| Read this in your browser January 15, 2026 What's New Deadline Extended: Appalachian Region Healthcare Support – Cohort 2 – Apply Through January 30. This FORHP-funded program provides cost-free technical assistance to rural healthcare organizations to: - assess financial performance;
- identify and expand needed local services; and
- support best-practice improvements that strengthen capacity, sustainability, and quality of care.
Eligible facilities are healthcare organizations located in HRSA-designated rural service areas, and operating within the counties served by the Federal Appalachian Regional Commission. Start the application process now through the end of January by contacting the Appalachian Region Healthcare Technical Assistance Center (ARH-TAC) at ARHSupport@rhrco.org. ARH-TAC will begin accepting applications for Cohort 3 in July 2026. Rural Health Research Research in this section is located on the HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Gateway. Sign up to receive alerts when new publications become available. Transportation for Rural People with Disabilities: Example Programs from Minnesota and Idaho. Transportation is a well-documented social driver of health with particularly unique features and challenges in rural communities. Beyond being an important driver of health for rural residents generally, transportation at the intersection of rurality and disability is especially vital. This case series from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center examines how two rural organizations in Minnesota and Idaho provide transportation services to individuals with disabilities in their areas. Rural-Urban Differences in Homebound Status by Health and Functional Limitations. Without access to adequate institutional or home and community-based care, older adults may become homebound, a state that is associated with poorer health outcomes, higher rates of hospitalization and emergency department use, and greater risk of social isolation, functional decline, and mortality. Yet, little is known about how rates of being homebound differ between rural and urban older adults by specific health indicators. This brief from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center addresses that gap. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. New Form for Provider Complaints about Medicare Advantage Plans. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new online form for providers to submit complaints about Medicare Advantage plans. The form collects basic information about the complainant, beneficiary, provider, and plan, along with a summary of the complaint. Submitted complaints will be routed to CMS's Health Plan Management System (HPMS) Complaints Tracking Module (CTM), where they will be queued and reviewed by CMS. Now Available: Medicare Survey on Hospital Outpatient Drug Costs. Submit by March 31. Per an Executive Order and the 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) final rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will survey hospitals to find out how much they pay for outpatient drugs. This survey runs from January 1 through March 31, 2026. The results will help shape Medicare payment policies starting in 2027. Hospitals that received OPPS payments for outpatient drugs between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, must complete the survey. Contact OPPSDrugSurvey@cms.hhs.gov with any questions. GAO Seeks Nominations for Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) – Submit by February 6. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), a federal agency that examines how taxpayer dollars are spent, is now accepting nominations for MedPAC appointments, with terms beginning May 2026. MedPAC is an independent congressional agency established by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to advise the U.S. Congress on issues affecting the Medicare program. By statute, the Commission includes nationally recognized experts in health finance, economics, actuarial science, health care delivery and management, provider reimbursement, and clinical practice. The Commission must reflect diverse professional backgrounds, broad geographic representation, and a balance between urban and rural perspectives. Letters of nomination and resumes should be submitted to MedPACappointments@gao.gov by February 6. New CMS Innovation Center Model Supporting Rural ACOs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center announced a new payment model for health care providers called the Long-term Enhanced ACO Design (LEAD) Model. This model is for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), including those with small, independent, and rural health care providers who may be new to ACOs. It will begin on January 1, 2027 and run for 10 years. LEAD offers a path toward sustainable, long-term benchmarks and a focus on coordinated care for patients with high needs, including those who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid or homebound. For rural providers, LEAD includes add-on payments to help build needed infrastructure and allows lower patient minimums. ACOs can apply to participate in the model by responding to a Request for Applications beginning in March 2026. New Data Available on the Use of Medicaid LTSS. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released several new publications on Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) users and expenditures. These publications include LTSS rebalancing trends and patterns in users and expenditures for different home and community-based services (HCBS) and institutional care, nationally and across states for 2023 as well as in rural and urban areas. Rural Health Clinic Updates to Medicare Claims Processing Manual – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the Medicare Claims Processing Manual Chapters 9, 13, and 18. Updates include reimbursement after cost reporting clarification and manual guidance related to Rural Health Clinic (RHC) preventative vaccines in claims processing and benefit policy. CMS Releases 2023 T-MSIS Behavioral Health Data Book. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2023 Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) Behavioral Health (BH) Data Book and accompanying static tables. This is a publicly available collection of the number of Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries with a substance use disorder (SUD) or a mental health (MH) condition and the services they received. The report catalogs the treatment of SUD and MH in the Medicaid and CHIP beneficiary population and services provided for the treatment of SUD and MH under Medicaid and CHIP. Events and Learning Opportunities USDA Economic Research Service: Rural America at a Glance – 2025 Edition – Wednesday, January 21 at 1:00 pm Eastern. The ERS at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes the Rural America at a Glance report annually, providing a snapshot of social and economic trends in rural areas. In this webinar, ERS Geographer Tracey Farrigan will share highlights from the latest report, including indicators on population change and migration trends, employment, income, and poverty. Federal Rural Definitions – Thursday, January 22 at 1:00 pm Eastern. Experts from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) will provide a brief history of rural over time and review how the term "rural" is defined. Changes to rural areas, as identified by FORHP with their most recent data update in September 2025, will be highlighted. Approaching Deadlines Deadline Extended: Appalachian Region Healthcare Support – Cohort 2 – Apply Through January 30 GAO Seeks Nominations for Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) – Submit by February 6 CDC Drug-Free Communities Support Program – February 12 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grants for Arts Projects – February 12 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Supportive Services for Veteran Families – February 19 CMS Proposes Changes to Health Plan Price Transparency – Comment by February 23 Proposed Rule for HTI-5 Seeks to Reduce Criteria for Health IT – Comment by February 27 NIH Network of the National Library of Medicine Consumer Health Information Specialization Training Award – March 2 Now Available: Medicare Survey on Hospital Outpatient Drug Costs – Submit by March 31 USDA Rural Development: Economic Development Loan & Grants Programs – March 31 USDA Rural Development: Intermediary Relending Program – March 31 Forecasted Opportunities HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) - Planning – Estimated Post Date February 2 HRSA Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program – Estimated Post Date February 16 HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP)-Impact – Estimated Post Date February 23 Ongoing Opportunities - Updated January 2026 Bold 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 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 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 (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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