Rural Health
News by Topic: Health workforce
Nov 24, 2025 - Pre-publication notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making changes to the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and the Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payment system for calendar year 2026, including changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare services paid under the OPPS and those paid under the ASC payment systems. Among other things, this rule also updates the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program, Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting Program, Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program, Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating, and hospitals to make public their standard charge information and enforcement of hospital price transparency. This rule also announces the closure of a teaching hospital and the opportunity to apply for available slots. This rule is effective January 1, 2026. Applications for available resident spots are due by February 19, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 24, 2025 - Describes the Rural Occupations Workforce Expansion program, an initiative to recruit rural South Carolinians to train for behavioral health jobs. Discusses challenges for local residents in accessing mental health care.
Source: WCSC
Nov 22, 2025 - Describes challenges with sustaining emergency medical services in rural Wyoming, discussing a shortage of volunteers, limited funding, and responding during poor weather.
Source: Cowboy State Daily
Nov 20, 2025 - Discusses health disparities among rural healthcare provider shortages nationally and in Montana. Highlights 2 residency programs in Billings, Montana aiming to address the shortages of internal medicine and psychiatry providers. Describes how rural practice is integrated into the residencies as well as the benefits for both physician residents and rural communities.
Source: The Daily Yonder
CMS: Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
Federal Register
Nov 20, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Hospital Wage Index Occupational Mix Survey; 2) Medicare Enrollment Application—Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Suppliers; 3) Recognition of Pass-Through Payment for Additional (New) Categories of Devices under the Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Supporting Regulations; and 4) Registration, Attestation, Dispute Resolution and Correction, Assumptions Document and Data Retention Requirements for Open Payments. Comments are due December 22, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 19, 2025 - Describes a program embedding social workers in a rural North Carolina police department to address the increase in non-crime related calls to the police. Notes that similar programs have operated in urban areas. Discusses how successes have led to expanding the program, connecting people to services in under-resourced areas, and other alternative responder programs in the state.
Source: North Carolina Health News
Nov 17, 2025 - Announces the 2026 cohort of National Rural Health Association Rural Health Fellows, a program designed to develop rural health leaders.
Source: National Rural Health Association
Nov 14, 2025 - Highlights a participatory experience for Tennessee high school students interested in healthcare professions. Representatives from area rural healthcare agencies gave students an opportunity to apply learned skills in simulated scenarios and learn about career opportunities in the area.
Source: Radio NWTN
Nov 13, 2025 - Describes a program bringing a team of medical providers offering oncology care to rural Colorado once a month. The program eliminates travel times of 3 or more hours for area cancer patients.
Source: UCHealth Today
Nov 12, 2025 - Describes a medical coding and billing training for rural healthcare providers in Texas. The training aims to help small clinics accurately submit reimbursement claims so that financially vulnerable facilities can stay open.
Source: KBTX