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Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

May 10, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implementing improvements to increase transparency and accountability, standardize data and monitoring, and create opportunities for States to promote active beneficiary engagement in their Medicaid programs, with the goal of improving access to care. These regulations are effective July 9, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
May 10, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) advancing CMS' efforts to improve access to care, quality and health outcomes, and better address health equity issues for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) managed care enrollees. This rule specifically addresses standards for timely access to care and States' monitoring and enforcement efforts, reduces burden for some State directed payments and certain quality reporting requirements, adds new standards that will apply when States use in lieu of services and settings (ILOSs) to promote effective utilization and specify the scope and nature of ILOS, specifies medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements, and establishes a quality rating system for Medicaid and CHIP managed care plans. These regulations are effective July 9, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
May 10, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) establishing minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities. This rule also requires states to report the percentage of Medicaid payments for certain Medicaid-covered institutional services that are spent on compensation for direct care workers and support staff. These regulations are effective on June 21, 2024, except for § 483.71, § 483.35(b)(1) and (c)(1), § 483.35(b)(1)(i) and (ii), and §§ 438.72(a) and 442.43 as indicated.
Source: Federal Register
May 10, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing its approval of The Compliance Team for continued recognition as a national accrediting organization for Rural Health Clinics that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. This recognition is applicable July 17, 2024, to July 17, 2028.
Source: Federal Register
May 9, 2024 - Pre-publication notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) describing a new mandatory Medicare payment model, the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model (IOTA Model). The IOTA Model would test whether performance-based incentive payments paid to or owed by participating kidney transplant hospitals increase access to kidney transplants for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) while preserving or enhancing the quality of care and reducing Medicare expenditures. This proposed rule also describes standard provisions for CMS Innovation Center (CMMI) models relating to beneficiary protections, cooperation in model evaluation and monitoring, audits and records retention, rights in data and intellectual property, monitoring and compliance, and more. These standard provisions would apply to any CMMI model whose first performance period begins on or after January 1, 2025, and in whole or in part to any CMMI model whose first performance period began before January 1, 2025. Comments are due within 60 days of the publication of this notice, which is scheduled for May 17, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
May 8, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making several clarifications and updating the definitions used to determine whether a consumer is "lawfully present" in order to be eligible to enroll in a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) through an Exchange; a Basic Health Program (BHP), in states that elect to operate a BHP; and for some state Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIPs). This rule includes Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and certain other noncitizens in the definitions of "lawfully present" for purposes of eligibility for these insurance affordability programs. These regulations are effective November 1, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
May 8, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) is seeking public comments on potential viral hepatitis quality measures for implementation at the state and territory level. Specifically, HHS requests comments on the clinical significance, usability, feasibility, and likely uptake of hepatitis C screening and hepatitis C treatment initiation quality measures, as well as recommendations on other feasible viral hepatitis measures. Comments are due by June 7, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
May 7, 2024 - Provides an overview of new legislation aimed at improving healthcare access, with a focus on rural and underserved areas. Details six bills addressing a range of issues including telehealth access, rural hospital stabilization, and healthcare workforce shortages.
Source: House Committee on Ways and Means
May 6, 2024 - Notice of final rule and interpretation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that reinstates regulatory protections from discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in covered health programs and activities. Among other things, HHS is finalizing its interpretation regarding whether Medicare Part B constitutes Federal financial assistance for purposes of civil rights enforcement and to nondiscrimination provisions to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual in regulations issued by the CMS governing Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE); health insurance issuers and their officials, employees, agents, and representatives; and States and the Exchanges carrying out Exchange requirements; among others. This rule is effective July 5, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
May 3, 2024 - Summarizes forthcoming research on disparities in access to hospital-based pediatric services among rural and urban children. Discusses the impact of rural hospital closures on children with chronic health conditions.
Source: Medical Xpress