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Rural Health
News by Topic: Policy

Jan 21, 2025 - Notice from the Indian Health Service amending the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority to reflect the reorganization of the IHS Office of Information Technology (GAG) and the Office Management Services (GAL).
Source: Federal Register
Jan 17, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) authorizing the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare practitioners acting within the scope of their VA employment to prescribe controlled substances via telemedicine to a VA patient with whom they have not conducted an in-person medical evaluation. VA practitioners can prescribe controlled substances to VA patients if another VA practitioner has previously conducted an in-person medical evaluation of the VA patient at any time, subject to certain conditions. This final rule is effective February 18, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jan 17, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) amending their regulations to increase access to buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorders (OUD) through a telemedicine encounter. This rule expands the circumstances under which individual providers are authorized to prescribe buprenorphine for OUD via telemedicine, including an audio-only telemedicine encounter. This final rule is effective February 18, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jan 17, 2025 - Notice of proposed rulemaking from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proposing regulatory changes aimed at expanding patient access to controlled substance medications via telemedicine while mitigating the risks of diversion associated with such expansion. Proposed changes would establish a Special Registration framework and authorize three types of Special Registration that would allow more comprehensive prescribing, including prescribing of Schedule II and narcotic and non-narcotic controlled substances in limited circumstances, by properly registered physicians and mid-level practitioners and dispensing by online telemedicine platforms that constitute covered online telemedicine platforms. Comments are due by March 18, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jan 17, 2025 - Announces the updated 2025 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) federal poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, and Hawaii, which took effect January 15, 2025. The HHS poverty guidelines are a simplified version of the poverty thresholds issued by the U.S. Census Bureau and are used to determine eligibility for several federal programs.
Source: Federal Register
Jan 17, 2025 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on an information collection titled "Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Jurisdictional Survey Instrument for the Title V MCH Block Grant Program, OMB No. 0906-0042—Revision." The MCH Jurisdictional Survey is designed to produce data on the physical and emotional health of mothers and children under 18 years of age in the following eight jurisdictions—American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, Puerto Rico, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Proposed revisions include further updates to survey questions to align with new Federal data standards, including updated guidance from OMB on collecting information on race and ethnicity. Comments are due by February 18, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jan 17, 2025 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will hold a hybrid public meeting of the Advisory Committee on U.S. Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States on February 11, 2025. The agenda will include the Committee's review of and vote to submit its final draft to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Source: Federal Register
Jan 15, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Assumption of Responsibilities and Supporting Regulations and 2) Medicare Enrollment Application for Clinics/Group Practices and Other Suppliers. Comments are due by February 14, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jan 15, 2025 - Notice from the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) withdrawing the October 28, 2024, notice of proposed rulemaking regarding coverage of certain preventive services under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which requires non-grandfathered group health plans and non-grandfathered group or individual health insurance coverage to cover certain contraceptive services without cost sharing. This withdrawal is effective January 15, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jan 15, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) setting parameters for risk adjustment and user fees for state and federal-based exchanges for 2026. This rule also addresses requirements related to modifications to the calculation of the Basic Health Program (BHP) payment; changes to the approach for conducting Essential Community Provider (ECP) certification reviews; a policy to publicly share aggregated, summary-level Quality Improvement Strategy (QIS) information on an annual basis; revisions to the medical loss ratio (MLR) reporting and rebate requirements; and more.
Source: Federal Register