Rural Health
News by Topic: Hospitals
Aug 26, 2025 - Highlights a trip by Federal Communications Commission officials to Alaska to discuss broadband expansion in remote areas, including to support rural healthcare.
Source: Federal Communications Commission
Aug 5, 2025 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2026. Among other things, this rule proposes classification and weighting factors for the IRF prospective payment system's case-mix groups, continues the second year of the 3-year phase-out of the rural adjustments, and includes proposals for the IRF Quality Reporting Program. This final rule is effective October 1, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
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
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 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 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
CMS: Medicare Program; Announcement of the Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment Meeting-August 25, 2025
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