Rural Health
News by Topic: Policy
May 6, 2025 - Announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding new food assistance approved for 13 Kentucky counties impacted by recent storms, tornadoes, and flooding. Notes that residents of 13 Kentucky counties may now be eligible for food assistance through USDA's Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). Includes additional information on eligibility and how to apply for assistance.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
NTIA: Recruitment of First Responder Network Authority Board Members
Federal Register
May 1, 2025 - The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is requesting expressions of interest for the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) Board to serve a 3-year term. The FirstNet Authority Board is responsible for providing overall policy direction and oversight of the FirstNet Authority to ensure that the nationwide network continuously meets the needs of public safety. The membership of the Board must include rural representation. Expressions of interest are due by June 2, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 30, 2025 - Notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding changes to the hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals for fiscal year 2026. Contains details of proposed changes related 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 certain quality programs, among other things. Comments are due by June 10, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 30, 2025 - Notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would update the skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system (PPS) payment rates for fiscal year 2026. Among other things, this rule includes proposals to update the requirements for the SNF Quality Reporting Program and the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program. Comments are due by June 30, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Medicare Program; FY 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
Federal Register
Apr 30, 2025 - Notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for fiscal year 2026. Includes proposals related to admission to hospice regulations and the hospice face-to-face attestation requirements under the certification of terminal illness regulations. This proposed rule also includes a technical correction to the regulatory text and provides updates to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program requirements. Among other things, this rule seeks comments regarding requests for information surrounding future measure concepts for Hospice Quality Reporting Program. Includes rural references and considerations throughout. Comments are due by June 30, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Medicare Program; FY 2026 Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Prospective Payment System-Rate Update
Federal Register
Apr 30, 2025 - Notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the FY 2026 prospective payment rates, outlier threshold, and wage index for Medicare inpatient hospital services provided by inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPF), including psychiatric hospitals and excluded psychiatric units of an acute care hospital or Critical Access Hospital. Includes a proposed revision to the payment adjustment factors for teaching status and for IPFs in rural areas. This proposed rule also proposes changes to measures used in the Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Quality Reporting (IPFQR) Program and changes to update and codify the Extraordinary Circumstances Exception policy. Among other things, this rule seeks comments regarding potential future revisions to the IPFQR Program. Comments are due by June 10, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 30, 2025 - Notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2026. Among other things, this rule proposes classification and weighting factors for the IRF prospective payment system's case-mix groups, continues the second year of the 3-year phase-out of the rural adjustments, and includes proposals for the IRF Quality Reporting Program. Comments are due by June 10, 2025.
Source: Federal Register