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Rural Health
News by Topic: Hospitals

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 17, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold a virtual meeting of the Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment on August 25, 2025. The purpose of the Panel is to advise the Secretary on the clinical integrity of the Ambulatory Payment Classification groups and their associated weights, which are major elements of the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and the Ambulatory Surgical Center payment system, and supervision of hospital outpatient therapeutic services. The agenda and information on how to join the meeting will be posted on the Panel's website. Presentations and comment letters are due by August 1, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 23, 2025 - Announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the approval of The Joint Commission as a national accrediting organization for hospitals that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. This approval is applicable July 15, 2025, to July 15, 2030.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 17, 2025 - Announces the first cohort of the new Rural Hospital Stabilization Program (RHSP) consisting of 8 rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) across the U.S. RHSP is supported by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) and administered by the National Rural Health Resource Center to provide technical assistance and recommendations to rural hospitals on financial assessments, operational performance, and opportunities to fill gaps and enhance healthcare services for the communities and populations they serve.
Source: National Rural Health Resource Center
Jun 16, 2025 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ) is seeking comments on a proposed information collection project titled "Monitoring Breastfeeding-Related Maternity Care—U.S. Hospitals." The Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey is a census of maternity care hospitals in the United States and territories to better understand national breastfeeding supportive maternity practices and changes in these practices over time. Information collected will be used to identify, document, and share information related to changes in practices processes over time at the hospital, state, regional, and national levels. Comments are due by August 15, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 11, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Hospital and Health Care Complex Cost Report; 2) D-SNP Enrollee Advisory Committee; and 3) Administrative Simplification HIPAA Compliance Review. Comments are due by July 11, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
May 28, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Application for Part B Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage (Part B-ID); 2) Data Use Agreement (DUA) Limited Data Set (LDS) Forms Research Identifiable Files (RIF) Forms; 3) Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility (CORF) Certification and Survey Forms; and 4) Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program Application. Comments are due by June 27, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
May 27, 2025 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) updating the Children's Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Payment Program's method of determining an eligible children's hospital weighted allopathic and osteopathic full-time equivalent (FTE) resident count when it exceeds its direct graduate medical education (GME) FTE resident cap. This notice also summarizes and responds to public comments on the December 30, 2024, notice. The proposed update to the CHGME direct GME methodology will be implemented beginning in the fiscal year 2026 application cycle.
Source: Federal Register