Category: HRSA

Request for Comments: Newborn Screening, Comment by September 15

August 15, 2025

Request for Comments: Newborn Screening, Comment by September 15

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is considering recommending the Secretary of Health and Human Services add Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP).

HRSA is providing notice and requesting comments from the public on these potential recommendations. The notices can be found here:

HRSA is particularly interested in comments that address the potential benefit of early screening for these conditions within the newborn period, the ability of state newborn screening programs to screen for them, and the availability of effective treatments.

Submit comments by September 15, 2025

See evidence reviews for MLD and DMD for additional information:

Rural Hospital Stabilization Program, Apply by August 20

August 15, 2025

Rural Hospital Stabilization Program, Apply by August 20

The Rural Hospital Stabilization Program (RHSP) is funded by HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and administered by the National Rural Health Resource Center.

RHSP aids rural hospitals, at no cost to them, to help them improve their financial stability by enhancing or expanding health care services that meet community needs.

Hospitals participating in the cohort-style program work to identify clinical areas where the expansion or addition of services would help to ensure that care is available locally, and develop those service lines to bolster patient volume, optimize service utilization, and improve cash flow.

Apply by August 20

Click Here to Learn More and Apply

Policy Update: FY 2026 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule

August 12, 2025

Policy Update: FY 2026 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule

On July 31, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that updates Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient and long-term care hospitals under the Medicare hospital inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (LTCH PPS) for fiscal year (FY) 2026.

The increase in IPPS operating payment rates for general acute care hospitals that successfully participate in the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) program and are meaningful electronic health record (HER) users under the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program is 2.6 percent.

This rule also finalizes changes to

These regulations are effective October 1, 2025.

Click Here to Learn More

2025 National Shortage Designation Update

August 12, 2025

2025 National Shortage Designation Update

Health Professional Shortage Areas, also known as HPSAs, can be geographic areas, populations, or facilities that have a shortage of primary, dental, or mental health care providers.

The designations are to determine eligibility for programs like the National Health Service Corps, Nurse Corps, and other programs; they’re also used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and other Health & Human Services programs to determine where resources and support are needed.

HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce intends to update the designations and publish new HPSAs on September 23, 2025.

To Learn More:

HRSA Announces New 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program, Apply by September 2

August 12, 2025

HRSA Announces New 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program, Apply by September 2

On July 31, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced a 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program for drugs on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Selected Drug List for the year 2026 from qualifying manufacturers meeting specific criteria.

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s)Office of Pharmacy Affairs, which currently oversees the 340B Drug Pricing Program, is inviting selected drug manufacturers to apply for participation in the pilot program for a minimum of one year. HRSA is implementing the program to better understand the merits and shortcomings of the rebate model from the perspective of affected stakeholders, and to help shape future 340B rebate models that align with 340B statue and the Administration’s goals.

Organizations may submit Rebate Model Pilot plan and/or provide comments by September 2, 2025, by visiting the 340B Program Notice: Application Process for the 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program Federal Register Notice.

Click Here to Learn More

Now Accepting Applications: Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program (TTAP), Apply by September 30

August 6, 2025

Now Accepting Applications: Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program (TTAP), Apply by September 30

The Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program (TTAP) aims to provide technical assistance to rural hospitals to help maintain essential services locally. Four hospitals will be selected to receive intensive one-on-one technical assistance from consultants to address prioritized financial and operational needs.

The TTAP is a federally funded initiative that offers comprehensive technical assistance to rural hospitals to address financial and operational challenges and maintain essential health services for their communities.

Priority will be given to hospitals with the greatest demonstrated need for TA and the readiness to engage in in-depth technical assistance.

All hospitals will need to apply to be considered. Hospitals that applied last year and were not selected for the intensive TA cohort are encouraged to apply again.

Click Here to Learn More and Apply

HRSA Announces Application Process for the 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program and Request for Public Comment

August 5, 2025

HRSA Announces Application Process for the 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program and Request for Public Comment

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently announced the availability of a voluntary 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program for drugs on the CMS Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Selected Drug List for year 2026 from qualifying manufacturers meeting specific criteria.

HRSA is introducing this pilot program to test the rebate model on these drugs in a methodical and thoughtful approach to ensure a fair and transparent 340B rebate model process. HRSA is implementing this pilot to better understand the merits and shortcomings of the rebate model from the perspective of affected stakeholders, and to help shape any future 340B rebate models that align with the 340B statute and the Administration’s goals.

Click Here to Read Press Release and Learn More

CMS Proposes to Decrease Hospital Outpatient Payments for Non-Drug Items and Services to Offset Higher Payments Made as a Result of 340B Payment Policy, Comment by September 15

July 25, 2025

CMS Proposes to Decrease Hospital Outpatient Payments for Non-Drug Items and Services to Offset Higher Payments Made as a Result of 340B Payment Policy, Comment by September 15

Between 2028 and 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) decreased Medicare reimbursements to hospitals paid under the outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) for drugs acquired through the 340B Drug Pricing Program (“340B Program”), a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) program that allows covered entities to purchase certain outpatient drugs at discounted prices from drug manufacturers.

To maintain budget neutrality, CMS redistributed the savings to all hospitals paid under the OPPS by increasing their payment rates for non-drug items and services. In 2022, the Supreme Court held that because CMS did not conduct a survey of hospitals’ acquisition costs, they could not vary the payment rates for outpatient prescription drugs by hospital group.

In response, CMS finalized in the Final Remedy Rule that 340B hospitals would receive a one-time lump sum payment reimbursing them for the decreased drug payments and CMS would reduce payments for non-drug items and services to all OPPS providers by 0.5 percent starting in 2026 until the total offset was reached (estimated to be about 16 years).

Click Here to Read More and Submit Comment

CMS Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model – Apply by July

July 15, 2025

CMS Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model – Apply by July

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model. CMS will partner with companies specializing in enhanced technologies to test ways to provide an improved and expedited prior authorization process relative to Original Medicare’s existing processes.

The WISeR Model will test a new process on whether enhanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can expedite the prior authorization processes for select items and services that have been identified as particularly vulnerable to fraud, waste, and abuse, or inappropriate use.

Companies selected to participate in the model must have clinicians with appropriate expertise to conduct medical reviews and validate coverage determinations. CMS has issued a Request for Applications for companies interested in participating in the WISeR Model.

Additional information is available in the Model Overview Fact Sheet and on the Federal Register.

Click here to Learn More

Click Here to see Request for Applications

Click Here to view Model Overview Fact Sheet

Click Here to go to Federal Register

Apply for HRSA’s Faculty Loan Repayment Program, Deadline Extended to July 22

July 15, 2025

Apply for HRSA’s Faculty Loan Repayment Program, Deadline Extended to July 22

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) Bureau of Health Workforce will repay a portion of your health professional student loan in return for serving on the faculty at a health professions school.

Successful applicants will receive up to $40,000 in loan repayment assistance as well as funding to offset the tax burden.

Click Here to Learn More and Apply