- CMS: Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
- CMS: Medicare Program; FY 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
- 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
Harry Gottlieb and Kiran Singh Sirah on Everywhere Radio
This special episode of Everywhere Radio features two contributors to the upcoming Rural Assembly Everywhere virtual event. Don’t miss Harry and Kiran as they discuss solving problems and telling stories with host Whitney Kimball Co.
Analysis: The Connection Between Race and Opportunity in Rural Parts of the 5th Federal Reserve District
By Surekha Carpenter and Sonya Ravindranath Waddell, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
More than a quarter of the nation’s rural Black population lives in the five-state region covered by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The region’s history has a big impact on the economic conditions these communities face today.
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Tribal Efforts to Preserve Languages Get Boost from Covid Relief Funds
By Nancy Marie Spears/Gaylord News, Cronkite News
The American Rescue plan designates $20 million for Tribal efforts to preserve their native languages and culture.
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Biden Administration Directs More Funding to Rural Areas for Vaccine Distribution
By Liz Carey
A majority of the $10 billion in funding will come from the American Rescue Plan.
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Q&A: Dr. Lisa Pruitt on Academia’s Rural Gaps and Blind Spots
By Olivia Weeks
The legal scholar shares her thoughts on poverty, class, feminism, and a memoir recounting her journey from small-town Arkansas to the “chattering classes” of California.
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New Telebehavioral Health Care Best Practice Guide
Telehealth.HHS.gov has added a new best practice guide to help mental health providers navigate changes to telehealth policy due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. This official website from HHS includes resources for getting started, developing a strategy, billing, preparing patients, and more.
New Resource from the RUPRI Rural Health Value Team
The Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Rural Health Value team has updated their Catalog of Value-Based Initiatives for Rural Providers. The resource includes one-page summaries of various HHS value-based programs appropriate for rural participation. It covers programs implemented by HHS, primarily by CMS and its Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). Recent catalog additions include 1) Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Community Transformation and Accountable Care Organization Tracks 2) the Radiation Oncology Model, and 3) the Value in Opioid Disorder Treatment Model.
House and Senate Depart Washington Following Senate Passage of Medicare Sequestration Relief and Rural Health Clinic Corrections
The House and Senate are in recess for their annual Spring recess. Before departing, the Senate passed H.R. 1868 which included continued Medicare sequestration relief through the end of the year and a technical correction to the RHC provisions in the December COVID-19 relief package. The package is anticipated to be signed when they return the week of April 12th.
USDA Invests $266 Million to Improve Rural Community Facilities and Essential Services in 16 States and Puerto Rico
On March 23, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an investment of $226 million to improve rural community facilities and essential services. USDA is investing in 41 projects through the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program to fund a variety of essential community services, including emergency response vehicles and equipment. Interested parties should contact their USDA Rural Development state office for information about additional funding, application procedures and eligibility details. Also see the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants (PDF, 669 KB) for a detailed overview of the application process. You can find the USDA press release here.
NHSC Receives $800 Million to Support Loan Repayment and Scholarship Programs
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC) opened its application for all three loan repayment programs and its NHSC Scholarship Program with an additional $800 million available for awards. The additional funds are part of the American Rescue Plan and will support the largest number of NHSC clinicians in history. The NHSC Loan Repayment Program (NHSC LRP), the NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program (NHSC SUD Workforce LRP) and the NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program (NHSC Rural Community LRP). The application closes on May 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET.