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Rural Health
News by Topic: Policy

Oct 30, 2026 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking nominations for membership on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). ACIP advises the CDC director regarding the use of vaccines and related immunobiologic agents for the prevention and control of vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States. Nominees will be selected to represent a balanced range of scientific, clinical, and public health expertise, including individuals knowledgeable about consumer perspectives and/or social and community aspects of immunization programs. Nominations are due by December 31, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 30, 2026 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making changes related to the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for calendar year 2027 and updating the payment rate for renal dialysis services furnished by an ESRD facility to individuals with acute kidney injury (AKI). This rule also updates the requirements for the ESRD Quality Incentive Program. These regulations are effective January 1, 2027.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 29, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing the re-establishment of a matching program between CMS and State-Based Administering Entities (AEs), titled "Determining Eligibility for Enrollment in Applicable State Health Subsidy Programs Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act." The matching program will enable CMS to provide information to AEs to assist in verifying applicant information to determine applicants' eligibility for enrollment in applicable state health subsidy programs under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. Comments are due by November 30, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 29, 2026 - Notice from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announcing that it will hold an open meeting on October 29, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. Agenda items include a discussion of notices of proposed rulemaking that would seek comment on proposals for implementing the Rural Broadband Protection Act (RBPA) and would modernize the FCC's accessibility rules to keep pace with the rapidly changing communications landscape, promote innovation, better match consumer expectations, and remove barriers to accessibility. The meeting can be viewed on the FCC website.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 29, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) seeking comments on a generic information collection umbrella titled "ASPE Umbrella Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Research and Assessment (OMB #0990-0421)." Qualitative data and information collected from activities carried out under this generic clearance will inform internal analyses, surface areas for further research, and provide opportunities for engagement and collaboration with key stakeholders. Comments are due by December 28, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 29, 2026 - Notice of final rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service (RHS) amending the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (SFHGLP) regulations to allow the RHS to finance a single-family home with one or more income-producing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU). This rule also clarifies the eligibility of properties with features designed to accommodate home-based operations using non-commercial real estate features. This rule is effective December 28, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 28, 2026 - Notice of a final rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) making deregulatory actions related to health information technology standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria and certification programs for health information technology. Summarizes and responds to comments received in response to the December 29, 2025, proposed rule. This final rule is effective December 28, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 27, 2026 - Notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding requirements outlined in the Working Families Tax Cut (WFTC) legislation related to health insurance exchange eligibility and verification. This proposed rule also includes updates to provisions affecting inconsistency periods, inconsistency verification procedures, and annual eligibility redeterminations and eligibility redeterminations during the plan year. This rule also proposes expanding enrollment methods during the verification process and establishing new coverage effective dates. Comments are due November 27, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 26, 2026 - The Census Bureau is seeking comments on proposed revisions to the High-Frequency Surveys Program/Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS). HTOPS, a progression from the Household Pulse Survey, is an experimental data product designed to measure household trends and outlooks, understand changes in household conditions, and respond to emerging data needs while maintaining a flexible platform for experimentation and methodological research. Comments are due by December 28, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 23, 2026 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on an information collection request titled "National Practitioner Data Bank for Adverse Information on Physicians and Other Health Care Practitioners—45 CFR part 60 Regulations and Forms, OMB No. 0906-0081—Revision." The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) aims to improve the quality of healthcare by encouraging hospitals, state licensing boards, professional societies, and other eligible entities providing healthcare services to identify and discipline those who engage in unprofessional behavior, and to restrict the ability of incompetent healthcare practitioners, providers, or suppliers to move from state to state without disclosure or discovery of previous damaging or incompetent performance. Comments are due by November 23, 2026.
Source: Federal Register