RHIhub This Week - April 15, 2026
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Rural Services Integration ToolkitOur recently updated toolkit provides models, resources, and other useful information to help rural healthcare systems, providers, and communities working to integrate healthcare and human services programs. |
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Apr 15, 2026 -- The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is seeking merit reviewers to evaluate funding applications submitted to the organization. Reviewers may be scientists, patients, and other stakeholders who share an interest in helping PCORI fulfill its mission of funding research to help patients, clinicians, and others make informed healthcare decisions. Source: Patient-Centers Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Rural Nebraska Dialysis Unit Closes Despite the State's $219M in Rural Health Funding Apr 15, 2026 -- Chadron Community Hospital in rural Nebraska closed its dialysis unit in March, due to low reimbursement rates that did not cover costs, causing patients to travel further distances for dialysis care. Nebraska will receive $219 million in first-year funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program, but this may not be enough to keep existing services in place in rural areas. Source: KFF Health News Healthcare Hollow: Infections Can Be Deadly in Rural Tennessee; One County Is Trying To Change That Apr 14, 2026 -- EMS crews in rural Hawkins County, Tennessee can now carry antibiotics in ambulances. This allows them to treat sepsis, one of the leading causes of hospitalization in Hawkins County, before reaching the emergency room. Source: WPLN Forensic Health Care Providers Working Diligently to Lessen the Impact of Violent Crimes across Indian Country – Part 1 Apr 10, 2026 -- Highlights 4 forensic healthcare programs from Indian Health Service providers in South Dakota, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and New Mexico for Sexual Assault Awareness Month and National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Includes resources and information for healthcare providers and the general public. Source: Indian Health Service Federal RegisterHHS: HHS OMH Call for Nominations for Center for Indigenous Innovation and HealthApr 15, 2026 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) is accepting nominations of candidates to serve as primary and alternate delegates for the Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity Tribal Advisory Committee (CIIHE TAC). CIIHE TAC delegates must be elected tribal officials from a federally recognized tribe acting in their official capacity or individuals designated by an elected tribal official. There are vacancies for all Indian Health Service areas. Nomination letters are encouraged by May 18, 2026, but nominations will be accepted until all primary and alternate delegate positions are filled. Source: Federal Register CMS, HHS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Interoperability Standards and Prior Authorization for Drugs for Medicare Advantage Organizations, Medicaid Managed Care Plans, State Medicaid Agencies, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Agencies and CHIP Managed Care Entities, and Issuers of Qualified Health Plans on the Federally-Facilitated Exchanges Apr 14, 2026 -- Notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) proposing to improve the electronic exchange of healthcare data and streamline processes related to prior authorization by increasing the interoperability of systems used across the healthcare industry. Among other things, this rule proposes new requirements for Medicare Advantage (MA) organizations, state Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) programs, state Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) FFS programs, Medicaid managed care plans, CHIP managed care entities, and Qualified Health Plan (QHP) issuers on the Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) to make electronic prior authorization for drugs available; to report their application programming interfaces (API) endpoints and related information for the Patient Access, Provider Directory, Provider Access, Payer-to-Payer, and Prior Authorization APIs to CMS; and extend many existing interoperability requirements for the prior authorization of non-drug items and services to include prior authorizations for drugs. In addition, ONC proposes adopting updated versions of certain health information technology (health IT) standards and specifications for HHS use. Comments are due by June 15, 2026. Source: Federal Register 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) 2027 Rates; Requirements for Quality Programs; and Other Policy Changes Apr 14, 2026 -- 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 2027. 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 April 10, 2026. Source: Federal Register CMS: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request Apr 10, 2026 -- Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on a proposed information collection titled "Self-Attestation for Recertification of CORFs, OPT/SLP, and RHCs Providers and PXR Suppliers." The information collected will be used as part of a new program to allow Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility (CORFs), Outpatient Physical Therapy/Speech Language Pathology (OPT/SLP), Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) Providers, and Portable X-Ray (PXR) Suppliers to attest to meeting the applicable CMS Conditions of Participation in lieu of undergoing a recertification survey by state survey agencies every six years. Comments are due by June 9, 2026. Source: Federal Register |
