| Read this in your browser August 14, 2025 What's New HRSA Awards over $15 Million to Help Rural Communities Improve Health and Expand Delivery of Health Care Services. This week, HRSA and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) awarded grants to 58 rural health organizations that will begin immediately on four-year projects for FORHP's Rural Health Care Services Outreach program. The new awardees will use innovative, evidence-informed models to address health care needs unique to their communities and designed to expand access to care and improve health outcomes. This federal funding will provide: - 18 awards to Healthy Rural Hometown Initiative (HRHI) projects that will address the underlying factors that contribute to the five leading causes of death in the U.S.: heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory disease. A focus on maternal health is also included under this track to address rural needs related to maternal health outcomes.
- 40 awards to Regular Outreach Track projects targeting critical priorities for rural health such as healthy nutrition, chronic disease, adult and childhood obesity, and substance use treatment and prevention.
All projects will be carried out by a local network of partnering organizations that may include rural hospitals, community-based organizations, health departments, schools, health centers, Rural Health Clinics, academic institutions, and other local and state entities. Each award recipient must demonstrate improvement on key health indicators, adding to the evidence base that informs other models for prevention and health promotion. AHRQ: Perception of Medical Care Availability May Play a Role in Chronic Disease Management. A brief from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) posits that preventing or managing chronic disease may be affected by more than just the physical presence of clinics or hospitals. Researchers looked at consumer responses to questions about wait times, service hours, transportation difficulties, and trust in providers and found that more than a quarter of those in small rural areas rated access to medical care as fair or poor compared to 8.6 percent in suburban areas and 8.1 percent in urban areas. Funding and Opportunities Last Week to Apply: Rural Hospital Stabilization Program (RHSP) Fall 2025 Cohort – August 20. The FORHP-funded National Rural Health Resource Center (the Center) provides tailored assistance to help hospitals improve financial stability, expand needed community services, 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. Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program – Apply for the next cohort by September 30. Applications are being accepted to receive two years of technical assistance through this FORHP-supported program for rural hospitals interested in addressing financial and operational challenges and maintaining essential health services for their communities. Technical assistance for this project is provided by the Center for Public Health Practice and Research at the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, and will begin November 2025. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis year round. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Medicare Finalizes Updates for Hospice Payment Rule. On August 1, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that provides updates to the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Hospice Quality Reporting Program (HQRP). The final rule estimates that in FY 2026, hospices in rural areas would experience on average a 3.0 percent increase in estimated payment compared to FY 2025. The rule also clarified within the final hospice payment regulations, that the physician member of the interdisciplinary group (IDG) may recommend admission to hospice care, which would align with certification regulations and the Conditions of Participation (CoPs). CMS also finalized to clarify that the hospice face-to-face encounter attestation must include the physician's/practitioner's signature and date. According to CMS, this rule will impact 849 hospices in rural areas and will be effective October 1, 2025. CMS Issues Updates to TEAM Model. On July 31, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued updates to the Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM) as part of the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) final rule. TEAM is a mandatory model for hospitals in selected geographic areas. Participating hospitals will receive bundled payments for selected surgical procedures for traditional Medicare patients. The 2026 IPPS final rule updates several policies for TEAM, including the removal of hospital health equity plans and Health Related Social Needs screening and reporting. The TEAM model starts on January 1, 2026. CMS Proposes Changes to the Overall Hospital Star Rating System – Comment by September 15. Published in the CY2026 Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Proposed Rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requests feedback on their proposal to update how they calculate the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating, which summarizes a variety of quality measures across five areas into a single star rating for each hospital. The five areas of quality are Safety of Care, Mortality, Readmission, Patient Experience, and Timely and Effective Care. CMS proposes to emphasize the contribution of the Safety of Care measure group in hospitals' ratings by limiting the total number of stars that hospitals with the lowest Safety of Care scores can earn. They also propose that this change, if finalized, would only apply to hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals with at least 3 Safety of Care measures. CMS estimates that about 830 rural hospitals with star ratings had at least 3 Safety of Care measures in 2024. Approaching Deadlines USDA America's Health Food Financing Initiative – FARE Fund – Submit Funding Inquiry by August 18 CMS Seeks Input on the Estimated Burden to Meet Emergency Preparedness Requirements – Comment by August 19 Rural Hospital Stabilization Program – Fall 2025 Cohort – August 20 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 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 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 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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