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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Policy

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 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announcing the creation of two new offices, the Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE) and the Office of the Chief Data Officer (OCDO), within the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE).
Source: Federal Register
Dec 4, 2024 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) describing a new mandatory Medicare payment model, the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model (IOTA Model). The IOTA Model would test whether performance-based upside risk payments or downside risk payments paid to or owed by participating kidney transplant hospitals increase access to kidney transplants for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) while preserving or enhancing the quality of care and reducing Medicare expenditures. This proposed rule also describes standard provisions for the Radiation Oncology Model, the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Treatment Choices Model, and mandatory Innovation Center models, including the IOTA Model, whose first performance period begins on or after January 1, 2025. Includes comments regarding rural-specific concerns. This rule is effective January 3, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 4, 2024 - Notice of proposed rule from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopting a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) that seeks comment on the implementation of the Alaska Connect Fund (ACF) for mobile service from the period January 1, 2030, through December 31, 2034, for areas where more than one mobile provider had been receiving support for overlapping service areas, or duplicate-support areas (ACF Mobile Phase II). Among other things, the FCC seeks comments on the methodology to determine support amounts in duplicate-support areas and the competitive or alternative mechanism to distribute support, how to distribute support in unserved areas, and Tribal consent requirements for the ACF. Comments are due by February 3, 2025, and reply comments are due by March 4, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 4, 2024 - Notice from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking comments on revisions to the information collection titled "Connect America Fund—High Cost Portal Filing." This information collection includes location reporting and related certification requirements for high-cost support recipients. Comments are due by January 3, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 3, 2024 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is allowing an additional 30 days for comments on a proposed revision to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for 2025-2027. BRFSS is a nationwide system of cross-sectional surveys that produces state-level information primarily on health risk behaviors, health conditions, and preventive health practices that are associated with chronic diseases, infectious diseases, and injury. Proposed revisions include the addition of questions on the following topics to questionnaires: heart attack and stroke, disaster/pandemic preparedness, veterans' health, and the use of newly available tobacco products. Comments are due within 30 days of this notice.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 3, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) seeking comments on the draft Recommendations for HIV Screening in Clinical Settings. This draft would update portions of the CDC's 2006 "Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings," including modifying the ages for HIV screening, encouraging providers to use clinical decision support tools, providing considerations for healthcare populations on which to conduct HIV screening, and more. Comments are due by January 2, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 3, 2024 - Notice of proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) proposing updates the methodology for calculating the cost adjustment in the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) for Hawaii. The proposed change to determine the cost adjustment would incorporate food prices from throughout the State of Hawaii rather than from Honolulu alone, ensuring that SNAP benefit allotments better reflect food prices faced by participants throughout the State of Hawaii. Comments are due by February 3, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 3, 2024 - Notice from the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) announcing a public meeting of the FirstNet Authority Board and Board Committees on December 11, 2024, from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Mountain. An agenda will be published on the FirstNet Authority website. Public attendance will be available online only.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 2, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announcing the application fee for providers initially enrolling in the Medicare or Medicaid programs, or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); revalidating their Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP enrollment; or adding a new Medicare practice location. The new fee is $730 and is required for applications submitted January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025.
Source: Federal Register