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Rural Health
News by Topic: Healthcare quality

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
Jul 16, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) CHIP State Plan Eligibility; 2) Model Application Template and Instructions for State Child Health Plan Under Title XXI of the Social Security Act, State Children's Health Insurance Program; 3) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Quality Measure Set (QMS) Reporting; 4) Medicaid State Plan Eligibility; 5) Health Home State Plan Amendment (SPA); 6) Child and Adult Core Set Measures; and 7) Health Home Core Sets. Comments are due July 30, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 16, 2026 - Notice of a proposed 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) the Ambulatory Specialty Model; 4) updates to drugs and biological products paid under Part B; 5) Medicare Shared Savings Program requirements; 6) updates to the Quality Payment Program; 7) updates to policies for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs); 8) updates to the Ambulance Fee Schedule regulations; 9) codification of the Inflation Reduction Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 provisions; 10) updates to Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule regulations; and 11) updates to the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program. Comments are due on September 14, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Jul 14, 2026 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) State Exchange Improper Payment Measurement (SEIPM); and 2) Consumer Experience Survey Data Collection. Comments are due August 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register