Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare facilities
Aug 4, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the Centers revising the hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals for fiscal year 2026. This rule also makes changes related to Medicare graduate medical education (GME) for teaching hospitals; 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; updates and make changes to requirements for certain quality programs; and finalizes certain updates to the ONC Health Information Technology (IT) Certification Program among other things. These final rules are effective October 1, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 4, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system (PPS) payment rates for fiscal year 2026. Among other things, this rule updates the requirements for the SNF Quality Reporting Program and the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program. These regulations are effective October 1, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 4, 2025 - Summarizes data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) describing utilization of HRSA-funded health centers. Discusses quality of care badges awarded to nearly 1,000 health centers across the country. Notes that 1 in 5 rural residents receive primary care from these health centers.
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration
Jul 30, 2025 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on revisions to an information collection regarding forms used by the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and the Nurse Corps Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs. The NHSC and Nurse Corps Interest Capture Form, is an optional form that a health profession student, licensed clinician, faculty member, clinical site administrator, or other interested individual can complete and submit to HRSA. The purpose of the form is to enable individuals and clinical sites to ask questions about the NHSC and/or Nurse Corps Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs, and to provide their contact information so that HRSA may provide them with periodic program updates and other general information. Comments are due by September 29, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
Federal Register
Jul 28, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Medicare Geographic Classification Review Board Procedures and Criteria; 2) Part C and Part D Medicare Prescription Payment Plan Model Documents; and 3) Applicable Integrated Plan Coverage Decision Letter. Comments are due by August 27, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 25, 2025 - Highlights the Rural Health Transformation Program, part of
the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Source: The White House
Jul 23, 2025 - Announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of receipt of an application for continued recognition of the Accreditation Commission for Health Care as a national accrediting organization for Critical Access Hospitals that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. Comments are due by August 22, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 22, 2025 - Notice of proposed rule from the Department of Veterans Affairs proposing revisions to its medical regulations to add a new method of notification for emergency treatment furnished by community providers to be authorized under the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). Among other things, this rule proposes to amend the requirement that a notice of emergency treatment authorized under the VCCP be provided to the appropriate VA official at the nearest VA facility within 72 hours of treatment by adding that notice can also be provided through the centralized notification process. Comments are due by September 22, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 18, 2025 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is
seeking comments on a proposed information collection
project titled "National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN)."
This information collection is designed to provides
facilities, states, regions, and the nation with data
necessary to identify problem areas, measure the progress
of prevention efforts, and ultimately eliminate
healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) nationwide.
Comments are due by September 16, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 17, 2025 - 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 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 updates, this
rule also proposes updates related to 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. Comments are due September 15, 2025.
Source: Federal Register