(Jan. 17, 2025) – HRSA Announces Rural Residency Planning and Development Program
The Health Resources and Services Administration is accepting applications through Thursday, April 10, for funding to develop new sustainable rural residency programs to improve and expand access to health care in rural areas. The Rural Residency Planning and Development Program will fund eligible applicants up to $750,000 for three years, from Aug. 1, 2025, to July 31, 2028. HRSA will offer a technical assistance webinar on Thursday, Jan. 23.
CMS Releases Final Rule of Benefit and Payment Parameters for Marketplace Products
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a final rule of benefit and payment parameters for 2026. The rule includes requirements related to modifications to the calculation of Basic Health Program payments, changes to the Initial Validation Audit sampling approach and Second Validation Audit pairwise means test for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Risk Adjustment Data Validation. The rule applies to issuers offering qualified health plans through Federally Facilitated Exchanges and State-based Exchanges on the Federal platform.
CMS Releases Medicare Proposed 2026 Payment Policy Updates for Medicare Advantage, Part D Programs
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the calendar year 2024 Medicare Advantage capitation rate methodology and risk adjustment methodology applied under Part C. The proposed rule also includes a discussion of the annual adjustments for CY 2026 to the Medicare Part D benefit parameters for the standard benefit with revisions necessitated by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. CMS is projecting to spend $9.2 trillion over the next decade on MA payments to plans.
CMS Shares Medicare CY 2025 OPPS and ASC Correction Notice
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a correction notice for the final calendar year 2025 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center payment systems. The corrections are technical in nature.
HRSA Accepting Grant Applications for Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program
The Health Resources and Services Administration announced new grants to expand the number of fellows at accredited Addiction Medicine Fellowship and Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship programs trained as addiction medicine specialists. These providers work in underserved, community-based settings that integrate primary care with mental health disorders and substance use disorder prevention and treatment services.
The Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program encompasses both psychiatry and an addiction subspecialty for primary care doctors training in prevention and treatment services in rural areas with limited or no access to substance use disorder treatment. The grant application deadline is Friday, Feb. 28.
MLN Connects Provider eNews Available
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the following updates to MLN Connects Provider eNews:
Before You Go ...
- January is Substance Use Disorder Treatment Month. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration offers resources about the importance of SUD treatment, including educational webinars and a social media toolkit.
- The American Medical Association released the Overdose Epidemic Report 2024, which outlines the incredible efforts of physicians nationwide to end the overdose epidemic. The report details the challenges patients continue to face and outlines several lifesaving recommendations.