Read this in your browser October 8, 2026What's NewHIV Care and Treatment in Rural Communities: HRSA's Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, 2024. New findings from HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Bureau demonstrate the positive impact of HRSA funding on improving access and outcomes for rural residents living with HIV and AIDS. The Ryan White HIV AIDS programs funds cities, counties, states, and local community-based organizations to provide HIV care, treatment, and essential services to more than 600,000 people across the United States and U.S. territories. This fact sheet gives an overview of HAB’s activities in rural areas for the year 2024 with data on services delivered, impact, and available resources. HRSA Makes Awards for the Rural Northern Border Network Planning Program. Our office recently awarded over $1.6 million to 14 new grantees of the Rural Northern Border Network Planning Program. Funds going to these organizations located in the federally designated Northern Border Region will support their efforts to develop integrated health networks and conduct planning activities over the course of one year, with the goal of expanding access and improving quality of care in the communities they serve. The project period is September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2027. HRSA Awards More Than $525 Million for Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Nationwide. Also known as the MIECHV Program, the Home Visiting program is administered by HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau to bring services to pregnant women, expectant fathers, and families with young children from birth through kindergarten entry. Visits are made on a voluntary basis and focus on high-need communities, particularly low-income, rural, or underserved neighborhoods with higher risk for poor health or developmental outcomes. MCHB shared with us that, in the most recent reporting year, the MIECHV Program served 766 rural counties out of 1,203 counties (64 percent) representing a third of all rural counties in the U.S. Newest Data from the National Survey of Children’s Health. In recognition of Child Health Day on October 5, HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) released the 2025 dataset on their annual survey of the physical and emotional well-being of children up to age 17 in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Through partnership with FORHP, MCHB also released a data brief on Rural Children’s Health and Well-Being based on the survey taken by parents and caregivers last year. New Research: State Midwifery Practice Policies for Rural and Urban Areas. FORHP-supported research released recently from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center found that, between 2007 and 2023, the percentage of midwife-attended births rose in both rural and urban settings and was higher in states that had full practice authority policies. Researchers used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from the American College of Nurse-Midwives, which defines full practice authority as state-level policy allowing certified nurse midwives (CNMs) and Certified Midwives (CM) to practice to the full extent of their education, training, and certification without required oversight by a physician. The University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center has several completed projects on midwifery care for rural residents and many others on subjects related to rural maternity care on the FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Gateway. Invitation: HHS Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Summit – Monday, October 19 at 9:30 am Eastern. Leaders from across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will come together for a release of the updated National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), a federal roadmap for treatment and prevention of future cases. The program will showcase progress and priorities through discussions focused on research, innovation, and prevention while also highlighting the experiences of people and families affected by Alzheimer’s or related dementias. Registration to attend in person at the HHS headquarters in Washington, DC must be completed by Monday, October 12. The event will also stream live at www.hhs.gov/live. GAO Report: Rural Health Transformation Program: Early Implementation Actions and Monitoring Plans. This Q&A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) gives overview and detail of the initial steps taken by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in establishing the RHT program, examining CMS’s plans for monitoring states’ activities, and describing CMS’s approach for determining future funding allotments. The GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency that investigates how Federal funds are spent and reports those findings to Congress and the heads of agencies in the executive branch.
Funding and OpportunitiesU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Physical Therapy Telehealth Research Study for Older Veterans – Recruiting Through the End of 2026. Veterans who are aged 60 and older may be eligible to participate in a research study to evaluate physical therapy programs using technology. The program is designed to improve strength and mobility with a combination of progressive rehabilitation, coaching, and social support to help Veterans reach their goals. If selected, participants will receive up to 12 weeks of physical therapy provided virtually via telehealth or video visits in accordance with standard VA benefits. Originally scheduled to end this month, the program is now accepting applicants through the end of the year.