Funding to establish new, enhance existing, or implement statewide or countywide family treatment courts to ensure the provision of substance use treatment and other services that improve child, parent, and family outcomes. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Application Deadline: Apr 27, 2026 Sponsors: Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Program Funding for implementing new and enhancing existing juvenile drug treatment courts to improve outcomes for youth with substance use disorders and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Application Deadline: Apr 27, 2026 Sponsors: Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice Second Chance Act Pay for Success Initiative Grants to provide services and programs through performance-based or outcomes-based contracts to improve reentry and reduce recidivism among individuals leaving incarceration. Rural communities have been awarded funding in the past. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Apr 27, 2026 Sponsors: Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice Maude's Awards Offers a monetary award for organizations and individuals excelling in care for persons living with dementia. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: May 19, 2026 Sponsor: The Richard & Maude M. Ferry Foundation Prevent Cancer Foundation Community Grants Grants for projects focused on cancer prevention and early detection in rural communities from organizations located in the communities they serve. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Application Deadline: May 20, 2026 Sponsor: Prevent Cancer Foundation Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grants Community-based grants for eligible entities to provide or coordinate the provision of primarily non-clinical suicide prevention services to eligible veterans and their families. Geographic coverage: Nationwide and U.S. Territories Application Deadline: Jun 12, 2026 Sponsor: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program 2-year technical assistance program for rural hospitals to address financial and operational challenges and help maintain essential health services in rural communities. Geographic coverage: Nationwide Application Deadline: Sep 30, 2026 Sponsors: Georgia Southern University Center for Public Health Practice and Research, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health |
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) April 2026 meeting. Covers Medicare payment incentives, regional benchmarks and benchmark-plan availability in the Part D prescription drug plan (PDP) market, preferred networks and pharmacy access in Medicare Part D, the estimated association between Medicare Advantage enrollment and hospitals' and post-acute care providers' finances, information sources that beneficiaries use to make Medicare enrollment decisions, and institutional special-needs plans. Includes a mandated report on the assessment of the Medicare ground ambulance data collection system. Includes rural references and considerations throughout. Additional links: Advising the Congress on Medicare Issues Preferred Networks and Pharmacy Access in Part D, Mandated Report: Assessment of the Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection System Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission Date: 04/2026 County-Level Differences in Health Professional Shortage Areas by Rurality, Age, and Disability Status Examines differences in healthcare access among working-age and older adults, by rurality and disability status. Features statistics including percents of counties qualifying as primary care, mental health, or dental Heath Professional Shortage Areas, with breakdowns by disability quartile and rural or urban location. Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center Date: 04/2026 Geographic and Sociodemographic Patterns in Prevalence of Diagnosed Diabetes, US, 2021–2024 Analyzes the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in rural and urban populations using 2021-2024 NHIS data. Includes rural-urban data comparisons by sociodemographic group, including sex, age, body mass index, race and ethnicity, income level, food security status, and more. Author(s): Nicholas Yell, Michelle Asiedu-Danso, Cassie L. Odahowski, Elizabeth Crouch, Gabriel A. Benavidez Location: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23 Date: 04/2026 Home Visiting Partnerships Serving Native Families: An Extension of the Multi-Site Implementation Study of Tribal Home Visiting (MUSE) Discusses the Multi-Site Study of State-Tribal Collaboration (MUSE-STC) that examines collaboration between State Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program awardees and organizations within tribal communities that provide home visiting services. Analyzes facilitators and barriers of collaborative partnerships and how they impact tribal home visiting services, including those in rural areas. Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families Date: 03/2026 Identification and Characteristics of Under-Resourced and High-Need Rural Counties Describes how county-level data on healthcare workforce, chronic disease prevalence, and socioeconomic environment of rural communities can help policymakers identify the highest need counties for targeted policy initiatives and public health intervention. Features county-level U.S. maps showing geographic distribution of chronic disease burden, socioeconomic status, physician density, and overall resource need, with shadings showing level of need or nonrural status. Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center Date: 04/2026 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Traditional MIPS Scoring Guide for the 2026 Performance Year Provides details on how scores are calculated for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), one of two tracks under the Medicare Quality Payment Program. Explains the four performance categories that affect Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payments: quality, cost, improvement activities, and promoting interoperability. Includes information for small practices. Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Date: 03/2026 Prevalence of Selected Chronic Conditions Among Adults Age 45 and Older, by Age and Urbanization Level: United States, 2024 Provides data on the prevalence of heart disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke among adults age 45 and older by level of rurality, using data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey. Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics Date: 04/2026 Residence in a Rural Setting is Associated with Lower Five-Year Survival Rates in Patients that Undergo Spine Surgery for Breast Cancer Metastatic to the Spine: A Propensity Matched Analysis Compares rural and urban mortality among breast cancer patients who underwent spine surgery, using 2006-2015 SEER data of 865 female patients. Author(s): Austin Q. Nguyen, Brian M. Phelps, Sree M. Vemu, et al. Location: North American Spine Society Journal (NASSJ) Date: 04/2026 A Roadmap for Building and Implementing a Comprehensive State Graduate Medical Education Strategy: Actionable Steps to Align Investments with Workforce Needs Offers an evidence-based framework that organizes a graduate medical education (GME) growth strategy into 5 stages. Can be used as part of federal Rural Health Transformation Program activities to strengthen workforce recruitment and retention and to improve healthcare access in rural areas. Table 1 shows state GME models and technical assistance initiatives. Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund Date: 04/2026 The State of Medicare Supplement Coverage: Trends in Enrollment and Demographics Provides an overview of Medicare Supplement, or Medigap, coverage and coverage options. Examines the demographics of Medicare enrollees with Medicare Supplement policies in 2024 and enrollment trends. Includes demographic data on rural Medicare Supplement policyholders in 2023. Sponsoring organization: AHIP Date: 04/2026 Strategies for Critical Access Hospital Financial and Operational Performance Improvement: A Systematic Review Summarizes findings from a systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature published since 2000 regarding financial and operational performance improvement interventions implemented by Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural hospitals in the United States and in other developed countries. Identifies key intervention areas, including service line optimization, revenue and cost management, and technology adoption, among others. Describes how State Flex Programs and hospital administrators can use these findings to inform decision-making and resource allocation. Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team Date: 04/2026 Trends Among Medicare Special Needs Plan Enrollment in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas Examines enrollment trends from 2016-2025 in Medicare Advantage plans that provide benefits and services to people with specific conditions or healthcare needs, or who also have Medicaid. Features statistics with breakdowns by year and by metropolitan or nonmetropolitan location. Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis Date: 04/2026 |
Deadline: Apr 24, 2026 National Rural Health Association Event Dates: May 19, 2026 San Diego, CA Conference Website Call for Proposals: 2026 Rural and Underserved National Graduate Medical Education Conference Deadline: Apr 26, 2026 ShepsGME Technical Assistance Centers Event Dates: Aug 31 - Sep 2, 2026 Rockville, MD Conference Website Call for Presentations: 2026 14th Annual Telehealth Summit of South Carolina Deadline: May 15, 2026 Palmetto Care Connections Event Dates: Aug 31 - Sep 2, 2026 Greenville, SC Conference Website Call for Proposals: 2026 Annual Tennessee Rural Health Association Conference Deadline: Jun 30, 2026 Rural Health Association of Tennessee Event Dates: Nov 18 - 20, 2026 Knoxville, TN Conference Website |
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