Rural Health
News by Topic: Policy
Jul 23, 2025 - Announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of receipt of an application for continued recognition of the Accreditation Commission for Health Care as a national accrediting organization for Critical Access Hospitals that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. Comments are due by August 22, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 22, 2025 - Notice of proposed rule from the Department of Veterans Affairs proposing revisions to its medical regulations to add a new method of notification for emergency treatment furnished by community providers to be authorized under the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). Among other things, this rule proposes to amend the requirement that a notice of emergency treatment authorized under the VCCP be provided to the appropriate VA official at the nearest VA facility within 72 hours of treatment by adding that notice can also be provided through the centralized notification process. Comments are due by September 22, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
Federal Register
Jul 21, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the reinstatement of an information collection titled "Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Home Health Facilities (HHAs) and Supporting Regulations." The information collected is used to ensure that home health agencies comply with the Conditions of Participation. Comments are due by August 20, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 18, 2025 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is
seeking comments on a proposed information collection
project titled "National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN)."
This information collection is designed to provides
facilities, states, regions, and the nation with data
necessary to identify problem areas, measure the progress
of prevention efforts, and ultimately eliminate
healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) nationwide.
Comments are due by September 16, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 18, 2025 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on an information
collection regarding forms related to the telehealth
resource center (TRC) performance measurement tool and
renewal of the previously approved performance measures.
The information collected is used to evaluate existing
national and regional TRCs, measure the effectiveness of
technical assistance provided by TRCs, and other additional
reporting and assessment measures. Comments are due by
August 18, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 17, 2025 - 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 2026, 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 updates, this
rule also proposes updates related to the requirements for
the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program, Rural
Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting Program, Ambulatory
Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program, Overall Hospital
Quality Star Rating, and hospitals to make public their
standard charge information and enforcement of hospital
price transparency. Comments are due September 15, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Medicare Program; Announcement of the Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment Meeting-August 25, 2025
Federal Register
Jul 17, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will
hold a virtual meeting of the Advisory Panel on Hospital
Outpatient Payment on August 25, 2025. The purpose of the
Panel is to advise the Secretary on the clinical integrity
of the Ambulatory Payment Classification groups and their
associated weights, which are major elements of the
Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and
the Ambulatory Surgical Center payment system, and
supervision of hospital outpatient therapeutic services.
The agenda and information on how to join the meeting will
be posted on the
Panel's website. Presentations and comment letters are
due by August 1, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
VA: Solicitation of Nominations for the Appointment to the Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs
Federal Register
Jul 17, 2025 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking nominations of qualified candidates to be considered for appointment as members of the Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs to represent the following Indian Health Service (IHS) areas: Great Plains, Portland, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Alaska, Albuquerque, Native Hawaiian, Urban Indian, and Member At-Large. The Committee provides advice and guidance to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on all matters relating to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and Native American Veterans. Nominations are due by August 31, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 16, 2025 - Notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) addressing: 1) changes to the
Physician Fee Schedule and Medicare Part B payment
policies; 2) policies for the Medicare Prescription Drug
Inflation Rebate Program under the Inflation Reduction Act
of 2022; 3) the Ambulatory Specialty Model; 4) updates to
the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program expanded model; 5)
updates to drugs and biological products paid under Part B;
6) Medicare Shared Savings Program requirements; 7) updates
to the Quality Payment Program; 8) updates to policies for
Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health
Centers (FQHCs); 9) updates to the Ambulance Fee Schedule
regulations; 10) codification of the Inflation Reduction
Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 provisions;
and 11) updates to the Medicare Promoting Interoperability
Program. Comments are due on September 12, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
Federal Register
Jul 14, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey; and 2) Review Choice Demonstration for Home Health Services. Comments are due by September 12, 2025.
Source: Federal Register