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Rural Health
News by Topic: Policy

Sep 22, 2026 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on a generic information collection umbrella titled "Generic Information Collection Request for Collections Related to HRSA Hotlines, Chatlines, and Online Portals, OMB No. 0906-New." Information collected will be used to ensure that HRSA hotlines, chatlines, and online portals are operating to the best of their abilities. Comments are due by October 22, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 22, 2026 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on an information collection request titled "Questionnaire and Data Collection Testing, Evaluation, and Research for HRSA." Information collected will be used to inform the development of new questions, questionnaires, and tools; pilot/pre-test instruments under development; and identify problems in instruments currently in use. Comments are due by October 22, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 21, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) extending the solicitation period for nominations for the National Vaccine Advisory Committee. Nominations are due 30 days from publication of this notice.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 18, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) announcing changes to the TRICARE program benefits for calendar year 2027. Outlines annual changes, new and expanded benefits, demonstration programs, pharmacy out-of-pocket expenses for CY 2027, and more. This TRICARE Health Plan information is applicable to services beginning January 1, 2027.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 18, 2026 - Announces a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) policy creating the HHS Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Forecast. The Forecast will aid manufacturers in understanding PPE needs and will be updated and published quarterly.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Sep 17, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Census Bureau seeking comments on Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) field tests related to self-response. The 2027 Field Test will be the first time that the ASEC supplement will be administered as a self-response mode, and will evaluate the comparability of computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) questions to internet self-response (ISR) questions and the impact of changing question wording and response categories. Comments are due by November 16, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 17, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announces the approval of DNV Healthcare USA Inc. (DNV) as a national accrediting organization for hospitals that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. This approval is applicable from September 26, 2026, through September 26, 2032.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 17, 2026 - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is seeking comments on proposed revisions to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Among other things, proposed updates for the 2027 NSDUH include revisions and additions to the Special Drugs module to prevent inconsistent reporting of last use of specific drugs with earlier modules; addition to the Mental Health Services Utilization module to capture past 12-month use of a Crisis Line service; and additions to the Emerging Issues module to measure past 12-month use of glucagon-like peptide-1 medications (GLP-1s), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), mood stabilizers, and antipsychotic medications. Comments are due by November 16, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 16, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announcing the annual adjustment in the amount in controversy (AIC) threshold amounts for Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearings and judicial review under the Medicare appeals process. The calendar year 2027 AIC threshold amounts are $200 for ALJ hearings and $2,000 for judicial review. These adjustments will be effective on January 1, 2027.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 16, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the second biannual Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Level II public meeting of 2026 on November 2-3, 2026. The meeting will include discussions on the CMS preliminary coding, Medicare benefit category, and Medicare payment determinations for new revisions to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Level II code set. The agenda and information on how to join the meeting will be posted on the CMS website. Registration is required for in-person attendees by October 19, 2026.
Source: Federal Register