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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Health insurance

Jul 6, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on a new matching program between CMS and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) titled "Verification of Eligibility for Insurance Affordability Programs Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act." This matching program will provide CMS with information for determining individuals' eligibility for Insurance Affordability Programs (IAPs). Comments are due by August 5, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 6, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Defense announcing a new demonstration project titled "TRICARE Demonstration Project for Pre-Hospital Blood Transfusion Ambulance Add-On Reimbursement," also called the "TRICARE PHBT Demonstration" or "PHBTD." This five-year demonstration will test the effectiveness of providing separate, unbundled add-on reimbursement to the TRICARE ambulance fee schedule for the cost of medically necessary blood products and professional services administered by authorized ambulance providers in a pre-hospital setting. The PHBTD will be effective January 1, 2027, and will conclude on December 31, 2031.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 2, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Submissions of Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) Waiver Submission and Data Collection; 2) Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) Regulations; and 3) Granting and Withdrawal of Deeming Authority to Private Nonprofit Accreditation Organizations and CLIA Exemption Under State Laboratory Programs. Comments are due by August 3, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 30, 2026 - Highlights common rural hospital healthcare delivery challenges as identified by Wisconsin hospital CEOs. Discusses nursing workforce shortages, employee burnout, reimbursement rates, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, home health, Medicare Advantage, and maintaining inpatient care access.
Source: Farm Progress: Wisconsin Agriculturist
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