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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Policy

Dec 2, 2025 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the home health payment rates for calendar year (CY) 2026. This rule also finalizes changes to the face-to-face encounter policy, Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HH QRP), and the expanded Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model requirements; updates the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program (CBP); and makes a technical change to the home health conditions of participation. Among other things, this rule also finalizes permanent and temporary behavior adjustments and recalibrates the case-mix weights and update the functional impairment levels; comorbidity subgroups; and low-utilization payment adjustment (LUPA) thresholds for CY 2026. These regulations are effective January 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 2, 2025 - Announces that components of a 2024 regulation establishing federal requirements for nursing home staffing has been repealed. Discusses the burden that had been placed on rural and tribal facilities as a result of the rule.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Dec 1, 2025 - Quarterly listing of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and Federal Register notices published from July through September 2025, including contact information for general questions or additional information about specific sections.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 1, 2025 - Notice of a proposed rule from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that would clarify and modify existing regulations impacting the deployment of wireless infrastructure with particular focus on state and local regulations. Comments are due December 31, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 1, 2025 - The National Council on Disability (NCD) is requesting information to inform a policy brief discussing disability clinical care and competency training of medical professionals. Questions for consideration include challenges in incorporating disability clinical care in formal training, application of disability clinical care training to other populations, behavior and attitudes of trained healthcare providers, and existing resources and standards of learning to inform required standards of learning development. Comments are due January 6, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 28, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Medicaid Program; Eligibility Changes under the Affordable Care Act of 2010 and 2) Solicitation for Applications for Medicare Prescription Drug Plan 2027 Contracts. Comments are due by December 29, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 28, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) National Implementation of the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (OAS CAHPS) and 2) Elimination of Cost-Sharing for Full Benefit Dual-Eligible Individuals Receiving Home and Community-Based Services. Comments are due by January 27, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 28, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making technical corrections to the November 5, 2025, final rule. This correction is effective January 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 28, 2025 - Notice of a proposed rule from the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would revise the Medicare Advantage (Part C), Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D), and Medicare cost plan regulations. Proposed revisions would implement changes related to Star Ratings, marketing and communications, drug coverage, enrollment processes, special needs plans, and other programmatic areas for contract year 2027. Among other things, this proposed rule also includes a request for information regarding changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) that would modernize and improve the MA program and could be implemented through either programmatic changes or through a CMS Innovation Center (CMMI) model. Comments are due by January 26, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 28, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making corrections to the November 18, 2025, notice titled "Determining Eligibility for Enrollment in Applicable State Health Subsidy Programs Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act."
Source: Federal Register