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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Health insurance

Nov 27, 2023 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services making technical and typographical corrections to the October 11, 2023, final rule with the same title. The corrections are effective December 11, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 26, 2023 - Summarizes recent research finding that 17% of Medicare patients travel 50 or more miles for neurology care, noting that the travel burden is higher for residents of rural areas. Discusses the impact of travel time on follow-up care, the potential for telehealth, and workforce shortages.
Source: Fortune Well
Nov 24, 2023 - Notice of proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposing payment parameters and provisions related to the risk adjustment and risk adjustment data validation programs and user fees for Federally-facilitated Exchanges and State-based Exchanges on the Federal platform, among other things. Comments are due by January 8, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 24, 2023 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Application for Enrollment in Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance); 2) National Implementation of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey; 3) CMS Health Equity Award—Call for Nominations; and 4) Withholding Medicare Payments to Recover Medicaid Overpayments and Supporting Regulations in 42 CFR 447.31. Comments are due by December 26, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 24, 2023 - Announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of receipt of an application for continued recognition of Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) as a national accrediting organization providing home infusion therapy services that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. Comments are due by December 26, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 24, 2023 - Highlights disparities in cost of health insurance for rural and urban residents. Discusses contributors to the disparity such as rural healthcare reimbursement rates, patient volume, employment benefits, and age.
Source: Nevada Current
Nov 22, 2023 - Notice of final rule with comment period from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2024. This rule also updates and refines the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program, and the Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Program and would establish payment for certain intensive outpatient services under Medicare. Among other things, this notice also makes changes to the community mental health center (CMHC) Conditions of Participation (CoPs) to provide requirements for furnishing intensive outpatient (IOP) services and finalizes a technical correction to the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Conditions of Participation and outlines a payment methodology for Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals that convert to REH status. These regulations are effective on January 1, 2024. Comments are due by January 1, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 20, 2023 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Hospice Quality Reporting Program and 2) Monoclonal Antibodies Directed Against Amyloid for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Comments are due by December 20, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 17, 2023 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implementing portions of section 6101 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which requires the disclosure of certain ownership, managerial, and other information regarding Medicare skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and Medicaid nursing facilities. This rule also finalizes definitions of a private equity company and real estate investment trust for Medicare provider enrollment purposes. These regulations are effective January 16, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 16, 2023 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making changes to the following: 1) Physician Fee Schedule and Medicare Part B payment policies; 2) payment for dental services inextricably linked to specific covered medical services; 3) Medicare Shared Savings Program requirements; 4) updates to the Quality Payment Program; 5) Medicare coverage of opioid use disorder services furnished by opioid treatment programs; 6) updates to certain Medicare and Medicaid provider enrollment policies; 7) electronic prescribing for controlled substances for a covered Part D drug under a prescription drug plan or an MA-PD plan; 8) updates to the Ambulance Fee Schedule regulations and the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System; 9) expansion of the diabetes screening and diabetes definitions; 10) pulmonary rehabilitation, cardiac rehabilitation and intensive cardiac rehabilitation expansion of supervising practitioners; 11) appropriate use criteria for advanced diagnostic imaging; 12) early release of Medicare Advantage risk adjustment data; and 13) a social determinants of health risk assessment in the annual wellness visit and Basic Health Program. This rule also codifies provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Includes rural references throughout. These regulations are effective on January 1, 2024.
Source: Federal Register