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Rural Hospitals – News

News stories from the past 60 days.

Nov 6, 2026 - Notice of a final rule with comment period 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 2027, 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 things, this rule updates and refines requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program and Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program; finalizes the implementation of provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, regarding off-campus outpatient departments of a provider; and announces notices of closure of teaching hospitals and opportunities to apply for available slots. Comments are due by January 4, 2027. This rule is effective January 1, 2027.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 6, 2026 - Pre-publication notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposing to modify, remove, or streamline Medicare and Medicaid regulations deemed obsolete or excessively burdensome on healthcare providers and suppliers. These changes aim to reduce costs, enhance flexibility in delivering innovative care, and streamline existing regulations. Outlines proposed revisions for hospitals, long-term care facilities, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, Rural Emergency Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Among other things, this proposed rule includes requests for information on potential changes to regulations regarding transplant programs, supervision of anesthesia services, and hospital and CAH respiratory illness and infectious disease data reporting. Comments are due 60 days after the publication of this notice, which is scheduled for November 10, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 5, 2026 - Describes a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services offering regulatory revisions to Conditions of Participation, Conditions for Coverage, and Requirements for Participation for Medicare- and Medicaid-participating providers and suppliers. Impacted facilities include Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Emergency Hospitals, among others. Also requests comments regarding other policies such as long-term care facility discharge; data reporting requirements; physician supervision of certified registered nurse anesthetists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners; transplant program certification; and other policies addressing Medicaid institutional workforce.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Newsroom
Nov 2, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the reinstatement of an information collection titled "Inpatient Psychiatric Unit Criteria Work Sheet." Information collected is used by inpatient psychiatric units (IPUs) to prove that they meet the requirements to be exempt from receiving payment from Medicare under the lower paying hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS). Comments are due by January 4, 2027.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 26, 2026 - Rural hospitals with limited resources can benefit from AI, but this carries with it privacy and cybersecurity risks. Human expertise is needed to manage AI concerns, but rural health systems often have small teams working at capacity.
Source: Digital Health Insights
Oct 1, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services making technical corrections to the July 31, 2026, final rule. This correction is effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 1, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services making technical corrections to the August 3, 2026, final rule. This correction is effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 29, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services making technical and typographical corrections to the August 4, 2026, final rule. These corrections are effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 17, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announces the approval of DNV Healthcare USA Inc. (DNV) as a national accrediting organization for hospitals that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. This approval is applicable from September 26, 2026, through September 26, 2032.
Source: Federal Register
Sep 10, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced awards to 132 hospitals in 13 states through the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program. This will help eligible small rural hospitals maintain their workforce, sustain essential services, and strengthen patients' access to care.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services