Policy UpdatesSend questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. CMS Finalizes GLOBE Model to Test Lower Costs for Certain Medicare Part B Drugs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized this rule, which will test whether using international drug prices to calculate manufacturer rebates for certain high-cost Medicare Part B drugs can reduce costs for beneficiaries and Medicare while preserving or improving quality of care. Drug manufacturers included in the model will be required to participate and may owe rebates to Medicare when U.S. drug prices are higher than prices in economically comparable countries. The model will operate in randomly selected geographic areas, and beginning April 1, 2027, eligible beneficiaries in those areas may pay lower coinsurance when they receive a GLOBE drug. Health care providers are not model participants and will continue to buy, bill, and receive payment for these drugs as usual; when beneficiary coinsurance is reduced, Medicare will increase its share of the payment so that the Medicare allowed amount does not decrease. For drugs purchased through the 340B Drug Pricing Program, CMS will exclude 340B billing units when calculating manufacturer rebates under GLOBE and will monitor the model’s potential effects on 340B drug prices. The model begins January 1, 2027; CMS will publish the selected geographic areas by ZIP Code by January 16, 2027; and the five performance years will run from April 1, 2027, through March 31, 2032. Federal Agencies Finalize Changes to Health Plan Price Transparency Requirements. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury finalized changes to federal Transparency in Coverage requirements intended to make health plan pricing information easier to access, compare, and use. The final rule requires non-grandfathered group health plans and health insurance issuers to standardize and improve their publicly available machine-readable pricing files, including by reporting in-network rates at the provider-network level, adding information about provider utilization and specialty, and making files easier to locate on plan and issuer websites. The rule also reduces required updates for in-network and out-of-network pricing files from monthly to quarterly and expands the amount of out-of-network pricing information reported. Beginning with plan or policy years on or after January 1, 2027, plans and issuers must also make certain individualized cost-sharing information available by phone, in addition to existing online and paper options.
Resource of the WeekPower of Partnerships Between Health Centers & Rural Hospitals. Presented by the National Association of Community Health Centers, this resource showcases innovative partnerships between health centers and rural hospitals that are redefining how communities address workforce shortages, access barriers, and population health challenges. Drawing from successful collaborations in three states, these case studies illustrate how shared vision, coordinated services, and community-centered investments can build adaptable rural health systems and advance long-term community well-being.
Approaching DeadlinesCMS Requests Billing Information for Unpaid 2026 APM Incentive Payments – update by October 13 HRSA FY 2027 Health Center Program Service Area Competition – October 19 AmeriCorps Seniors Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) – October 20 NIH Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health (R01 and R34 Clinical Trials Optional) – October 21 U.S. Department of Justice Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative – October 30 Request for Information: NTIA’s 2027 Internet Use Survey – Comment by November 9 Community Development Financial Institutions Fund New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC) – November 10 CDC Request for Information: Data Intermediaries to Strengthen Public Health – Comment by November 20 CMS Temporarily Pauses New Agent and Broker Registrations for Marketplaces – Comment by November 21 CMS Seeks Input on Medicare Part D Pharmacy Contracting Standards – Comment by November 23 Medicare Open Enrollment Runs October 15 – December 7 USDA Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program – December 31 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Physical Therapy Telehealth Research Study for Older Veterans – Recruiting Through the End of 2026 NIH Advancing Healthcare for Older Adults from Populations that Experience Health Disparities (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional) – January 8 AmeriCorps State and National Grants – January 13, 2027
Forecasted OpportunitiesCMS Student Loan Repayment for Nursing Home Staff – Coming Soon HRSA National Health Service Corps Student to Service Loan Repayment Program – Coming Soon
Ongoing Opportunities - Updated September 2026Bold indicates HRSA- and/or FORHP-funded opportunities. Administration for Children & Families: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency – Rural Emergency Medical Communications Demonstration Project 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 Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Training HRSA 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 Association: USDA Rural Hospital Technical Assistance National Rural Health Resource Center: Rural Hospital Stabilization Program ProviderBridge: Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development Small Business Administration Rural Businesses Small Business Administration Guaranteed Loans for Small Business Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program USDA: National School Lunch Afterschool Snack Program USDA: Summer Food Service Program 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 Programs 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 (ROUTES) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Real Water Technical Assistance (RealWaterTA) University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction Contingency Management Certificate Course |
