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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Oct 6, 2026 - Notice of final rule from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Department of Commerce and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation removing regulations related to the 911 Grant Program because the program is no longer active and there have been no new appropriations to revive or extend it. Authorization for the program expired on October 1, 2022, and the Public Safety Trust Fund that funded the program was not extended past fiscal year 2022. All projects funded by the program have been closed out and no open grants or applications exist. This rule is effective October 6, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 6, 2026 - Notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), on behalf of the Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS), seeking comments on the nationwide implementation of prehospital blood transfusion. Specifically, NHTSA seeks comments on strategies, barriers, and solutions to advance prehospital blood transfusion capabilities across state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency medical services (EMS) and 911 systems. Includes questions to which NHTSA is seeking responses. Comments are due by November 5, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Oct 5, 2026 - Discusses recent research finding surgeon workforce shortages in rural communities. Notes that one driver of the shortage is surgeon training not meeting the workforce demand.
Source: The Week
Oct 5, 2026 - Announces awarded funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program which offers home visiting services for improved outcomes during pregnancy and early childhood. Notes that the program reaches families where services are more limited, including in rural communities.
Source: Health Resources and Services Administration
Oct 5, 2026 - Describes bipartisan legislation to extend the reporting deadline for Indian Health Service (IHS) patients who seek emergency care from non-IHS facilities. The bill would increase the deadline from 72 hours to 15 days for most patients. Older adults and people with disabilities would continue to have a 30-day deadline as the current law allows.
Source: Office of Senator Catherine Cortez Masto
Oct 5, 2026 - Highlights a nonprofit organization working to increase access to and resources for mental healthcare for farmers and ranchers. Notes high rates of suicide in the population and discusses signs of poor mental health.
Source: High Plains Public Radio
Oct 2, 2026 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implementing the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing Model (GLOBE Model), a new Medicare payment model under section 1115A of the Social Security Act. The GLOBE Model would test whether a payment model that uses an alternative method for calculating Part B inflation rebate amounts for certain separately payable Part B drugs and biological products reduces costs for Original Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries and the Medicare program while preserving quality of care. This rule also summarizes and responds to comments received on the December 23, 2025, proposed rule, including the potential impact of this model on small rural hospitals. These regulations are effective November 30, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
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
Oct 1, 2026 - Announces new awarded funding in Alabama from the Rural Health Transformation Program. Initiatives include maternal and fetal health, emergency medical services for stroke response and treat-in-place services, simulation training, cancer screening and treatment, equipment upgrades, and workforce pipeline projects.
Source: Office of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey