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Rural Health
News by Topic: Policy

May 18, 2026 - Notice from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) delegating the authority to provide day-to-day administrative oversight of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPTF) to the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Source: Federal Register
May 18, 2026 - Pre-publication notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services containing methods to improve the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including payment parameters and provisions related to the HHS-operated risk adjustment and risk adjustment data validation (HHS-RADV) programs. Among other things, this rule also contains 2027 user fee rates for qualified health plans (QHPs) through Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) and State-based Exchanges on the Federal platform (SBE-FPs). This rule is effective 60 days from publication of the notice in the Federal Registration which is scheduled for May 20, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 15, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a 6-month nationwide moratorium on the Medicare enrollment of home health agencies. The moratorium takes effect on May 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 15, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a 6-month nationwide moratorium on the Medicare enrollment of hospices. The moratorium takes effect on May 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 15, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) is accepting applications for grants under the Rural Business Development Grant Program for fiscal year 2026. Program guidance and application forms are available on USDA's website.
Source: Federal Register
May 15, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) seeking comments on forms related to the VA Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP) and Visual Impairment and Orientation and Mobility Professionals Scholarship Program (VIOMPSP). The information collected is used for VA to determine an applicant's eligibility to receive a scholarship award and compliance with program requirements. Comments are due by July 14, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 14, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Census Bureau providing an additional 30 days for comments on the December 19, 2025, notice regarding the extension of forms related to the American Community Survey (ACS) and Puerto Rico Community Survey. Comments are due within 30 days of this notice.
Source: Federal Register
May 14, 2026 - Quarterly listing of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and Federal Register notices published from January through March 2026, including contact information for general questions or additional information about specific sections.
Source: Federal Register
May 13, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing the first public meeting of the Healthcare Advisory Committee (HAC) on May 18, 2026, from 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. Eastern. Agenda items include public introduction of Committee members, Committee vision, and establishment of Committee bylaws. The final agenda and information on how to join the meeting will be posted on the HAC website.
Source: Federal Register
May 13, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Minority Health (OMH) seeking comments on the reinstatement of an information collection titled "OMH Think Cultural Health." The Think Cultural Health (TCH) website is an initiative of HHS OMH that provides resources and tools to promote cultural and linguistic competency in health and healthcare. The information collected will be used to enable health and healthcare professionals to register for courses; obtain accredited continuing education credits; and help ensure that TCH offerings remain relevant, useful, and responsive to the needs of their target audiences. Comments are due by June 12, 2026.
Source: Federal Register