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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Dec 4, 2025 - Describes emergency medical service (EMS) access challenges for a rural Missouri community after a hospital closed. Discusses ambulance response times and plans to return emergency care to the community.
Source: KOMU
Dec 3, 2025 - Notice of interim final rule with comment from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) repealing provisions of the May 10, 2024, final rule titled "Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting." This interim final rule removes the minimum staffing requirements outlined in the May 10, 2024, final rule and reinstates nurse staffing requirements set forth in the October 4, 2016, final rule. These regulations are effective on February 2, 2026. Comments are due by February 2, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 3, 2025 - Highlights a program offering mental health services to Texas farmers. Discusses how the program was developed, as well as high rates of factors contributing to poor mental health, access to mental healthcare, and stigma among rural and farming communities.
Source: AgriLife Today
Dec 2, 2025 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the home health payment rates for calendar year (CY) 2026. This rule also finalizes changes to the face-to-face encounter policy, Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HH QRP), and the expanded Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model requirements; updates the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program (CBP); and makes a technical change to the home health conditions of participation. Among other things, this rule also finalizes permanent and temporary behavior adjustments and recalibrates the case-mix weights and update the functional impairment levels; comorbidity subgroups; and low-utilization payment adjustment (LUPA) thresholds for CY 2026. These regulations are effective January 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 2, 2025 - Announces that components of a 2024 regulation establishing federal requirements for nursing home staffing has been repealed. Discusses the burden that had been placed on rural and tribal facilities as a result of the rule.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Dec 2, 2025 - Discusses challenges with maintaining infrastructure, essential services, and emergency healthcare in a rural New York county due to workforce shortages. Describes contributors to the shortage including a small pool of workers, limited housing, and an aging population.
Source: Adirondack Explorer
Dec 1, 2025 - Highlights the work of rural pharmacists around New Mexico and their paths to rural practice. Discusses initiatives to address primary care physician shortages by increasing a pharmacist's scope of practice, efforts to recruit rural students to the pharmacy field, and networking across the state.
Source: UNM Health Sciences News
Nov 28, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) National Implementation of the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (OAS CAHPS) and 2) Elimination of Cost-Sharing for Full Benefit Dual-Eligible Individuals Receiving Home and Community-Based Services. Comments are due by January 27, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 28, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Medicaid Program; Eligibility Changes under the Affordable Care Act of 2010 and 2) Solicitation for Applications for Medicare Prescription Drug Plan 2027 Contracts. Comments are due by December 29, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 28, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making technical corrections to the November 5, 2025, final rule. This correction is effective January 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register