- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Fiscal Year 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
- CMS: Request for Information; Health Technology Ecosystem
- VA: Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program Funding Opportunity
- State: 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: J-1 Visa Waiver Recommendation Application
- Public Inspection: CMS: Request for Information: Health Technology Ecosystem
- HHS: Request for Information (RFI): Ensuring Lawful Regulation and Unleashing Innovation To Make American Healthy Again
- VA: Solicitation of Nominations for the Appointment to the Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs
- GAO Seeks New Members for Tribal and Indigenous Advisory Council
- VA: Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program Funding Opportunity
- Telehealth Study Recruiting Veterans Now
- USDA Delivers Immediate Relief to Farmers, Ranchers and Rural Communities Impacted by Recent Disasters
- Submit Nominations for Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) Committees
- Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation of the Medicare Program (Executive Order 14192) - Request for Information
- Dr. Mehmet Oz Shares Vision for CMS
Radically Rural: Art as an Amplifier for Community Connection
By Caroline Tremblay
Artists and art collectives help small towns with creative problem-solving during the pandemic.
Read more
CMS Community Health Access and Rural Transformation Model (CHART)
CMS will make as many as 15 awards of up to $5 million each for a seven-year project. This new model aims to change the way the federal government pays for health care in rural areas through Transformation Plans that coordinate care across communities defined as rural by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP). Letters of Intent for the Community Transformation Track of the CHART Model are due by January 28, 2022 and applications will be due February 16, 2022.
CMS Coronavirus Stakeholder Calls
CMS hosts recurring online sessions to share information related to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the health care community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts.
CDC COVID-19 Updates
CDC provides daily updates and guidance, including a section specific to rural health care, and a Toolkit for Tribal Communities. New every week: MMWR Weekly COVID-19 Briefing is now a podcast series with the latest scientific information published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Register Today for NRHA’s RHC and CAH Virtual Conferences
Join for NRHA’s Rural Health Clinic and Critical Access Hospital Conferences, the association’s fastest-growing events for a reason, hosted virtually for the first time. Take advantage of the educational and networking opportunities designed for clinic and hospital professionals and board members serving rural America. If you register for both events, you can save $100 on your total registration cost. A draft agenda for both conferences can be found here.
NRHA’s September Grassroots Call
Your voices and perspectives are incredibly valuable. Each month, the NRHA team hosts a Grassroots Call to deliver an update of what is moving on Capitol Hill and learn more from NRHA grassroots advocates. This call also enables NRHA to supply in-depth explanations behind their advocacy efforts and how you can help. Their goal is to empower NRHA members with the information they need to advocate on behalf of NRHA legislative/regulatory priorities. The September Grassroots Advocacy Call will be held on Wednesday, September 30th at 2PM EST. NRHA looks forward to hearing from you! Register in advance for this meeting, and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
NRHA Appropriations & COVID-19 Relief Package Updates
Unfortunately, efforts to pass an additional COVID-19 relief package have stalled on Capitol Hill. While there are rumors that a bill could still come together, they are largely just that: rumors. NRHA is continuing to advocate that Capitol Hill include a list of rural health care priorities in any potential COVID-19 relief package, but the prospects remain bleak. Instead, Capitol Hill’s attention has shifted to the September 30th federal funding cliff. NRHA expects a clean continuing resolution (CR) to be passed in the coming weeks, but the CR’s end date is still up for debate. Republicans are in favor of setting the CR end date in mid-December, while Democrats are hoping for a CR that extends well into the new year, likely February. NRHA will continue to keep our members apprised of any new appropriations legislation, which will likely come together in the next few days.
Advocacy on behalf of 340B Continues
In a new, bipartisan letter, 28 senators joined NRHA in requesting HHS Secretary Alex Azar to urge the Health Resources and HRSA to exercise its authority to protect the 340B Drug Pricing Program from ongoing attacks by pharmaceutical manufacturers. Earlier, on the other side of the Capitol, the House letter, led by Representatives McKinley and DeGette, was also sent to Secretary Azar. NRHA applauds the work done in both the House and Senate to defend and protect this invaluable lifeline. Their calls echo NRHA’s letter to Secretary Azar late last month.
Sen. Hyde-Smith Questions Experts on Overcoming COVID-19 Challenges Unique to Rural Areas
During Wednesday’s Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) asked Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield how the agency is handling unique rural challenges in relation to COVID-19. His answer? Rural partnerships. NRHA is thankful for the work being done at CDC and is excited to continue to work together to protect rural health.
CMS Issues Notice of Funding Opportunity for CHART Model
President Trump signed the “Executive Order on Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access,” which directed the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to create a new, rural payment model. On August 11th, CMMI unveiled the details of their new model, the Community Health and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model. Wednesday, CMS announced the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Community Transformation Track within the CHART Model. This track will provide up-front funding to up to 15 rural communities across the country. CMS is accepting grant applications now.