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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
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
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
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
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