| Read this in your browser August 21, 2025 What's New Rural Hospital Stabilization Program (RHSP) Fall 2025 Cohort – Deadline Extended to August 22. The FORHP-funded National Rural Health Resource Center (the Center) provides tailored assistance to help hospitals create new clinical service lines to increase patient volume, enhance financial operations, and keep care close to home. Eligible facilities include Critical Access Hospitals, Prospective Payment System hospitals, Rural Emergency Hospitals, and Indian Health Service hospitals. At the end of June, the Center announced eight hospitals that were selected for the first cohort. The original deadline, August 20, has been extended to Friday, August 22. HRSA Webinar: Crush Med School Debt – Federal Programs for Financing Your Future in Medicine – Thursday, August 28 at 2:00 pm Eastern. HRSA is hosting a one-hour webinar about how the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) helps medical students, medical school faculty, and other clinicians interested in primary care pay down their education loans. In 2024, the NHSC supported 6,700 primary care physicians practicing in rural communities. HRSA's Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) Call for Nominations – Deadline August 29. HRSA created the TAC in 2021 as a forum for elected Tribal officials and HRSA staff to exchange views, information, and advice about: - Emerging public health issues in Indian Country
- Urgent public health resources and service needs
- Collaborative approaches to address Tribal health priorities
The TAC consists of one delegate and one alternate delegate from each of the 12 Indian Health Service geographic areas. Delegates must be elected officials who are qualified to represent the views of federally recognized tribes in the area from which they are being nominated. HRSA TAC delegates and alternates serve a term of 2 years. August 21 is National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a toolkit for sharing this year's theme focused on hope and mental health, along with facts on fentanyl and life-saving resources with your communities. Last week, the CDC released preliminary data showing an estimated 77,648 drug overdose deaths occurred in the 12 months ending in March 2025. This marks a 25 percent decrease compared to the same period ending in March 2024. In May last year CDC data showed that the percentage of people with drug use disorders was similar for rural and urban areas, but those living in rural areas at a greater risk of death from drug overdose than urban Americans. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Announcement for Providers that Reassign their Benefits to CAHs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that some Method II Critical Access Hospitals may be experiencing denials with Fiscal Intermediary Shared System (FISS) reason codes 31006 and 31007 indicating that providers do not have a reassignment on file in the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS). Medicare Administrative Contractors will reprocess these claims within approximately two weeks and Method II CAHs do not need to take any action. Additional information to ensure eligible health care providers accurately reassign their benefits to Method II CAHs will be issued shortly. Comments Requested on Proposed Changes to the Medicare Hospital Cost Report - due September 15. In the CY2026 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeks comments on their proposal to require that hospitals include in their Medicare cost reports, beginning January 1, 2026, the median payer-specific charges that they have negotiated with Medicare Advantage organizations, by Medicare Severity-Diagnosis Related Groups. The rule also requests comments on a proposed methodology hospitals would use to calculate the median payer-specific charge. Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Emergency Hospitals, and hospitals operated by an Indian Health Program would not report median payer-specific charges on cost reports because these hospitals are not paid using the inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS). Additionally, CMS seeks comments on their proposal to use the median payer-specific data when calculating IPPS payment rates, effective October 1, 2028, to reflect the expected costliness of inpatient treatment for patients in each disease group relative to market-based pricing. Current Medicare inpatient hospital payments reflect the expected costliness of inpatient treatment for patients in each disease group relative to the expected costliness across all patient groups. The intention for these proposals is to reduce reliance on the hospital chargemaster and develop market-based approaches to hospital payment under the Medicare fee-for-service system. Approaching Deadlines Rural Hospital Stabilization Program – Fall 2025 Cohort – Deadline extended to August 22 VA Grants for Transportation in Highly Rural Areas – NEW Applications – August 23 VA Grants for Transportation in Highly Rural Areas – Renewing Applications – August 23 ACL Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative - Dementia Capability in Indian Country – August 25 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 HRSA's Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) Call for Nominations – August 29 340B Program Notice: Application Process for the 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program – Comment and/or Apply by September 2 CMS Proposes New Mandatory Alternative Payment Model, the Ambulatory Specialty Model (ASM) – Comment by September 12 CMS Proposes Updates to Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Payments – Comment by September 12 CMS Proposes Updates to Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System – Comment by September 15 CMS Proposes Changes to the Medicare Hospital Cost Report – Comment by September 15 Targeted Technical Assistance Program for Rural Hospitals – September 30 Ongoing Opportunities - Updated August 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 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 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: 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 | 
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