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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Apr 28, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the 2028 Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Quality Measure Set. The HCBS Quality Measure Set is a set of nationally standardized quality measures for Medicaid-funded HCBS intended to promote more common and consistent use of nationally standardized quality measures in HCBS programs within and across States, create opportunities for CMS and states to have comparative quality data on HCBS programs, and drive improvement in quality of care and outcomes for people receiving HCBS. Specifically, CMS seeks comments on proposed mandatory and voluntary measures for the 2028 HCBS Quality Measure Set; how States collect, calculate, and report data on the measures in the proposed 2028 HCBS Quality Measure Set; the proposed measures in the 2028 HCBS Quality Measure Set for which States are required to report stratified data, including rural/urban status; and more. Comments are due by May 28, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 26, 2026 - The Veterans Affairs' TelePharmacy program, available in selected areas across the country, gives remote access to veterans who live in areas without a pharmacy specialist. The My HealtheVet app can be used to verify appointment times, refill prescriptions, and send secure messages to patients' VA care teams.
Source: VA News
Apr 24, 2026 - Health Affairs has issued a call for journal articles focusing on age-friendly health including a focus on rural topics such as innovation in rural delivery of long-term services and supports, addressing rural care gaps associated with nursing home closures, and the impact of payment policies that boost rural home health supply in addition to workforce, caregiving, social determinants of health, technology, and more. Articles will be considered on an ongoing basis through June 2028.
Source: Health Affairs
Apr 23, 2026 - The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is seeking nominations to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Specific areas of expertise being sought include public health, application of science to health policy, and communication of scientific findings to diverse audiences. Nominations are due by May 23, 2026, to be considered for appointment beginning June 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 22, 2026 - The University of Washington's Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program doubled in size last year, after moving to the Gonzaga University campus and expanding Spokane-based training to the first two years of dental school. 78% of RIDE students practice in rural areas after graduation.
Source: The Spokesman-Review
Apr 21, 2026 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking comments on an existing information collection project titled "Extended Evaluation of the National Tobacco Prevention and Control Public Education Campaign." The goal of the information collection is to evaluate the reach of the Tips From Former Smokers® (Tips®) campaign among intended audiences and to examine the effectiveness of these efforts in impacting specific outcomes that are targeted by Tips, including quit attempts and intentions to quit among smokers, nonsmokers' communications about the dangers of smoking, and knowledge of smoking-related diseases among both audiences. Comments are due by June 22, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 21, 2026 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking comments on proposed revisions to information collection project titled "The National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG)." The NSFG is designed to collect nationally representative and scientifically credible data on factors related to birth and pregnancy rates, family formation and dissolution patterns, and reproductive health. Comments are due by June 22, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 21, 2026 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking comments on an information collection project titled "National Quitline Data Warehouse (NQDW)." NQDW provides information from all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Asian Smoker's Quitline regarding the general smoking population who contact their state quitlines, as well as information on key subgroups of tobacco users who contact state quitlines to better support cessation services. Comments are due by June 22, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 20, 2026 - Describes a pilot program using telehealth that aims to expand access to cardiology care in rural Arkansas.
Source: KNWA/KFTA
Apr 17, 2026 - Notice from the Department of Defense (DOD) making corrections to the April 10, 2026, notice announcing the extension of the Childbirth and Breastfeeding Support Demonstration (CBSD) through December 31, 2031. This correction is effective April 17, 2026.
Source: Federal Register