Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare business and finance
May 21, 2026 - Profiles Timothy Reed, CEO of Prosser Memorial Health, a rural Washington health system that has undergone significant expansion in recent years. Reed describes his plan to balance financial stewardship with expanded access to care.
Source: HealthLeaders
May 21, 2026 - Pre-publication notice of proposed rule from the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services describing alternatives to
modify the limit on the total payment rate and other
requirements for State directed payments in Medicaid
managed care. This rule also proposes to set a limit for
certain targeted Medicaid payments in Medicaid
fee-for-service. Includes rural considerations throughout. Comments on this proposed rule are due 60 days from publication of this notice in the Federal Register, which is scheduled for May 22, 2026.
CMS: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
Federal Register
May 20, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Administrative Requirements for Section 6071 of the Deficit Reduction Act; and 2) Medicaid Managed Care Quality Including
Supporting Regulations. Comments are due within 60 days of this notice.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Generic Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
Federal Register
May 20, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) CHIPRA Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment; and 2) Behavioral Health Clinic Quality Data Reporting. Comments are due June 3, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027; and Basic Health Program
Federal Register
May 20, 2026 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services containing methods to improve the
implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act, including payment parameters and provisions
related to the HHS-operated risk adjustment and risk
adjustment data validation (HHS-RADV) programs. Among other
things, this rule also contains 2027 user fee
rates for qualified health plans (QHPs) through
Federally-facilitated Exchanges (FFEs) and State-based
Exchanges on the Federal platform (SBE-FPs). This rule is effective July 20, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 20, 2026 - Interview with Andrew M. Southerland, professor of neurology and public health sciences at the University of Virginia. Describes how the UVA telestroke program helps ensure that patients receive timely evaluation and treatment recommendations near home, while also identifying patients who may benefit from transfer to a comprehensive stroke center.
Source: DocWire News
May 15, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a 6-month nationwide moratorium on the Medicare enrollment of home health agencies. The moratorium takes effect on May 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs: Announcement of Nationwide Temporary Moratorium on Enrollment of Hospices
Federal Register
May 15, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a 6-month nationwide moratorium on the Medicare enrollment of hospices. The moratorium takes effect on May 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Quarterly Listing of Program Issuances-January through March 2026
Federal Register
May 14, 2026 - Quarterly listing of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) manual instructions, substantive and
interpretive regulations, and Federal Register notices
published from January through March 2026, including
contact information for general questions or additional
information about specific sections.
Source: Federal Register
IRS, EBSA, CMS: Excepted Fertility Benefits
Federal Register
May 13, 2026 - Notice of proposed rule from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on a proposal to amend regulations to establish certain fertility benefits as a new category of limited excepted benefits. Specifically, the agencies seek comments on the proposal to establish excepted fertility benefits as a new category of limited excepted benefits, the limits of the category itself, and the associated proposed conditions for such benefits to qualify as a limited excepted benefit set forth in this proposed rule. Comments are due by July 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register

