[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 82 (Wednesday, April 29, 2026)] [Notices] [Pages 23103-23106] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2026-08300] [[Page 23103]] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), within HHS, will administer the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program for fiscal year (FY) 2026, a new formula grant program authorized under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026. This notice is being issued prior to the publication of the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program Notice of Funding Opportunity to allow eligible hospitals enough time to prepare and submit applications through www.grants.gov, and for HRSA to process applications. $25,000,000 will be available for HRSA to make payments to eligible hospitals within FY 2026. DATES: Completed applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by July 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. ADDRESSES: Questions should be submitted to [email protected]. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Krista Mastel, Public Health Analyst, Hospital State Division, FORHP, HRSA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20852, 1-301-443-0491, and [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Section 711 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 912) directs FORHP to advise the Secretary of HHS on policies affecting rural hospitals and health care and coordinating activities within HHS that relate to rural health care. Since the 1990s, FORHP has administered grants that support activities related to increasing access to health care in rural areas. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, Public Law 119-75, H.R. 7148, authorized $25,000,000 for making payments to eligible hospitals for the maintenance of health care providers. This program will be administered by FORHP. Eligible hospitals will apply directly to HRSA, and funds will be awarded directly to hospitals. Eligibility Information As set forth in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, eligible hospitals must meet the following criteria to receive payments: (1) have no more than 50 inpatient beds and (2) have an established wage index values of less than 0.90 as determined by the Secretary of HHS under section 1886(d)(3)(E) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(3)(E)). The payment amounts will be determined by dividing total available funding equally among eligible hospitals. Up to 10 percent of the funds may be used by eligible hospitals for administrative expenses. For the purposes of this grant program, HRSA will use the following methodology and best and most current data available at the time of this notice to determine eligible hospitals: 1. Inpatient Beds: the number of inpatient beds will be determined by the number of acute care inpatient beds reported in the Medicare cost report provided in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Healthcare Cost Report Information System Quarterly Update for FY 2025 as of December 31, 2025. Acute care inpatient beds are derived from the Medicare cost report, Worksheet S-3, Part I, Line 14, column 2, which represents staffed beds and excludes beds paid under separate psychiatric or rehabilitation payment systems. 2. Hospital Wage Index: HRSA will use the wage index values published in Table 2, as finalized in the FY 2026 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System final rule (or correction notice, if applicable), which reflect the full application of all relevant policies and adjustments to determine whether a hospital had an established wage index value of less than 0.90. Table 2 is available on the CMS website at https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/prospective-payment-systems/acute-inpatient-pps. To access it, select the link for the applicable final rule on the left-hand side of the page or navigate to ``Acute Inpatient Files for Download.'' With each Inpatient Prospective Payment System final rule (or correction notice, if applicable), CMS publishes Table 2: Case-Mix Index and Wage Index by CMS Certification Number. This table reflects the final wage index assigned to each hospital for the upcoming fiscal year at the time of the development of the final rule. The wage index values incorporate all applicable policies and adjustments, including reclassifications, wage index floors, caps, and other statutory or regulatory requirements. 