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Rural Health
News by Topic: Policy

Jul 7, 2026 - 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 2027, 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 things, this rule also proposes updates related to the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program and Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program; requests information regarding potential approaches to improve comparability and standardization of the HPT information reported in machine-readable files and consumer-friendly displays, particularly for complex contracting methodologies; and announces notices of closure of teaching hospitals and opportunities to apply for available slots. Comments are due by August 31, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 6, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allowing an additional 30 days for comment on the April 7, 2026, notice regarding a proposed information collection that will be used to improve public health/public safety partnerships and responses to the overdose crisis that involve public safety. Comments are due within 30 days of this notice.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 6, 2026 - Notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the home health payment rates for calendar year (CY) 2027. This rule also proposes changes to the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HH QRP) and summarizes potential initiatives to improve alignment between the HH QRP and the expanded Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model requirements. Among other things, this proposed rule discusses the provision of home health palliative care services and includes a request for information (RFI) on a home health specific wage index. Comments are due by August 31, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 6, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Rural Health Transformation Program Reporting and 2) Medicare Part C and Part D Program Audit and Industry-Wide Part C Timeliness Monitoring Project (TMP) Protocols. Comments are due by August 5, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 6, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Defense announcing a new demonstration project titled "TRICARE Demonstration Project for Pre-Hospital Blood Transfusion Ambulance Add-On Reimbursement," also called the "TRICARE PHBT Demonstration" or "PHBTD." This five-year demonstration will test the effectiveness of providing separate, unbundled add-on reimbursement to the TRICARE ambulance fee schedule for the cost of medically necessary blood products and professional services administered by authorized ambulance providers in a pre-hospital setting. The PHBTD will be effective January 1, 2027, and will conclude on December 31, 2031.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 2, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Submissions of Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) Waiver Submission and Data Collection; 2) Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) Regulations; and 3) Granting and Withdrawal of Deeming Authority to Private Nonprofit Accreditation Organizations and CLIA Exemption Under State Laboratory Programs. Comments are due by August 3, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 2, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) terminating the March 27, 2020, declaration authorizing the emergency use of drugs and biological products during the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 29, 2026, the HHS Secretary determined that the circumstances no longer exist justifying this authorization of emergency use of drugs and biological products. The termination of the declaration is effective June 29, 2027.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 2, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) terminating three declarations that authorized the emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2; personal respiratory protective devices during the COVID-19 outbreak; and medical devices, including alternative products used as medical devices. On June 29, 2026, the HHS Secretary determined that the circumstances no longer exist justifying the emergency use of these medical devices. These declarations are terminated effective December 26, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 2, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service rescinding the July 8, 2025, notice announcing that RHS was accepting applications for the Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) for fiscal year 2025. USDA Rural Development is currently updating the program's notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to ensure it reflects existing guidance in addition to new policy and program priorities that have emerged since the original publication. Applications submitted under this NOFO will not advance further in the review process. Applicants will be required to submit a new application once a future RCDI NOFO is issued.
Source: Federal Register
Related funding: Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI)
Jul 2, 2026 - Describes primary care challenges in Texas and discusses how those challenges are reflected in primary care nationally. Challenges discussed include access to care, clinician administrative burden, workforce, coordinating reform efforts. Notes that primary care in rural, frontier, and underserved regions of Texas support community stability and vitality. Highlights broad policy options for supporting primary care.
Source: Commonwealth Fund