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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

Apr 27, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on proposed revisions to the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey for Merit-based Incentive Payment Systems (MIPS). The CAHPS for MIPS survey is used in the Quality Payment Program (QPP) to collect data on fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries' experiences of care with eligible clinicians participating in MIPS. The proposed revisions are related to the vendor participation form to collect cost information from survey vendors. Comments are due by June 26, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 27, 2026 - Littleton Regional Healthcare CMO Richard McKenzie believes that success in rural healthcare delivery is dependent on how systems are designed, and how they provide access, support clinicians, and ensure sustainable revenue. McKenzie previously worked as a manufacturing engineer, combining efficiency with frontline realities.
Source: HealthLeaders Media
Apr 24, 2026 - Health Affairs has issued a call for journal articles focusing on age-friendly health with focus on rural topics such as innovation in rural delivery of long-term services and supports, addressing rural care gaps associated with nursing home closures, and the impact of payment policies that boost rural home health supply in addition to workforce, caregiving, social determinants of health, technology, and more. Articles will be considered on an ongoing basis through June 2028.
Source: Health Affairs
Apr 22, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) Regulations and 2) Granting and Withdrawal of Deeming Authority to Private Nonprofit Accreditation Organizations and CLIA Exemption Under State Laboratory Programs. Comments are due by June 22, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 21, 2026 - Describes psychiatrist workforce shortages in West Virginia following a recent report that the state has the lowest supply in the nation. Discusses drivers of the shortage, including reimbursement rates and administrative process, fewer people entering the field, and behavioral health disparities in the state.
Source: West Virginia Watch
Apr 20, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on a proposed information collection titled "Submissions of Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) Waiver Submission and Data Collection." The AHCAH initiative was codified in the Consolidate Appropriations Act, 2025. As a result, the AHCAH information collection request is being separated from the 1135 waiver information collection request. Comments are due by June 22, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 20, 2026 - A private insurance company has announced a pilot program that exempts many rural providers from most prior authorization requirements, increases payment speeds, and introduces a hub-and-spoke model of care to connect rural communities with regional expertise. The program, initially available in 4 states, is expanding to an additional 5 states now.
Source: UnitedHealth Group Newsroom
Apr 17, 2026 - Notice from the Department of Defense (DOD) making corrections to the April 10, 2026, notice announcing the extension of the Childbirth and Breastfeeding Support Demonstration (CBSD) through December 31, 2031. This correction is effective April 17, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 16, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making technical corrections to the April 14, 2026, proposed rule. Comments on the proposed rule are due by June 9, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 15, 2026 - Chadron Community Hospital in rural Nebraska closed its dialysis unit in March, due to low reimbursement rates that did not cover costs, causing patients to travel further distances for dialysis care. Nebraska will receive $219 million in first-year funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program, but this may not be enough to keep existing services in place in rural areas.
Source: KFF Health News