Stay up to date on the latest across Washington, D.C. with this weekly brief. Read below for news from Oct. 26 to Oct. 30.
HHS launches breast cancer screening, early detection initiative
HHS’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH) announced Tuesday a coordinated initiative with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and DenseBreast-info.org (DBI) to improve breast cancer screening and early detection efforts nationwide.
The OWH–AHRQ Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnostic Follow-up Initiative will analyze national screening and follow-up patterns, with more than 40 health systems poised to expand evidence-based practices and address delays in care.
“Women deserve clear information about breast cancer screening options beyond mammography, particularly if they have dense breasts or other risk factors,” said Tammy Huizenga, AHRQ senior advisor for nutrition and women’s health, in a statement. “Understanding their individual risk and available options helps women and their healthcare providers make informed decisions that support earlier detection.”
OWH and DBI will also collaborate through a memorandum of understanding to expand access to evidence-based educational resources aimed at supporting informed discussions between women and providers, promote understanding of screenings and diagnostic follow-up options, and improve breast density awareness.
HHS finalizes rule to ease health IT certification requirements
HHS' health information technology arm finalized a rule that streamlines the health IT certification program, projecting to save billions in compliance costs.
The rule, called Health Data, Technology and Interoperability: ONC Deregulatory Actions to Unleash Prosperity (HTI-5), is projected to save more than $1.5 billion in regulatory costs, according to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Full story.
CMS awards $233M to California to improve rural healthcare services
The Trump administration awarded $233 million in Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding to improve healthcare access across California. This investment will help rural providers deliver and coordinate care locally through regional care networks, telehealth, workforce development and upgraded healthcare technology. California has committed its full fiscal year 2026 funding to improve healthcare in rural communities across the state.
The state plans to use the investment to expand rural primary, maternal, specialty and behavioral healthcare; grow the healthcare workforce; expand telehealth and regional care networks; modernize technology and infrastructure; and support new care delivery and payment models, according to a CMS announcement. Regional care networks and telehealth will connect patients with providers and help coordinate care, while partnerships with midwives, doulas and community health workers will support maternal and primary care. Investments will also support education and training pathways to grow the rural healthcare workforce, improve technology and modernize infrastructure.
It is the full amount of funding the state will receive for fiscal year 2026.
Florida received $194M to expand preventive and specialty care to rural residents
CMS doled out $193.7M in RHTP funding to 45 organizations across Florida to expand healthcare access in rural communities, with a particular focus on bringing care closer to patients.
Florida will use the substantial investment to build out telehealth, remote monitoring, mobile and community-based services; increase access to preventive and specialty care; strengthen rural providers and the healthcare workforce; and support new care delivery and payment models.
The state's approach uses telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, pharmacy-based services, diagnostic kiosks and community paramedicine to give patients more ways to access needed care. Partnerships are a defining feature of Florida’s approach, with more than 500 partnerships across the 45 awardees bringing hospitals, clinics, local governments and community organizations together to support statewide rural healthcare transformation, according to CMS in an Oct. 23 announcement.
Florida will receive $209,938,195 in total RHTP funding in fiscal year 2026.
Idaho receives nearly $186M in RHTP funding
CMS awarded $186 million in funding to improve healthcare access across rural Idaho. This investment will help rural providers deliver and coordinate care locally through modern technology, new care models, an expanded healthcare workforce and improvements to healthcare facilities, the agency announced.
The investment supports five initiatives designed to strengthen healthcare delivery and modernize rural Idaho’s healthcare system. Funding for telehealth, cybersecurity and electronic health record modernization will help rural providers deliver and coordinate care better locally. Investments in community health workers and emergency medical services professionals will help bring services into homes and communities, while training, recruitment and retention efforts will grow Idaho’s rural healthcare workforce. The funding will also support programs addressing chronic disease, behavioral health, maternal and child health as well as improvements to rural healthcare facilities and equipment.
It is the full amount of funding the state will receive for fiscal year 2026.
Labor Department finalizes PBM transparency rule
The Trump administration locked in a regulation that will require pharmacy benefit managers to disclose fees and compensation to self-funded employers.
The rule, finalized by the Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration, aims to ensure that employers can see what drug manufacturers, pharmacies and other entities are paying their PBMs and any affiliated brokers and consultants.
The department said in an announcement that this data will support employers in negotiating contracts and pushing to lower drug costs for their workers and their dependents. Full story
Lone Star State gets $87M to invest in rural healthcare
CMS awarded $87 million in RHTP funding to 129 rural healthcare providers through Rural Texas Strong to strengthen healthcare across rural communities. The investment will help improve health outcomes for rural Texans, build a strong healthcare workforce and modernize facilities and equipment across rural Texas, according to an agency announcement.
The funding will help rural providers prevent and manage chronic conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic respiratory disease; recruit and retain physicians, emergency medical personnel and other healthcare professionals; replace aging medical equipment; and improve existing facilities. Together, these investments will help rural providers maintain essential services and bring quality healthcare closer to home for rural Texans.
Key initiatives the overall RHTP funding will focus on include:
- Supporting recruitment, training and retention strategies to strengthen the pipeline of healthcare professionals serving rural communities.
- Strengthening rural facilities and access through partnerships, operational improvements and care delivery changes that help rural providers maintain essential services and improve access.
- Advancing new approaches to delivery and financing designed to improve quality, strengthen primary care and support sustainable rural healthcare.
- Expanding community-based and preventive care by investing in school-based care, mobile services and other community strategies that improve prevention, address chronic disease and expand access to care.
- Modernizing rural healthcare technology with remote care and data-driven tools to improve coordination and extend healthcare services to rural communities.
Texas is slated to receive $281,319,361 in total RHTP funding in fiscal year 2026.
Court rejects CMS' definition of 'medical frailty' in Medicaid
A Massachusetts judge has sided with a coalition of states in an ongoing lawsuit over the rollout of Medicaid work requirements, and rejected the Trump administration's definition of "medical frailty" for critical exemptions.
Judge Richard Stearns ruled Thursday that a regulation issued over the summer that aimed to offer guardrails to the implementation of the work requirements unlawfully limited the group of people who would qualify as "medically frail" and would thus be exempted.
In the rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said that the frailty exemption would apply when a "physical, mental, or other behavioral health condition significantly impairs the individual’s ability to comply with the community engagement requirement."
This runs afoul of existing law, as there are individuals in five frailty categories established by Congress who may not qualify for the exemption under CMS' definition, Stearns said. Full story
CMS awards $39.7M in RHTP funds to Missouri
Missouri will receive nearly $40 million in RHTP funding to modernize rural healthcare services and expand access to care across the state. The investment will support 26 rural healthcare providers as they renovate, reconfigure, equip or repurpose existing facilities and expand maternal health, behavioral health, diagnostic, outpatient and chronic disease management services across Missouri, according to an announcement.
The funding will support new labor, delivery and private triage rooms; expanded behavioral health services for older adults and people with substance use disorders; and upgraded diagnostic equipment, including MRI, mammography and ultrasound services. The funding will also expand primary care and increase the capacity of rural health clinics, helping rural providers update existing facilities and capabilities to better match the healthcare needs of the communities they serve, CMS said.
In total, Mississippi will receive $216,276,818 during fiscal year 2026.
West Virginia nabs $19M in RHTP funding
The Trump Administration announced more than $19 million in RHTP funding through 11 awards to strengthen and modernize healthcare delivery throughout rural West Virginia. The state plans to invest in virtual and specialty care, mobile health services and chronic disease management, growing the rural healthcare workforce and modernizing technology and health data systems.
The investment will support new tools and services across the state, including mobile health units and drone delivery for time-critical medical supplies; remote eye care and patient monitoring technology; nursing education and apprenticeship programs; and secure systems that allow healthcare providers to better share information. Investments will also support mental health and substance use disorder recovery services and tools that reduce administrative burden for healthcare professionals, CMS announced.
West Virginia will receive a total of $199,476,099 in RHTP funding in fiscal year 2026.