMB Circular A-11, Section 280 Implementation). Comments are due by December 15, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 7, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Transformed-Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) and 2) Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery. Comments are due by November 6, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 6, 2026 - Notice of final rule from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Department of the Treasury, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Department of Labor (DOL), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) amending regulations under the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code regarding price transparency reporting requirements for non-grandfathered group health plans and health insurance issuers offering non-grandfathered group and individual health insurance coverage. These final rules aim to improve the standardization, accuracy, and accessibility of public pricing disclosures in line with the goals of Executive Order 14221. These regulations are effective December 7, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 5, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the proposed revision of an information collection titled "Medicare Health Outcomes Survey." The Medicare Health Outcomes Survey is a longitudinal patient-reported outcome measure that assesses self-reported beneficiary quality of life and daily functioning and allows CMS to assess the health of the Medicare Advantage population. Comments are due by December 4, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 5, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making technical corrections to the August 13, 2026, advisory notice. This correction is effective August 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 2, 2026 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implementing the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing Model (GLOBE Model), a new Medicare payment model under section 1115A of the Social Security Act. The GLOBE Model would test whether a payment model that uses an alternative method for calculating Part B inflation rebate amounts for certain separately payable Part B drugs and biological products reduces costs for Original Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries and the Medicare program while preserving quality of care. This rule also summarizes and responds to comments received on the December 23, 2025, proposed rule, including the potential impact of this model on small rural hospitals. These regulations are effective November 30, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 1, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services making technical corrections to the July 31, 2026, final rule. This correction is effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 1, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services making technical corrections to the August 3, 2026, final rule. This correction is effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 30, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services making technical corrections to the August 3, 2026, final rule. This correction is effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register