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Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Jun 15, 2026 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on a proposed information collection request (ICR) titled "340B Rebate Model Pilot Program Application, Implementation, and Evaluation, OMB No. 0906-NEW." HRSA's Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) intends to introduce a revised 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program (Pilot) as a mechanism for qualifying drug manufacturers, who wish to participate, to effectuate the 340B ceiling price on a limited set of drugs sold to covered entities using rebates. This ICR includes the collection of proposed rebate model plans from qualifying drug manufacturers, the ongoing collection of sales data from drug manufacturers to allow OPA to monitor implementation of the Pilot and enhance 340B program integrity and compliance monitoring, and the collection of data submitted by covered entities to manufacturers to request a rebate under a potential Pilot. Comments are due by July 15, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 15, 2026 - Pre-publication notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would codify the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, establish certain new policies for the Negotiation Program and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program as required by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and propose a modification to the fixed combination drug policy. Comments are due within 60 days of the publication of this notice, which is scheduled for June 16, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 15, 2026 - Pre-publication notice of final rule with comment period from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) establishing provisions to strengthen the oversight of Medicare national accrediting organizations by addressing conflicts of interest; establishing consistent standards, processes, and definitions; and updating the validation and performance standards systems. In addition, this rule revises the psychiatric hospital survey process, adds a limitation on terminated deemed providers and suppliers when reentering the program, and provides technical corrections for End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) facilities and Transplant Programs. This rule is effective June 16, 2027. Comments are due within 60 days of the publication of this notice, which is scheduled for June 16, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 12, 2026 - Announces that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have activated a level 3 emergency response for the recently detected New World Screwworm infections in Texas and New Mexico. Notes that humans working with livestock are at risk, though the current risk to the public remains low. Offers guidance to healthcare providers who suspect a potential human infestation.
Source: CDC Newsroom
Jun 10, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the extension of an information collection titled "Physician Certifications/Recertifications in Skilled Nursing Facilities Manual Instruction." The physician certification and recertification is intended to ensure that the beneficiary's need for services has been established and then reviewed and updated at appropriate intervals and is a condition for Medicare Part A payment for post-hospital skilled nursing facility (SNF) care. Comments are due by July 10, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 10, 2026 - Announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the approval of the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation (COLA) as an accreditation organization for clinical laboratories under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) program for the specialty of histocompatibility. This approval is applicable from July 10, 2026, to June 10, 2031.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 10, 2026 - Notice of a request for information (RFI) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding substance research, policy, and strategies to improve the prevention, treatment, recovery from mental illness and substance use. HHS seeks information from public, patients, people with lived experience of addiction and recovery, healthcare providers, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, policymakers and others on improvements to the programs and policies of the United States government and HHS that focus on substance use, including opioid and polysubstance use, prevention, treatment, and recovery as well as mental health treatment prevention, and recovery in all age groups. Includes specific questions and topics of interest to HHS. Comments are due by July 5, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 10, 2026 - Announces funding for a study that will scale up a pilot project increasing access to opioid use disorder treatment in primary care across Ohio and West Virginia. Rural providers will have access to a mentor-based prescribing model. Also discusses how students have been involved with the research process.
Source: OHIO Today
Jun 9, 2026 - A new bill has been proposed aiming to expand veterinary care in rural and tribal communities. Describes the increase in animal-related injury and zoonotic diseases for communities with limited access to veterinary care.
Source: Brownfield Ag News
Jun 8, 2026 - Describes a recent study finding that a U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) telenephrology program improved mortality rates and increased guideline-directed medication prescriptions for veterans at rural VA clinics receiving treatment for chronic kidney disease. The program uses a hub-and-spoke system to connect rural veterans with specialized care. Notes additional research finding veterans are satisfied with telenephrology care.
Source: Military.com