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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Nov 24, 2025 - Pre-publication notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making changes to the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and the Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payment system for calendar year 2026, including changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare services paid under the OPPS and those paid under the ASC payment systems. Among other things, this rule also updates the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program, Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting Program, Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program, Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating, and hospitals to make public their standard charge information and enforcement of hospital price transparency. This rule also announces the closure of a teaching hospital and the opportunity to apply for available slots. This rule is effective January 1, 2026. Applications for available resident spots are due by February 19, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 24, 2025 - Describes the Rural Occupations Workforce Expansion program, an initiative to recruit rural South Carolinians to train for behavioral health jobs. Discusses challenges for local residents in accessing mental health care.
Source: WCSC
Nov 22, 2025 - Describes challenges with sustaining emergency medical services in rural Wyoming, discussing a shortage of volunteers, limited funding, and responding during poor weather.
Source: Cowboy State Daily
Nov 21, 2025 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking comments on an information collection titled "Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)." PRAMS collects data on maternal attitudes and experiences before, during, and after pregnancy. CDC seeks to extend the approval for PRAMS data collection for 3 years. Comments are due January 20, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 21, 2025 - Profiles a rural Vermont medically complex child to highlight challenges in accessing specialty care for rural residents. Describes the emergency care action plan created by her medical team that allows her to continue living safely in her rural community.
Source: Larner News and Media
Nov 20, 2025 - Discusses health disparities among rural healthcare provider shortages nationally and in Montana. Highlights 2 residency programs in Billings, Montana aiming to address the shortages of internal medicine and psychiatry providers. Describes how rural practice is integrated into the residencies as well as the benefits for both physician residents and rural communities.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Nov 20, 2025 - A medical service helicopter has been stationed at a rural Texas airport to offer faster access to emergency care. The helicopter acts as a mobile intensive care unit and can offer advanced procedures during transportation to specialized treatment facilities.
Source: 12 News Now
Nov 20, 2025 - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is seeking comments on a proposed new project called SAMHSA Unified Performance Reporting Tool (SUPRT)—Project (P). This tool will replace the Center for Mental Health Services' (CMHS) Infrastructure Development, Prevention, and Mental Health Promotion (IPP) Indicators and will serve as a single tool to collect grant-level aggregate data on target goals, actual performance, and client demographic characteristics from CMHS, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), and Behavioral Health Coordinating Office (988) grantees. Comments are due by January 20, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 19, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making corrections to the March 6, 2024, notice to add urinalysis to the list of specialties and subspecialties. This correction is effective November 19, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 19, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing the inpatient hospital deductible and coinsurance amounts for hospital and extended care services provided during calendar year 2026 under Medicare's Hospital Insurance Program (Medicare Part A). These rates are effective on January 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register