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Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare facilities

Sep 17, 2024 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Medicare Request for Employment Information and 2) Community Mental Health Center Cost Report. Comments are due by November 18, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 17, 2024 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Notice of Denial of Medical Coverage (or Payment)—NDMCP; 2) Notice of Denial of Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage; 3) Subpart D-Private Contracts and Supporting Regulations; and 4) Rural Health Clinic Cost Report. Comments are due by October 17, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 17, 2024 - Describes the creation of school-based health center in Dufur, Oregon. Services are provided two days a week by a visiting physician assistant from a new, on-campus building. Notes the recent growth of the school-based health center model across Oregon, and discusses impacts on students, parents, and staff.
Source: Columbia Gorge News
Sep 13, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) announcing a virtual town hall meeting to be held on December 11-12, 2024, to discuss FY 2026 applications for add-on payments for new medical services and technologies under the Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS). Information on how to join the meeting will be posted on the New Technology website. The deadline to register to present at the meeting is November 4, 2024. Written comments and agenda items for discussion at the meeting are due by November 12, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 5, 2024 - Highlights funding for the new Utah Rural Health Clinic Network, a collaboration between state, university, provider partners to offer support to Rural Health Clinics in the state.
Source: Southern Utah University
Sep 4, 2024 - Discusses plans to reopen a Critical Access Hospital in Tillman County, Oklahoma after eight years of closure. Describes how the closure increased transportation time for locals seeking hospital-level care. Notes that the new facility is supported by a mix of federal and state funding.
Source: High Plains Public Radio
Aug 28, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revising the hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals for fiscal year 2025. This rule also makes changes to Medicare graduate medical education (GME) for teaching hospitals and updates payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals. Among other things, this rule also finalizes the proposal of a separate IPPS payment for establishing and maintaining access to essential medicines; finalizes a new mandatory alternative payment model called the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM), which will test whether financial accountability for selected episode categories reduces Medicare expenditures while preserving or enhancing the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries; and finalizes the proposal requiring respiratory illness reporting for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) as a condition of participation following the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency requirements. With three exceptions, this final rule is effective October 1, 2024. Instruction 2 (§ 405.1845) is effective January 1, 2025. Instructions 29 and 31 (§ 482.42(e) and § 485.640(d)) are effective November 1, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 28, 2024 - Provides overview of new research published in the Journal of Rural Health on the vulnerability of rural hospitals to ransomware attacks. Notes that such attacks are more likely to target urban hospitals, but rural hospitals are more vulnerable to the impacts. Discusses impacts to rural patients and the need for more advance preparation among rural hospitals.
Source: University of Minnesota
Aug 27, 2024 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the extension of an information collection titled "ASC Forms for Medicare Program Certification." Comments are due by September 26, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 22, 2024 - Discusses the impact of nursing home closures on social networks for rural Minnesota residents and their families. Discusses funding challenges and policy measures attempting to address workforce recruitment and retention issues driving the closures.
Source: MinnPost