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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Legislation and regulations

Aug 7, 2025 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of an extension of the standard performance period for health center grantees from 3 to 4 years. The extended performance period will provide current health centers additional time to serve their service area before they apply for a new award. Includes a list of 194 health center awardees that will receive a one-year extension with funds for a total 4-year performance period. This update will not change the statutory requirement that health centers that fail to comply with Health Center Program requirements will receive a 1-year performance period if a new project period is awarded.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 5, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Request for Termination of Medicare Premium Part A, Part B, or Part B Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage (Part B-ID) and Supporting Statute and Regulations; and 2) Appointment of Representative. Comments are due by September 4, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 5, 2025 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for fiscal year 2026. Includes proposals related to admission to hospice regulations and the hospice face-to-face attestation requirements under the certification of terminal illness regulations. This final rule also includes a technical correction to the regulatory text and provides updates to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program requirements. Includes rural references and considerations throughout. These regulations are effective October 1, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 5, 2025 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the FY 2026 prospective payment rates, outlier threshold, and wage index for Medicare inpatient hospital services provided by inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPF), including psychiatric hospitals and excluded psychiatric units of an acute care hospital or Critical Access Hospital. Includes a revision to the payment adjustment factors for teaching status and for IPFs in rural areas. These changes will be effective for IPF discharges occurring during the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. This final rule also includes changes to measures used in the Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Quality Reporting (IPFQR) Program and changes to update and codify the Extraordinary Circumstances Exception policy. These changes are effective October 1, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
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
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 1, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services making a point of contact correction to the June 20, 2025 information collection.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 31, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Medicare Quality of Care Complaint Form; 2) Solicitation for Applications for Medicare Prescription Drug Plan 2027 Contracts; and 3) Annual Notice of Change and Evidence of Coverage for Applicable Integrated Plans in States that Require Integrated Materials. Comments are due by September 29, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 29, 2025 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revoked Emergency Use Authorizations issued to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., for REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab administered together); GlaxoSmithKline LLC for sotrovimab; Eli Lilly and Company for bebtelovimab; and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP for EVUSHELD (tixagevimab co-packaged with cilgavimab). These revocations are effective December 13, 2024.
Source: Federal Register