View this in your browser October 2, 2026What's NewNew RHIhub Toolkit: AI in Rural Healthcare. This free resource at the FORHP-supported Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) brings together emerging models, practical tools, and resources to guide organizations as they consider using artificial intelligence (AI). Modules within the toolkit address planning, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of rural programs, with a focus on local priorities, trusted relationships, and leveraging rural community assets. CDC Request for Information: Data Intermediaries to Strengthen Public Health – Comment by November 20. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) seeks feedback from the public to inform their approach to a secure, standards-based public health data exchange for preventing disease, detecting emerging threats, and strengthening public health at the community level and nationwide. For the purposes of this RFI, a public health data intermediary is defined as a trusted organization, network, platform, or governed service that enables exchange and stewardship of health-related data among data sources and public health authorities. To make data actionable, data intermediaries may provide additional services such as analytics, visualization, technical assistance, and community engagement. The CDC especially wants rural input on questions of standards and technical capabilities, funding and sustainability of shared infrastructure, governance, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of effectiveness. Save the Date: The 988 Crisis System Grantee and Partners National Conference: Improving Connections Across the Continuum – December 15-17 in Washington, DC. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) seeks rural participation for its three-day convening of 988 Crisis System grantees, federal partners, subject matter experts, and other partners and providers across the crisis continuum. Participants will explore lessons learned from grant-funded work, emerging priorities and challenges, and practical approaches to strengthening crisis services and systems. Through engaging plenaries and breakout sessions, interactive discussions, and opportunities for peer exchange and networking, the conference will create space for attendees to share their experiences, learn from colleagues, build relationships, discover federal priorities and resources to support their work, and identify strategies they can take back to their communities. SAMHSA also invites conference participants to share promising practices, innovative programs, lessons learned, research findings, and strategies that are helping strengthen crisis systems and improve outcomes nationwide. The call for speakers and abstracts is open until Monday, October 5. Medicare Open Enrollment Runs October 15 – December 7. During this period, people with Medicare can review their coverage and make changes for 2027, including joining, dropping, or switching Medicare Advantage or Medicare prescription drug plans or switching between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Changes take effect January 1, 2027. Because plan costs, benefits, drug coverage, and other features can change each year, beneficiaries are encouraged to review their current coverage and compare their options for 2027. Helpful resources include:
- Compare Medicare plans – use the Medicare Plan Finder to compare health and drug plans, costs, benefits, and coverage, or call 1-800-MEDICARE for assistance.
- Get help with Medicare costs – people with limited income and resources may qualify Medicare Savings Programs for help with Medicare premiums or Extra Help for assistance with prescription drug costs.
- Review 2027 state information – CMS state-by-state fact sheets provide information on Medicare Advantage and Part D options, including plan availability and premiums, as well as important dates and enrollment resources for each state.
CRS Report: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) provides an overview of landmark legislation addressing housing supply and affordability that became law on July 11, 2026. Many issues specific to rural areas are targeted for research, revision, or reform of existing federal programs in an effort to remove regulatory barriers to new housing construction and financing. The CRS is a nonpartisan organization within the Library of Congress providing objective policy analysis to Congress members, committees, and staff at every stage of the legislative process. FORHP’s Newest Community-Based Grant Program. Last week we announced awards for the Rural Health Network Advancement Program, the latest federal initiative supporting a rural community-based strategy that goes back more than 30 years – networks. Given their small size and scale, rural hospitals and clinics have relied on formal networks to build economies of scale, lower administrative costs, and support ongoing challenges such as recruiting and retaining clinicians. This program grants each awarded organization $2 million over the course of four years to enhance network operations and work toward sustainability beyond the four-year project period. New Awards for the Delta States Rural Development Network Program. We also announced $12 million to 12 new grantees of this program for integrated care networks to address prevalent health disparities – diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, acute ischemic stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease, cancer, and substance use – in counties and parishes within the eight states served by the federal-state partnership that forms the Delta Regional Authority. The project period started September 30, 2026, and will run for three years.
Funding and OpportunitiesCommunity Development Financial Institutions Fund New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program – November 10. This program from the U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) provides tax incentives for investments in business and economic development projects in distressed communities, including capital investments in healthcare facilities. The NMTC Program attracts private capital into low-income communities by permitting individual and corporate investors to receive a tax credit against their federal income tax in exchange for making investments in specialized financial intermediaries called Community Development Entities (CDEs) – organizations certified by Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund – that provide loans, investments, or financial counseling in low-income communities. CDFI Fund reports for the New Market Tax Credit program include projects in rural areas for pharmacy retail, building or expanding healthcare facilities, affordable housing development, and more. NIH Advancing Healthcare for Older Adults from Populations that Experience Health Disparities (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional) – January 8. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) considers rural areas for populations experiencing health disparities. This funding supports innovative, multi-level healthcare research for older adults.
Policy UpdatesSend questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. CMS Temporarily Pauses New Agent and Broker Registrations for Marketplaces – Comment by November 21. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final rule with comment period allowing it to temporarily pause certain agent and broker registrations for the Federally-facilitated Marketplace, Healthcare.gov, and State-based Marketplaces that use the federal platform. CMS is pausing Plan Year 2027 registration for agents and brokers who did not have a Plan Year 2026 Marketplace agreement. The pause began September 22, 2026, and is scheduled to end February 1, 2027, while CMS puts additional safeguards in place to prevent unauthorized enrollments and other improper activity. Agents and brokers who had a Plan Year 2026 Marketplace agreement may continue to register for Plan Year 2027. CMS Seeks Input on Medicare Part D Pharmacy Contracting Standards – Comment by November 23. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Request for Information (RFI) to inform new federal standards for “reasonable and relevant” contract terms between Medicare Part D plans and network pharmacies. Part D plans are currently required to contract with any pharmacy that meets their standard terms and conditions, but CMS has not established additional requirements defining what constitutes reasonable and relevant terms. Federal law now requires HHS to establish these standards by April 2028 for plan years beginning in 2029. CMS seeks feedback on pharmacy reimbursement and dispensing fees, contracting practices, pharmacy quality measures, audits, access to medications, and other issues, including how these practices affect rural and other underserved areas. CMS also specifically requests information about Part D contract terms for dispensing drugs to Medicare beneficiaries who receive drugs through the 340B Drug Pricing Program and whether reimbursement rates are related to “pharmacy deserts” in rural and other underserved areas.
Resource of the WeekThe Rural SUD Info Center. The site is a collection of best practices, tools, and research for rural communities as they work to build and strengthen a comprehensive approach to substance use disorder (SUD). These resources offer support to rural providers/partners, recovery specialists, rural community members, and everyone along the care continuum for prevention, treatment, and recovery. The Rural SUD Info Center is supported by the expertise of three Rural Centers of Excellence in Substance Use Disorders – created to inform FORHP’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP).
Approaching DeadlinesSAMHSA Call for Speakers/Abstracts for 988 Crisis System Conference – October 5 NHTSA Request for Information: National Emergency Services Information System (NEMSIS) – Comment by October 6 CMS 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 USDA Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program – December 31 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Physical Therapy Telehealth Research Study for Older Veterans – Project extended to end of 2026 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 |
