| Read this in your browser July 11, 2025 What's New Rural Hospital Stabilization Program (RHSP) – Apply Now to Join the Next Cohort. An initiative of HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, the RHSP helps hospitals improve financial stability through comprehensive assessment and planning that support data-driven decisions, expand needed services and keep care close to home. Eligible hospitals include Critical Access Hospitals, Prospective Payment System hospitals, Rural Emergency Hospitals, and Indian Health Service hospitals. See the hospitals that were selected for the first cohort, announced two weeks ago by the FORHP-funded National Rural Health Resource Center. The deadline to apply for the fall 2025 cohort is August 20. The Center will host a 75-minute webinar on August 5 at 3:00 pm Eastern to share more details about how participation in the RHSP can help hospitals improve financial performance and operational efficiency. Please register for the webinar by July 31. Space is limited and the webinar will be recorded. Obstetric Care Access Declined in Rural and Urban Hospitals Across US States, 2010–22. With support from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota, Harvard University, and the University of Pennsylvania found widespread loss of obstetric services across states, especially among rural hospitals, during the 12-year period studied. By 2022, eight states had more than two-thirds of rural hospitals without obstetric services. Apply for HRSA's Faculty Loan Repayment Program – Deadline Extended to July 22. HRSA's Bureau of Health Workforce will repay a portion of your health professional student loan in return for serving on the faculty at a health professions school. Successful applicants will receive up to $40,000 in loan repayment assistance as well as funding to offset the tax burden. Rural Health Research Research in this section is provided by the HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Gateway. Sign up to receive alerts when new publications become available. Geographic and Demographic Correlates of Living in Manufactured Homes: Implications for Health. Manufactured homes (formerly known as mobile homes) can provide an affordable housing option, especially in places with few other options. However, manufactured homes are associated with poorer health outcomes and are less well equipped to protect their residents from the effects of natural disasters than more permanent housing structures. This brief from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center examines rates of living in manufactured homes by rural and urban location, as well as rates among rural residents by region and socio-demographic characteristics. It also examines differences in crowded housing, housing quality, and housing cost burden by manufactured vs. more permanent housing structures. Access and Quality of Mental Health Services in Rural and Urban America. Among the key findings in this brief from the University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center: - Digital Divide Exacerbating Access: Both rural and urban Zip Code Tabulation Areas located more than 30 minutes away from the nearest mental health facility have a higher proportion of households without access to essential telecommunication devices.
- Quality of Rural Mental Health Facilities: Rural facilities generally demonstrate better performance compared to urban facilities in terms of continuity of care measures and lower rates of physical restraint and seclusion usage.
The Impact of High Hospital Fixed-Cost Ratios on Rural Populations. This brief from the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis describes the regional variation in Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) status with respect to average fixed-to-total-cost ratios, finding that CAHs tend to have the highest ratios, followed by LVHs. However, the average ratio for each status differs regionally across the United States. Policy Updates for Rural Health Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. CMS Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model – Apply by July 25. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model. CMS will partner with companies specializing in enhanced technologies to test ways to provide an improved and expedited prior authorization process relative to Original Medicare's existing processes. The WISeR Model will test a new process on whether enhanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can expedite the prior authorization processes for select items and services that have been identified as particularly vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse, or inappropriate use. Companies selected to participate in the model must have clinicians with appropriate expertise to conduct medical reviews and validate coverage determinations. CMS has issued a Request for Applications for companies interested in participating in the WISeR Model. Additional information is available in the Model Overview Fact Sheet and on the Federal Register. CY 2026 End-Stage-Renal-Disease Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule – Comment by August 29. On June 30, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule to update payment rates and policies under the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS). Updates impact renal dialysis services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries on or after January 1, 2026. This proposed rule would also update the acute kidney injury (AKI) dialysis payment rate for renal dialysis services furnished by ESRD facilities for calendar year (CY) 2026 and proposes to update requirements for the ESRD Quality Incentive Program (QIP). Medicare Proposes Changes to Medicare Home Health Program – Comment by August 29. On June 30, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Rate Update proposed rule, which updates the Medicare payment policies and rates for home health agencies (HHAs). CMS estimates that Medicare payments to HHAs in CY 2026 would decrease in the aggregate by 6.1% for rural HHAs, compared to CY 2025, based on the proposed behavior adjustments for the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and the fixed-dollar loss for outlier payments for CY 2026. Also, CMS proposes to remove the COVID-19 Vaccine measure and proposes exemption process for prior authorization for certain Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetic Devices, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) accreditation and proposing improvement to the DMEPOS competitive bidding program to give beneficiaries access to current and supported technology. Approaching Deadlines HRSA Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program – July 10 CMS Request for Information: Hospital Price Transparency Accuracy and Completeness – Comment by July 21 HRSA Faculty Loan Repayment Program – Deadline Extended to July 22 CMS Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model – July 25 CMS Seeks Input on the Estimated Burden to Meet Emergency Preparedness Requirements – Comment by August 19 CMS Proposed Rule for CY 2026 End Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System – Comment by August 29 CMS Rate Update for CY 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System – Comment by August 29 Ongoing Opportunities - Updated July 2025 Bold indicates HRSA- and/or FORHP-funded opportunities. Administration for Children & Families: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency – Technical Assistance for Rural EMS Communications Delta Regional Authority: Community Infrastructure Fund Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program General Services Administration: Federal Surplus Property Available for Public Use HRSA Needs Rural Reviewers for Grant Applications HRSA National Health Service Corps/SAMHSA: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Training HRSA Technical Assistance for Look-Alike Initial Designation for the Health Center Program Indian Health Service/Department of Defense: Medical Supplies and Equipment for Tribes (Project TRANSAM) Licensure Portability: The Multi-Discipline Licensure Resource Project National Rural Health Resource Center: Rural Hospital Stabilization Program ProviderBridge: Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development Small Business Administration Guaranteed Loans for Small Business Small Business Administration Rural Initiative Pilot Program Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Federal Emergency Management Agency/: Post-Disaster Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program USDA: National School Lunch Afterschool Snack Program USDA: Summer Food Service Program USDA/National Rural Health Association: Rural Hospital Technical Assistance USDA Rural Development: America's Healthy Food Financing Initiative USDA Rural Development: Circuit Rider Program – Technical Assistance for Rural Water Systems USDA Rural Development: Community Facilities Program USDA Rural Development: Economic Development Loans & Grants – Ongoing with deadlines every quarter USDA Rural Development: Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants USDA Rural Development: Grants for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – Ongoing with deadlines every quarter USDA Rural Development: Multifamily Housing Loan Guarantees USDA Rural Development: Rural Business Investment Program USDA Rural Development: Rural Energy Savings Program USDA Rural Development: SEARCH – Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (for Water/Waste Projects) USDA Rural Development: Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees U.S. Department of Transportation: Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (R.O.U.T.E.S) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Physical Therapy Telehealth Research Study for Older Veterans – Ongoing until October 2026 | 
