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Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare quality

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
Jul 15, 2025 - Notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) addressing: 1) changes to the Physician Fee Schedule and Medicare Part B payment policies; 2) policies for the Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; 3) the Ambulatory Specialty Model; 4) updates to the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program expanded model; 5) updates to drugs and biological products paid under Part B; 6) Medicare Shared Savings Program requirements; 7) updates to the Quality Payment Program; 8) updates to policies for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs); 9) updates to the Ambulance Fee Schedule regulations; 10) codification of the Inflation Reduction Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 provisions; and 11) updates to the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program. Comments are due on September 12, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 11, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) modifying an existing system of records titled "Home Health Agency (HHA) Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS)." Among other things, home health agencies required to comply with Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoP) are now mandated to collect OASIS on patients with any payer source, instead of just patients with Medicare/Medicaid pay sources. This notice is effective July 11, 2025, subject to a 30-day period in which to comment on the new and revised routine uses. Comments are due by August 11, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 2, 2025 - Notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the home health payment rates for calendar year (CY) 2026. This rule also proposes changes to the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HH QRP) and the expanded Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model requirements; updates to the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program (CBP); technical changes to the home health conditions of participation; permanent and temporary behavior adjustments; and the recalibration of the case-mix weights and update the functional impairment levels, among other things. Comments are due by September 2, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 2, 2025 - Notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making changes related to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for calendar year 2026 and proposing updates to the payment rate for renal dialysis services furnished by an ESRD facility to individuals with acute kidney injury (AKI). Among other things, this rule also proposes updated requirements for the ESRD Quality Incentive Program and modifying and terminating requirements for the ESRD Treatment Choices Model. Comments are due by August 29, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 27, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Review Choice Demonstration for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Services; and 2) Marketplace Quality Standards. Comments are due by July 28, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 27, 2025 - The Consensus-Based Entity (CBE) Report on 2024 Activities to Congress and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary's comments on the report, are published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the Federal Register in accordance with the Social Security Act. The report includes a summary of the CBE's consideration of challenges related to quality measure reporting for rural providers and rural facilities, and shares recommendations to improve rural health.
Source: Federal Register