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Rural Health
News by Topic: Physicians

Mar 18, 2024 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the extension of an information collection titled "Disclosure Requirement for the In-Office Ancillary Services Exception." CMS will use the information collected to enforce the requirement that physicians who provide certain imaging services (MRI, CT, and PET) under the in-office ancillary services exception to the physician self-referral prohibition must provide the disclosure notice as well as the list of other imaging suppliers to the patient. Comments are due by May 17, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 11, 2024 - The Indian Health Service (IHS) is accepting applications for the Indians into Medicine (InMed) program. The purpose of this program is to increase the number of American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) health professionals by encouraging AI/AN individuals to enter the health professions and removing barriers to serving AI/AN populations. Target populations should not include tribes within North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana, which are served by the existing University of North Dakota InMed grant program. Applications are due by May 14, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 6, 2024 - Discusses the shortage of rural surgeons, noting challenges in building the rural surgeon workforce. Discusses rural training tracks, homegrown workforce, funding needs, and telemedicine as possible solutions for building the workforce.
Source: ACS Bulletin
Feb 29, 2024 - A new partnership between 24 rural and urban tribal organizations will address physician shortages in tribal communities by advocating for more graduate medical education opportunities in tribal medical facilities. The group aims to improve existing health disparities for American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Source: Native News Online
Feb 12, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making technical and typographical corrections to the November 16, 2023, final rule. This notice is effective February 12, 2024, and is applicable January 1, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Feb 8, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) aiming to improve the electronic exchange of healthcare data and streamline processes related to prior authorization through new requirements for Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations, state Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) programs, state Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) FFS programs, Medicaid managed care plans, CHIP managed care entities, and Qualified Health Plan issuers on the Federally-facilitated Exchanges. This final rule will also add new measures for eligible hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to report under the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program and for Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligible clinicians to report under the MIPS Promoting Interoperability performance category. These regulations are effective April 8, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Feb 5, 2024 - Highlights a partnership between a North Carolina university and healthcare network to offer a residency program with a rural track. Discusses evidence that residents that train in rural areas are more likely to practice in rural areas.
Source: Campbell University News
Jan 30, 2024 - Profiles the Leadership in Rural Medicine Program, a rural training program for physicians in Michigan. Discusses the importance of community engagement, workforce shortages, and more recent programs also aiming to address physician shortages.
Source: The 'Gander
Jan 27, 2024 - Highlights the East Tennessee State University Department of Family Medicine's efforts to send residents into rural areas in an attempt to address predicted primary care shortages in rural areas.
Source: Citizen Tribune