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Rural Health
News by Topic: Policy

Aug 7, 2026 - Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) proposing to rescind and replace the Head Start Program Performance Standards. Among other things, the proposed revisions intend to reduce Federal regulation and duplication; empower states, local programs, and families with greater authority and flexibility; advance the health and well-being of children and communities; and reinforce evidence-based standards for health, nutrition, and physical activity. Comments are due by October 6, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 7, 2026 - Notice of a proposed rule from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that would eliminate state and local requirements that constrain the deployment of modern high-speed wireline infrastructure in violation of section 253 of the Communications Act through the imposition of excessive delays and fees that impede infrastructure deployments and disincentivize investments in them. Specifically, the FCC seeks comments on codifying rules that would limit the fees that state and local governments may charge for a wireline telecommunications authorization to a reasonable approximation of the government's actual, direct costs of managing the rights-of-way; require that the value of in-kind compensation demanded by state and local governments count toward any safe harbor fee levels adopted by the Commission; prohibit state and local governments from imposing additional requirements on wireline telecommunications infrastructure deployments on the grounds that the infrastructure may be used to provide other services; and more. Comments are due by September 21, 2026, and reply comments are due by November 5, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 6, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) seeking comments on a proposed information collection request titled "HIV Capacity Building Assistance (CBA) Program: Data Management, Monitoring, and Evaluation." The information collection will be used to determine the short- and long-term outcomes of the CDC HIV CBA program and provide feedback to support continuous quality improvement. Comments are due by October 5, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 6, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeking comments on the renewal and revision of information collections related to the USDA Food Distribution Programs. Comments are due by September 8, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 5, 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 September 4, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 4, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing the public meeting components of the Healthcare Advisory Committee (HAC) for fiscal year 2026-2027. The virtual meeting dates are August 31, 2026; November 9, 2026; February 22, 2027; and May 10, 2027. The final agenda and information on how to join the meeting will be posted on the HAC website.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 4, 2026 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revising the hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals for fiscal year 2027. This rule also makes changes to Medicare graduate medical education (GME) for teaching hospitals; payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals; and requirements for certain quality programs, among other things. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) also adopts certain health information technology (health IT) standards and specifications on behalf of HHS. These regulations are effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 3, 2026 - Announces bipartisan legislation supporting specialty medical education and training for rural primary care providers using technology and the Project ECHO model.
Source: Office of Senator Shelley Moore Capito
Aug 3, 2026 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the prospective payment system (PPS) rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2027. Among other things, this rule includes classification and weighting factors for the IRF prospective payment system's case-mix groups, finalizes the third and final year of the 3-year phase-out of the rural adjustments, and updates the IRF Quality Reporting Program and changes to the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. This rule also summarizes comments received in response to requests for information regarding alternative data sources for the IRF PPS wage index and potential future IRF PPS payment reform. These regulations are effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 3, 2026 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for fiscal year 2027. Among other things, this rule finalizes conforming regulation text changes to discharge from hospice care regulations and the face-to-face encounter regulations. This rule also summarizes comments received in response to requests for information regarding community-based palliative care; the construction of a hospice-specific wage index; and the overlap between hospice and medical aid in dying laws. These regulations are effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register