Rural Healthcare Payment and Reimbursement – News

Rural Health: A Strategic Opportunity for Governors

Sep 5, 2025 - Blog post discussing the Rural Health Transformation Program. Provides an overview of the program and examples of early actions taken by governors. Identifies key stakeholder partners and critical policy areas related to rural health.

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CMS Announces Changes to Achieving Healthcare Efficiency through Accountable Design (AHEAD) Model to Improve Quality, Promote Transparency, and Manage Costs

Sep 2, 2025 - Announces changes to the Achieving Healthcare Efficiency through Accountable Design (AHEAD) Model beginning in January 2026 including the end date for all cohorts, payment reforms for patients with Original Medicare, and new requirements around total cost of care and primary care investment targets.

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HHS: Request for Nominations of Members To Serve on the Healthcare Advisory Committee Federal Register

Aug 22, 2025 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announcing its intent to establish the Healthcare Advisory Committee, which will advise the Secretary of HHS and Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on issues related to improving the operations and outcomes of federally administered healthcare insurance and payment programs. HHS is also requesting nominations for membership on the committee. Nominations are due by September 22, 2025.

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CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2026 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; and Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program; Correction Federal Register

Aug 14, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making technical and typographical corrections to the July 16, 2025, proposed rule.

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CMS: Medicare Program: Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals (IPPS) and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Rates; Changes to the FY 2025 IPPS Rates Due to Court Decision; Requirements for Quality Programs; and Other Policy Changes; Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Electronic Prescribing, Real-Time Prescription Benefit and Electronic Prior Authorization Federal Register

Aug 4, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the Centers revising the hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals for fiscal year 2026. This rule also makes changes related to Medicare graduate medical education (GME) for teaching hospitals; updates payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals; updates and make changes to requirements for certain quality programs; and finalizes certain updates to the ONC Health Information Technology (IT) Certification Program among other things. These final rules are effective October 1, 2025.

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