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Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare quality

Aug 4, 2026 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revising the hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals for fiscal year 2027. This rule also makes changes to Medicare graduate medical education (GME) for teaching hospitals; payment policies and the annual payment rates for the Medicare prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals; and requirements for certain quality programs, among other things. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) also adopts certain health information technology (health IT) standards and specifications on behalf of HHS. These regulations are effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 4, 2026 - The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer has added a new accreditation category for rural hospitals with the goal of improving healthcare quality and outcomes for cancer patients. Notes that there are fewer accredited hospitals and less access to specialty care in rural areas.
Source: PR Newswire
Aug 3, 2026 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the prospective payment system (PPS) rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2027. Among other things, this rule includes classification and weighting factors for the IRF prospective payment system's case-mix groups, finalizes the third and final year of the 3-year phase-out of the rural adjustments, and updates the IRF Quality Reporting Program and changes to the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. This rule also summarizes comments received in response to requests for information regarding alternative data sources for the IRF PPS wage index and potential future IRF PPS payment reform. These regulations are effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 3, 2026 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for fiscal year 2027. Among other things, this rule finalizes conforming regulation text changes to discharge from hospice care regulations and the face-to-face encounter regulations. This rule also summarizes comments received in response to requests for information regarding community-based palliative care; the construction of a hospice-specific wage index; and the overlap between hospice and medical aid in dying laws. These regulations are effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Aug 3, 2026 - Offers data showing use of Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded health centers in 2025, noting that health centers saw the highest number of patients in the program's history. Rural areas saw the most growth. Also discusses funding for supporting food-based interventions, healthcare quality, and the role of health centers as training sites for the future health workforce.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Jul 31, 2026 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the FY 2027 prospective payment rates, outlier threshold, and wage index for Medicare Inpatient Hospital Services provided by inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPF), including psychiatric hospitals and excluded psychiatric units of an acute care hospital or Critical Access Hospital. Among other things, this rule also refines the IPF PPS outlier policy, implements a standardized IPF patient assessment, and removes two measures used in the IPF Quality Reporting Program. These regulations are effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 31, 2026 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system (PPS) payment rates for fiscal year 2027. This rule also updates the requirements for the SNF Quality Reporting Program and the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program. These regulations are effective October 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 17, 2026 - Notice from the Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on an information collection request titled "National Practitioner Data Bank for Adverse Information on Physicians and Other Health Care Practitioners—45 CFR part 60 Regulations and Forms, OMB No. 0906-0081—Revision." The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) aims to improve the quality of healthcare by encouraging hospitals, state licensing boards, professional societies, and other eligible entities providing healthcare services to identify and discipline those who engage in unprofessional behavior, and to restrict the ability of incompetent healthcare practitioners, providers, or suppliers to move from state to state without disclosure or discovery of previous damaging or incompetent performance. Comments are due by September 15, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 16, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are seeking comments on various topics related to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 including breath testing; laboratory processes and procedures; emergency preparedness, biosafety and security, and cybersecurity; and specialty testing areas. The use of remote direct observation for assessing laboratory personnel competency for the benefit of rural and remote facilities is of particular interest. Comments are due by September 14, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 16, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey for Merit-based Incentive Payment Systems (MIPS); and 2) Hospice Survey and Deficiencies Report Form and Supporting Regulations. Comments are due August 17, 2026.
Source: Federal Register