3. Rural Status: eligible hospitals must be located in a HRSA- designated rural area (https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/about-us/what-is-rural). The Rural Health Grants Analyzer (https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/rural-health/rural-health-eligibility) identifies all counties and census tracts that are considered a HRSA-designated rural area. Preliminary analysis identified 167 hospitals across 13 states that met the criteria established in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, and located in HRSA-designated rural areas. Based on this analysis, HRSA estimates awarding $24,750,000 to 167 eligible hospitals in the amount of approximately $148,000 per hospital assuming all eligible hospitals apply. All eligible hospitals must apply for grant funding in order to receive payment. The final per hospital award amount will be adjusted based on the total number of eligible hospitals that apply for funding. Further information on the identified hospitals is provided under ``Preliminary List of Hospitals Meeting Eligibility Criteria'' section. Applications and Submission Information HRSA anticipates releasing the Rural Hospital Provider Assistance Program (HRSA-26-105) Notice of Funding Opportunity in May 2026. Applicants can find more information on Grants.gov: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/361524. Eligible hospitals are encouraged to subscribe to the funding forecast to receive updates on the application release and an upcoming informational webinar, where applicants can ask questions on the program and application process. For general information about federal grants, applicants can visit https://www.grants.gov/learn-grants/grants-101/. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by July 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Since registration can take several weeks, eligible hospitals are strongly encouraged to begin the process of registering with SAM.gov and Grants.gov as soon as possible to avoid delays and ensure timely submission. For additional guidance, applicants can refer to the Quick Start Guide for Applicants (https://www.grants.gov/quick-start-guide/applicants) and How to Apply for Grants (https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-apply-for-grants). Preliminary List of Hospitals Meeting Eligibility Criteria The table below is provided for informational purposes only and is [[Page 23104]] based on preliminary analysis to identify hospitals that may meet the eligibility criteria set forth in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, and are located in HRSA-designated rural areas (https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/about-us/what-is-rural). This includes hospitals with no more than 50 acute care inpatient beds and a FY 2026 wage index of less than 0.90, including hospitals that may have converted to a Critical Access Hospital or Rural Emergency Hospital. For questions, please contact [email protected]. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hospital name City State ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ATMORE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL........ ATMORE............. AL BIBB MEDICAL CENTER.............. CENTREVILLE........ AL BULLOCK COUNTY HOSPITAL.......... UNION SPRINGS...... AL CLAY COUNTY HOSPITAL............. ASHLAND............ AL COMMUNITY HOSPITAL INC........... TALLASSEE.......... AL CRENSHAW COMMUNITY HOSPITAL...... LUVERNE............ AL D W MCMILLAN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL... BREWTON............ AL EAMC-LANIER...................... VALLEY............. AL EVERGREEN MEDICAL CENTER......... EVERGREEN.......... AL FAYETTE MEDICAL CENTER........... FAYETTE............ AL GROVE HILL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL..... GROVE HILL......... AL HIGHLANDS MEDICAL CENTER......... SCOTTSBORO......... AL HILL HOSPITAL OF SUMTER COUNTY... YORK............... AL JACKSON MEDICAL CENTER........... JACKSON............ AL JOHN PAUL JONES HOSPITAL......... CAMDEN............. AL LAKE MARTIN COMMUNITY HOSPITAL... DADEVILLE.......... AL LAKELAND COMMUNITY HOSPITAL...... HALEYVILLE......... AL MARION REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER... HAMILTON........... AL MIZELL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL......... OPP................ AL MONROE COUNTY HOSPITAL........... MONROEVILLE........ AL NORTH BALDWIN INFIRMARY.......... BAY MINETTE........ AL NORTHWEST MEDICAL CENTER......... WINFIELD........... AL REGIONAL MEDICAL CTR OF CENTRAL GREENVILLE......... AL AL. RUSSELL MEDICAL CENTER........... ALEXANDER CITY..... AL RUSSELLVILLE HOSPITAL............ RUSSELLVILLE....... AL ST. VINCENTS CHILTON............. CLANTON............ AL TROY REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER..... TROY............... AL WHITFIELD REGIONAL HOSPITAL...... DEMOPOLIS.......... AL WIREGRASS MEDICAL CENTER......... GENEVA............. AL BHMC-STUTTGART................... STUTTGART.......... AR BHMC-DREW COUNTY................. MONTICELLO......... AR CHAMBERS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL....... DANVILLE........... AR FORREST CITY MEDICAL CENTER...... FORREST CITY....... AR GREAT RIVER MEDICAL CENTER....... BLYTHEVILLE........ AR MAGNOLIA REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM MAGNOLIA........... AR INC. OUACHITA COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER... CAMDEN............. AR SILOAM SPRINGS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. SILOAM SPRINGS..... AR WADLEY MEDICAL CENTER AT HOPE.... HOPE............... AR ADVENTHEALTH MURRAY.............. CHATSWORTH......... GA APPLING GENERAL HOSPITAL......... BAXLEY............. GA BURKE MEDICAL CENTER............. WAYNESBORO......... GA DODGE COUNTY HOSPITAL............ EASTMAN............ GA DONALSONVILLE HOSPITAL........... DONALSONVILLE...... GA DORMINY MEDICAL CENTER........... FITZGERALD......... GA EMANUEL MEDICAL CENTER........... SWAINSBORO......... GA EVANS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.......... CLAXTON............ GA FLINT RIVER COMMUNITY HOSPITAL... MONTEZUMA.......... GA GRADY GENERAL HOSPITAL........... CAIRO.............. GA JEFFERSON HOSPITAL............... LOUISVILLE......... GA NGMC HABERSHAM................... DEMOREST........... GA SGHS--CAMDEN CAMPUS.............. ST. MARYS.......... GA SGMC BERRIEN CAMPUS.............. NASHVILLE.......... GA SOUTHWELL MEDICAL................ ADEL............... GA STEPHENS COUNTY HOSPITAL......... TOCCOA............. GA UNION GENERAL HOSPITAL........... BLAIRSVILLE........ GA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL MCDUFFIE..... THOMSON............ GA WASHINGTON CO REG MED CTR........ SANDERSVILLE....... GA ADVENTHEALTH OTTAWA.............. OTTAWA............. KS COFFEYVILLE REG MEDICAL CENTER, COFFEYVILLE........ KS INC. LABETTE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER.... PARSONS............ KS MCPHERSON HOSPITAL, INC.......... MCPHERSON.......... KS MIAMI COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER...... PAOLA.............. KS PRATT REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.... PRATT.............. KS SAINT JOHN HOSPITAL.............. LEAVENWORTH........ KS SALINA SURGICAL HOSPITAL......... SALINA............. KS STORMONT VAIL--FLINT HILLS....... JUNCTION CITY...... KS SUMMIT SURGICAL, LLC............. HUTCHINSON......... KS SUSAN B. ALLEN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. EL DORADO.......... KS [[Page 23105]] UKHS GREAT BEND CAMPUS........... GREAT BEND......... KS ADVENTHEALTH MANCHESTER.......... MANCHESTER......... KY HARRISON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL....... CYNTHIANA.......... KY MIDDLESBORO ARH.................. MIDDLESBORO........ KY MONROE COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER..... TOMPKINSVILLE...... KY MUHLENBERG COMMUNITY HOSPITAL.... GREENVILLE......... KY OWENSBORO HEALTH TWIN LAKES LEITCHFIELD........ KY MEDICAL. PAINTSVILLE ARH HOSPITAL......... PAINTSVILLE........ KY PINEVILLE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER PINEVILLE.......... KY ROCKCASTLE HOSPT. & RESPIR CARE MT VERNON.......... KY CTR. THE MEDICAL CENTER AT RUSSELLVILLE....... KY RUSSELLVILLE. TJ HEALTH COLUMBIA............... COLUMBIA........... KY TUG VALLEY ARH................... SOUTH WILLIAMSON... KY ACADIAN MEDICAL CENTER........... EUNICE............. LA ALLEN PARISH HOSPITAL............ KINDER............. LA AVOYELLES HOSPITAL............... MARKSVILLE......... LA BEAUREGARD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, INC DERIDDER........... LA BYRD REGIONAL HOSPITAL........... LEESVILLE.......... LA CALDWELL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL....... COLUMBIA........... LA CITIZENS MEDICAL CENTER.......... COLUMBIA........... LA DESOTO REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM.... MANSFIELD.......... LA EAST CARROLL PARISH HOSPITAL..... LAKE PROVIDENCE.... LA FRANKLIN MEDICAL CENTER.......... WINNSBORO.......... LA HOMER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.......... HOMER.............. LA LASALLE GENERAL HOSPITAL, INC.... JENA............... LA MERCY REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.... VILLE PLATTE....... LA MOREHOUSE GENERAL HOSPITAL....... BASTROP............ LA OAKDALE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL....... OAKDALE............ LA OCHSNER AMERICAN LEGION HOSPITAL. JENNINGS........... LA OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS HOSPITAL BOGALUSA........... LA MC. RICHLAND PARISH HOSPITAL SERVICE RAYVILLE........... LA DIS. SABINE MEDICAL CENTER............ MANY............... LA SAVOY MEDICAL MANAGEMENT GROUP MAMOU.............. LA INC. SPRINGHILL MEDICAL CENTER........ SPRINGHILL......... LA WINN PARISH MEDICAL CENTER....... WINNFIELD.......... LA GARRETT COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. OAKLAND............ MD ANDERSON REGIONAL MED CTR-SOUTH MERIDIAN........... MS CAMP. BAPTIST MEM HOSPITAL BOONEVILLE.. BOONEVILLE......... MS BEACHAM MEMORIAL HOSPITAL........ MAGNOLIA........... MS CLAY COUNTY MEDICAL CORPORATION.. WEST POINT......... MS GEORGE COUNTY HOSPITAL........... LUCEDALE........... MS GREENWOOD LEFLORE HOSPITAL....... GREENWOOD.......... MS HIGHLAND COMMUNITY HOSPITAL...... PICAYUNE........... MS HIGHLAND HILLS MEDICAL CENTER.... SENATOBIA.......... MS JASPER GENERAL HOSPITAL.......... BAY SPRINGS........ MS KINGS DAUGHTERS MEDICAL CENTER... BROOKHAVEN......... MS MAGEE GENERAL HOSPITAL........... MAGEE.............. MS MARION GENERAL HOSPITAL.......... COLUMBIA........... MS NESHOBA COUNTY GENERAL HOSPITAL.. PHILADELPHIA....... MS SOUTH SUNFLOWER COUNTY HOSPITAL.. INDIANOLA.......... MS TISHOMINGO HEALTH SERVICES....... IUKA............... MS UMMC-GRENADA..................... GRENADA............ MS WAYNE GENERAL HOSPITAL........... WAYNESBORO......... MS WEBSTER HEALTH SERVICES.......... EUPORA............. MS WINSTON MEDICAL CENTER........... LOUISVILLE......... MS YALOBUSHA GENERAL HOSPITAL....... WATER VALLEY....... MS DUPLIN GENERAL HOSPITAL KENANSVILLE........ NC INCORPORATED. THE MCDOWELL HOSPITAL............ MARION............. NC ALLIANCE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL...... ALLIANCE........... OH KINGS DAUGHTERS MED CENTER OHIO.. PORTSMOUTH......... OH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL................ FREMONT............ OH MERCY HEALTH--TIFFIN HOSPITAL LLC TIFFIN............. OH POMERENE HOSPITAL................ MILLERSBURG........ OH THE BELLEVUE HOSPITAL............ BELLEVUE........... OH CHEROKEE MEDICAL CENTER.......... GAFFNEY............ SC COASTAL CAROLINA MEDICAL CENTER.. HARDEEVILLE........ SC HAMPTON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.. VARNVILLE.......... SC MCLEOD HEALTH CHERAW............. CHERAW............. SC MCLEOD HEALTH CLARENDON.......... MANNING............ SC MCLEOD MEDICAL CENTER--DILLON.... DILLON............. SC MUSC HEALTH BLACK RIVER MEDICAL CADES.............. SC CENTER. MUSC HEALTH MARION MEDICAL CENTER MULLINS............ SC NEWBERRY COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL NEWBERRY........... SC PH LAURENS COUNTY HOSPITAL....... CLINTON............ SC [[Page 23106]] ASCENSION ST THOMAS RIVER PARK... MCMINNVILLE........ TN BAPTIST MEM HOSPITAL HUNTINGDON.. HUNTINGDON......... TN BAPTIST MEM HOSPITAL TIPTON COVINGTON.......... TN COUNTY. BAPTIST MEM HOSPITAL UNION CITY.. UNION CITY......... TN CLAIBORNE MEDICAL CENTER......... TAZEWELL........... TN HARDIN MEDICAL CENTER............ SAVANNAH........... TN HAWKINS COUNTY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. ROGERSVILLE........ TN HAYWOOD COUNTY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL BROWNSVILLE........ TN HENDERSON COUNTY COMMUNITY LEXINGTON.......... TN HOSPITAL. HENRY COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER...... PARIS.............. TN LAFOLLETTE MEDICAL CENTER........ LAFOLLETTE......... TN LINCOLN MEDICAL CENTER........... FAYETTEVILLE....... TN MILAN GENERAL HOSPITAL........... MILAN.............. TN NEWPORT MEDICAL CENTER........... NEWPORT............ TN SAINT THOMAS HIGHLAND HOSPITAL... SPARTA............. TN SAINT THOMAS STONES RIVER WOODBURY........... TN HOSPITAL. ST THOMAS DEKALB HOSPITAL........ SMITHVILLE......... TN UNITY MEDICAL CENTER............. MANCHESTER......... TN VANDERBILT BEDFORD COUNTY SHELBYVILLE........ TN HOSPITAL. WEST TN HEALTHCARE VOLUNTEER MARTIN............. TN HOSPITA. MON HEALTH MARION NEIGHBORHOOD WHITE HALL......... WV HOSPI. PLEASANT VALLEY HOSPITAL......... POINT PLEASANT..... WV STONEWALL JACKSON MEMORIAL WESTON............. WV HOSPITAL. WELCH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL......... WELCH.............. WV WETZEL COUNTY HOSPITAL........... NEW MARTINSVILLE... WV ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thomas J. Engels, Administrator. [FR Doc. 2026-08300 Filed 4-28-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4165-15-P