- CMS: Medicare Program; Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction Model
- CMS: Secretarial Comments on the CBE's (Battelle Memorial Institute) 2024 Activities: Report to Congress and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
- HHS: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Marketplace Integrity and Affordability
- HRSA Announces Action to Lower Out-of-Pocket Costs for Life-Saving Medications at Health Centers Nationwide
- Public Inspection: HHS: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Marketplace Integrity and Affordability
- Increased Risk of Cyber Threats Against Healthcare and Public Health Sector
- Eight Hospitals Selected for First Cohort of Rural Hospital Stabilization Program
- Announcing the 2030 Census Disclosure Avoidance Research Program
- CMS: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2026 Rates; Requirements for Quality Programs; and Other Policy Changes; Correction
- CMS: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2026 Rates; Requirements for Quality Programs; and Other Policy Changes; Correction
- CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly; Correction
- CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly; Correction
- 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
National Rural Health Fellows Leadership Program Applications Open
The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) is now accepting applications for our 2026 Rural Health Fellows Leadership Program.
NRHA’s Rural Health Fellows is a yearlong training initiative designed to develop a diverse, interprofessional network of rural health leaders from across the country. Each year, NRHA selects 15 to 20 individuals who have demonstrated a dedication to improving rural health through their professional or community experience. Apply today!
ARC Funding Supports Increased Access to Care in Coaldale, PA
More than $640K in ARC funds are supporting a local access road project in Coaldale, Pennsylvania. The effort will increase access to St. Luke’s Hospital and provide safe connections for pedestrians and drivers through the area.
ARC READY Participants Receive Funding, Training to Build Capacity
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced over $2.8M in awards through READY Local Governments and the selection of 75 participants for the READY Nonprofits training program. These awards and training opportunities are provided through READY Appalachia, ARC’s initiative to help Appalachians build individual, organizational and community capacity to envision and enact positive economic change. 📈
The 59 local government award recipients successfully completed nine weeks of READY Local Governments training and will use ARC funding for capacity building projects to better address their communities’ economic needs.
Nine local governemnts in Pennsylvania received awards:
- Borough of Greenville
- Borough of New Brighton
- City of Johnstown
- City of New Castle
- Elizabeth Township
- Morris Township
- Potter County
- Reserve Township
- Wright Township
The training offered through READY Nonprofits will help 75 nonprofit organizations representing 12 Appalachian states build internal capacity to better fulfill their missions and strengthen services to help Appalachian economies thrive. After successfully completing training, participants will also have the opportunity to apply for funding to implement a capacity building project.
Former Steward Hospital in Pennsylvania Reopens Under New Owner
Sharon (Pa.) Regional Medical Center has fully reopened under Tenor Health Foundation, a hospital turnaround company, as Sharon Regional Health System, The Business Journal reported May 29.
The hospital, which previously was owned by Dallas-based Steward Health Care, shut its doors in early January and shared plans to begin accepting patients under Tenor Health in mid-March.
Steward, which sought Chapter 11 protection May 6, 2024, filed a closure notice for the hospital in early January and received bankruptcy court approval to close it after Meadville (Pa.) Medical Center withdrew its proposed purchase of the hospital. Tenor Health then received approval Jan. 10 to purchase the hospital for $1.9 million.
Sharon Regional will receive $4 million in improvements, including a catheterization lab with new equipment and a new roof, Pennsylvania state Sen. Michele Brooks told The Business Journal. The hospital’s intensive care unit, which was relocated for restoration efforts, will also return to its original location.
“The community is just thrilled that we have reopened, and I think the trust is being rebuilt,” Radha Savitala, founder and CEO of Tenor Health Foundation, told the publication. “We talk to the patients. Our staff’s happy. Our physicians are happy. And, most importantly, patients are happy.”
Becker’s has reached out to Tenor Health Foundation for comment and will update this story should more information become available.
ARC Release Fiscal Year 2026 Economic Status Designations for Appalachia’s 423 Counties
Today, ARC released their Fiscal Year 2026 economic status designations for Appalachia’s 423 counties.
- In FY 2026, the number of Appalachian counties designated as economically distressed will decrease to 75.
- This is the lowest number since ARC began using this index-based classification system 20 years ago.
- Improvement comes from a decrease in the number of distressed counties in Appalachian Alabama, Ohio and West Virginia. Thirty-three counties will see a positive shift in their economic status.
Work remains to ensure that all of Appalachia experiences upward growth. Fourteen of Appalachia’s counties experienced a decline in economic status. ARC uses county designations to set grant match rates, monitor trends and direct investments to the region’s most distressed communities. Learn more about the FY 2026 data
CMS Releases New Guidance on Hospital Price Transparency
The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) released new guidance on how hospitals should calculate the estimated allowed amount values for their online machine-readable files as part of the Hospital Price Transparency requirements. Whenever possible, hospitals should use electronic remittance data to determine the average dollar amount received over the last 12-month period. If there is no historic data, hospitals should use the expected payment amount, encoded as a dollar figure. Hospitals will no longer be able to use a code of nine number nines to signify that there was not sufficient historic data for that item or service over the last year.
CMS also seeks public input by July 21, 2025 to identify challenges and improve compliance and enforcement processes related to the reporting of complete, accurate, and meaningful pricing data by hospitals.
New ERS Report Shares Data on Rural Population Changes
The Economic Research Service (ERS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports on recent data showing that the number of rural people of working age (between 15 and 64 years old) has fallen in recent years, dropping to 28 million in 2023 from more than 30 million in 2010. At the same time, the number of rural residents aged 65 and over grew from 7.4 million in 2010 to 9.7 million in 2023.
Read the report here.
New Pennsylvania Caregiver Program Launches New Guide, Tools
Pennsylvania just unveiled a game-changer for its 1.5 million unpaid caregivers: the PA CareKit. Launched by the Department of Aging, this new resource is packed with tailored guides, respite care connections, and essential tools designed to ease the burden on everyone from spouses to grandparents raising grandkids. As part of the state’s decade long “Aging Our Way, PA” initiative, the CareKit was shaped by caregivers themselves. With one in four Pennsylvanians already over 60, this couldn’t come at a better time. Free print kits will be available at libraries and senior centers, helping caregivers provide compassionate care without sacrificing their well-being.
New Self-Paced Course Launched on Minimally Invasive Procedures
The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health is offering a new self-paced course, “Innovative Pediatric Dental Care: Exploring Minimally Invasive Procedures.” This online course equips dental professionals with the knowledge and tools to integrate evidence-based, minimally invasive solutions into pediatric care. It explores fluoride and silver diamine fluoride applications, atraumatic restorative treatment, and the Hall technique for stainless steel crowns. There is 1 CEU available for dental providers.
Getting Help for Adults Needing Dental Care
Do you work with any individuals who may be elderly, veterans, considered medically fragile, or have disabilities, with no way to afford dental treatments? Through Dental Lifeline Network’s Donated Dental Services program, they may be eligible to receive free dental care. Dental Lifeline Network partners with volunteer dentists and labs in communities to provide comprehensive dental care to qualified adults in need of dental care, at no cost. Individuals can qualify to receive life-changing dental care.