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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Legislation and regulations

Apr 15, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revising the Medicare Advantage (Part C), Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D), Medicare cost plan, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) regulations to implement changes related to prescription drug coverage, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, dual eligible special needs plans (D-SNPs), Part C and Part D Star Ratings, and other programmatic areas, including the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. This final rule also codifies existing sub-regulatory guidance in the Part C and Part D programs. These regulations are effective June 3, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 14, 2025 - Pre-publication notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for fiscal year 2026. Includes proposals related to admission to hospice regulations and the hospice face-to-face attestation requirements under the certification of terminal illness regulations. This proposed rule also includes a technical correction to the regulatory text and provides updates to the Hospice Quality Reporting Program requirements. Among other things, this rule seeks comments regarding requests for information surrounding future measure concepts for Hospice Quality Reporting Program. Includes rural references and considerations throughout. Comments are due within 60 days of the publication of this notice, which is scheduled for April 30, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 14, 2025 - Pre-publication notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the FY 2026 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. Includes a proposed revision to the payment adjustment factors for teaching status and for IPFs in rural areas. This proposed rule also proposes changes to measures used in the Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities Quality Reporting (IPFQR) Program and changes to update and codify the Extraordinary Circumstances Exception policy. Among other things, this rule seeks comments regarding potential future revisions to the IPFQR Program. Comments are due by June 10, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 14, 2025 - Pre-publication notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding changes to the hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals for fiscal year 2026. Contains details of proposed changes related 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 certain quality programs, among other things. Comments are due by June 10, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 14, 2025 - Pre-publication notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on updates to the prospective payment system for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) for fiscal year 2026. Among other things, this rule proposes classification and weighting factors for the IRF prospective payment system's case-mix groups, continues the second year of the 3-year phase-out of the rural adjustments, and includes proposals for the IRF Quality Reporting Program. Comments are due by June 10, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 14, 2025 - Pre-publication notice of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would update the skilled nursing facility (SNF) prospective payment system (PPS) payment rates for fiscal year 2026. Among other things, this rule includes proposals to update the requirements for the SNF Quality Reporting Program and the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program. Comments are due by May 28, 2024. Comments are due within 60 days of the publication of this notice, which is scheduled for April 30, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 14, 2025 -

Requests feedback from healthcare providers, researchers, stakeholders, health and drug plans, and the public on potential changes to Medicare regulations in line with Executive Order 14192 "Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation" issued on January 31, 2025, which requires agencies proposing new legislation to identify at least 10 existing regulations to be repealed. Comments are due June 10, 2025.

Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Apr 11, 2025 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) clarifying the May 9, 2024, final rule titled, "Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance." This notice clarifies that language in the preamble of the final rule concerning gender dysphoria is not included in the regulatory text and therefore does not have the force or effect of law.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 1, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on an information collection Medicare Transaction Facilitator (MTF) for 2026 and 2027 under Sections 11001 and 11002 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The MTF will collect information from manufacturers of drugs covered under Medicare Part D selected will be used for negotiation under the Inflation Reduction Act for the initial price applicability years 2026 and 2027 and the dispensing entities that dispense the selected drugs to MFP-eligible individuals. Comments are due by May 1, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 25, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the Federal Communications Commission regarding the implementation of Next Generation 911 (NG911), which requires wireline providers, Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) providers, covered text providers, providers of interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, and providers of internet-based Telecommunications Relay Service (internet-based TRS) to transition to NG911 in coordination with 911 authorities. Compliance with this rule is effective March 25, 2025.
Source: Federal Register