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Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare business and finance

Dec 9, 2024 - Discusses anticipated challenges with receiving prescription medication for rural Missouri residents relying on the U.S. Postal Service due to planned changes to distribution routes and less frequent service. Notes there have been increases in mail-order prescriptions alongside a national trend in rural pharmacy closures.
Source: Missouri Independent
Dec 4, 2024 - Notice of a final 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 upside risk payments or downside risk 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 the Radiation Oncology Model, the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Treatment Choices Model, and mandatory Innovation Center models, including the IOTA Model, whose first performance period begins on or after January 1, 2025. Includes comments regarding rural-specific concerns. This rule is effective January 3, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 4, 2024 - Summarizes recent research finding that between 2010 and 2022 access to obstetric care has declined in both rural and urban hospitals, though closures for rural areas are felt more acutely. Notes the impact closures have on already high maternal mortality rates.
Source: University of Minnesota News and Events
Dec 2, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announcing the application fee for providers initially enrolling in the Medicare or Medicaid programs, or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); revalidating their Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP enrollment; or adding a new Medicare practice location. The new fee is $730 and is required for applications submitted January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 2, 2024 - Notice of proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) that would codify changes made by the Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019 (MSIAA), which added exclusion authorities related to misclassification and false information about outpatient drugs. This proposed rule would also update and clarify OIG's procedures for excluding individuals and entities from participation in the federal healthcare programs, including the factors that will be considered in determining the length of exclusions, the provisions governing notices of exclusions, and certain provisions related to reinstatement into the programs. Comments are due by January 31, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 29, 2024 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Medicare Program: Procedures for Making National Coverage Decisions and 2) Transcatheter Valve Therapy (TVT) Registry. Comments are due December 30, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 29, 2024 - Notice from the Department of Health and Human Services releasing the Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) rates for the period of October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. The rates are used to determine the amount of Federal matching for state Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) Contingency Funds, and Enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (eFMAP) rates for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expenditures, among other federal assistance programs.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 27, 2024 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid is seeking comments on an information collection titled "Medicaid Program: Medicare Savings Program Application and Eligibility Determinations" which will help enroll participants in the Medicare Savings Programs. Comments are due by December 27, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 27, 2024 - Notice of final rule with comment period from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2025. This rule also updates the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Program, Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program, and Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program and finalizes updates to the Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) for obstetrical services. Among other things, this rule summarizes comments received in response to an information request on potential modifications to the Safety of Care measure group in the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating methodology. This rule also finalizes exceptions to the Medicaid clinic services benefit four walls requirement for Indian Health Service and Tribal clinics, and, at state option, for behavioral health clinics and clinics located in rural areas. The provisions of this rule are effective January 1, 2025. Comments are due by December 31, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 26, 2024 - The Department of Health and Human Services is seeking comments on burden estimates for an information collection titled "Assurances for Construction Programs (SF-424D)," which is used by grant applicants to provide specific assurances as part of their grant proposals. Comments are due by January 27, 2025.
Source: Federal Register