This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Legislation and regulations

Jul 22, 2025 - Notice of proposed rule from the Department of Veterans Affairs proposing revisions to its medical regulations to add a new method of notification for emergency treatment furnished by community providers to be authorized under the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). Among other things, this rule proposes to amend the requirement that a notice of emergency treatment authorized under the VCCP be provided to the appropriate VA official at the nearest VA facility within 72 hours of treatment by adding that notice can also be provided through the centralized notification process. Comments are due by September 22, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 21, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the reinstatement of an information collection titled "Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Home Health Facilities (HHAs) and Supporting Regulations." The information collected is used to ensure that home health agencies comply with the Conditions of Participation. Comments are due by August 20, 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 16, 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 14, 2025 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) setting forth the interpretation of "Federal public benefit" as used in in Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), Pub. L. 104–193, 8 U.S.C. § 1611. This notice revises the interpretation of the term set forth in the August 4, 1998, notice ("the 1998 HHS PRWORA Notice"). This notice also describes and preliminarily identifies the HHS programs that provide "Federal public benefits" within the scope of PRWORA, including HHS programs that were not listed in the 1998 HHS PRWORA Notice. Comments are due by August 13, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 11, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) correcting a date in the July 9, 2025, notice.
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 10, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcing that it will no longer utilize the race- and sex-based "socially disadvantaged" designation to provide increased benefits based on race and sex. USDA has transitioned to race- and sex-neutral frameworks to ensure compliance with constitutional principles and the equal protection of all farmers and ranchers under the law. Impacted programs include, but are not limited to, loans and grants, guaranteed loans, pandemic assistance programs, and general administrative regulations. This rule is effective July 10, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 9, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) correcting a date in the July 2, 2025, proposed rule.
Source: Federal Register