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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

Jul 10, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announces the approval of The Joint Commission for continued recognition as a national accrediting organization for home health agencies that wish to participate in Medicare or Medicaid programs. This approval is effective March 31, 2026, through June March 31, 2032.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 10, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announces the re-establishment of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS). NACRHHS will provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of HHS on issues related to how HHS and its programs serve rural communities, with a focus on rural health and human service challenges, such as the provision and financing of healthcare and human services in rural areas. The re-established charter is effective July 17, 2026, through July 17, 2028.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 9, 2026 - Describes an air medical response nonprofit program in Montana that aims to bring emergency medical care to residents in remote parts of the state. Discusses how the group manages Montana's geographic and weather challenges, costs associated with equipment and training, and its membership model.
Source: NBC Montana
Jul 8, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold a virtual meeting of the Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment on August 24, 2026. The purpose of the Panel is to advise the Secretary on the clinical integrity of the Ambulatory Payment Classification groups and their associated weights, which are major elements of the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and the Ambulatory Surgical Center payment system, and supervision of hospital outpatient therapeutic services. The agenda and information on how to join the meeting will be posted on the Panel's website. Presentations and comment letters are due by July 31, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 7, 2026 - Notice of a proposed 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 2027, 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 proposes updates related to the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program and Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program; requests information regarding potential approaches to improve comparability and standardization of the HPT information reported in machine-readable files and consumer-friendly displays, particularly for complex contracting methodologies; and announces notices of closure of teaching hospitals and opportunities to apply for available slots. Comments are due by August 31, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 7, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the re-establishment of a matching program between CMS and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) titled "Verification of Eligibility for Minimum Essential Coverage Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act." CMS will share data with the VA to verify if an applicant is enrolled in Minimum Essential Coverage in a Veterans Health Administration Health Care Program. This information from the VA will be used to assist CMS in determining if an individual is eligible for Insurance Affordability Programs. Comments are due by August 6, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 6, 2026 - Notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the home health payment rates for calendar year (CY) 2027. This rule also proposes changes to the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HH QRP) and summarizes potential initiatives to improve alignment between the HH QRP and the expanded Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model requirements. Among other things, this proposed rule discusses the provision of home health palliative care services and includes a request for information (RFI) on a home health specific wage index. Comments are due by August 31, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 6, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Rural Health Transformation Program Reporting and 2) Medicare Part C and Part D Program Audit and Industry-Wide Part C Timeliness Monitoring Project (TMP) Protocols. Comments are due by August 5, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
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