- 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
Summary of Medicare Emergency COVID-19 Waivers for Health Care Providers
CMS has temporarily waived several Medicare regulations to support hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.ย The new waivers focus on reducing supervision and certification requirements so that practitioners can be hired quickly and perform work to the fullest extent of their licenses.ย This Fact Sheetย summarizes the new changes in addition to previous waivers that impact all types of providers, including Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, physicians, skilled nursing facilities, and others.
Rural Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019
The Rural Health Information Hub has created a guide to help you learn about activities underway to address COVID-19. Find more information here.
Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties
The RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis provides up-to-date data and maps on rural and urban confirmed cases throughout the United States. Find data briefs here. An animated map shows the progression of cases beginning January 21.
NCSL on COVID-19: Health Care in Rural America
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) focuses on rural areas in its podcast about state-level response to the pandemic. Find the podcast here.
RAND: Responding to Critical Care Surge Capacity
The RAND Corporation (Research ANd Development) included 61 rural hospitals in its survey of hospitals across the country about their capacity to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic.ย The report presents a range of strategies for creating capacity, including an online Critical Care Surge Response Tool that allows decision-makers at all levels โ hospitals, health care systems, states, regions โ to estimate current critical care capacity and rapidly explore strategies for increasing it. Read more here.
USDA COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched an online list of federal resources for rural communities. Find more information here.
CDC COVID-19 Updates
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides daily updates and guidance. A CDC site for rural-specific information has a recording of the April 8 Coronavirus updateย for rural stakeholders and communities.ย ย CDC also does regular clinical calls for public health emergencies, called Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA). Read more here.
Federal Office of Rural Health Policy FAQs for COVID-19
Find a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from our grantees and stakeholders, updated regularly, here.
HHS Guide for Implementing Virtual Case Management During COVID-19
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services issued a short set of key considerations for delivering services online or over the phone. Read more here.
Notice of Intent: New Funding Opportunity Announcement to Support Novel, High-Impact Studies Evaluating Health System and Healthcare Professional Responsiveness to COVID-19ย โ June 2020
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) intends to publish a new funding opportunity focused on evaluating topics such as innovations and challenges encountered in the rapid expansion of telemedicine in response to COVID-19, effects on quality, safety, and value of health system response to COVID-19, and the role of primary care practices and professionals during the COVID-19 epidemic. AHRQ expects to invest up to $5 million in FY2020 funds with particular interest in understanding how digital health innovations contributed to health system and healthcare professional innovation and challenges and solutions to meeting the needs of vulnerable populations including older adults, people living with multiple chronic conditions, rural communities, and uninsured and under-insured populations. Read more here.