Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Dec 9, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Community Mental Health Center Cost Report; 2) Federally Qualified Health Center Cost Report Form; and 3) Medicare Request for Employment Information. Comments are due by January 8, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 9, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) addressing: 1) changes to the Physician Fee Schedule and Medicare Part B payment policies; 2) policies for the Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate program under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; 3) updates to the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program expanded model; 4) payment for dental services inextricably linked to specific covered medical services; 5) updates to drugs and biological products paid under Part B including immunosuppressive drugs and clotting factors; 6) Medicare Shared Savings Program requirements; 7) updates to the Quality Payment Program; 8) Medicare coverage of opioid use disorder services furnished by opioid treatment programs; 9) updates to policies for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs); 10) electronic prescribing for controlled substances for a covered Part D drug under a prescription drug plan or an MA-PD plan; 11) updates to the Ambulance Fee Schedule regulations; 12) updates to Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule regulations; 13) updates to the diabetes payment structure and COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) flexibilities; 14) expansion of colorectal cancer screening and Hepatitis B vaccine coverage and payment; 15) establishing payment for drugs covered as additional preventive services; and 16) Medicare Parts A and B Overpayment Provisions of the Affordable Care Act and Medicare Parts C and D Overpayment Provisions of the Affordable Care Act. These regulations are effective January 1, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 9, 2024 - Provides overview of resources available through the Rural Mental Health Resources Hub, created by Mental Health America (MHA). Describes resources including a free mental health screening, educational overviews, and information for communities looking to better serve residents with mental health conditions. Discusses rural disparities in access to mental health treatment and efforts by MHA's South Carolina chapter to expand access through a mobile mental health clinic program.
Source: The Daily Yonder
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 6, 2024 - Describes the role physician assistants (PAs) can play in increasing access to mental healthcare, particularly for rural residents. Notes the increase in mental healthcare-trained PAs in the previous decade as well as the more diverse workforce compared to the physician workforce. Free registration may be required to view full article.
Source: Medscape Medical News
Dec 6, 2024 - Features a program led by the Oklahoma Breastfeeding Resource Center (OBRC) which works to expand access to breastfeeding education in rural communities. Notes the health benefits of breastfeeding and lower rates of breastfeeding initiation in some rural areas. Describes how OBRC offers training to rural providers on evidence-based best practices and helps hospitals achieve Baby-Friendly designation.
Source: National Rural Health Association
Dec 6, 2024 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Programs regarding strategies that HRSA should consider or prioritize to meet the needs of individuals with sickle cell disease and their families within the United States. Includes questions to which HRSA is seeking responses. Comments are due by January 6, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 6, 2024 - Notice from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) seeking comments on a new SAMHSA Unified Performance Reporting Tool (SUPRT). SUPRT will combine and align the existing client-level performance instrument for the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and National Outcomes Measures (NOMs) instrument for the SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services, and create a two-component tool that will allow for a self-administered questionnaire and a grantee completion of administrative data. SAMHSA will use the data collected through SUPRT for annual reporting, grantee monitoring, and continuous improvement of its discretionary grant programs. Comments are due by January 6, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 6, 2024 - Announces the start of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Milk Testing Strategy in response to the spread of avian influenza in dairy cattle. Describes the implementation of a nationwide testing system to identify infected herds and protect the health of farmers, farmworkers, and the public. Notes the issuance of a new Federal Order and outlines compliance requirements for dairy industry stakeholders.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Dec 4, 2024 - Profiles a rural-based Tennessee pharmacy system, noting the rural health disparities that pharmacy access can help alleviate and the benefits of a community pharmacy.
Source: UTHSC News