Skip to main content
Notice2026-19234

Notice of Supplemental Funding, Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program Evaluation Cooperative Agreement

Primary source

Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.

Published
September 21, 2026

Issuing agencies

Health and Human Services DepartmentHealth Resources and Services Administration

Abstract

HRSA is awarding supplemental funding under the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program Evaluation Cooperative Agreement to one award recipient in fiscal year 2026 to expand analysis, evaluation, and dissemination activities that support Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and State Flex Programs.

Full Text

<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 181 (Monday, September 21, 2026)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 181 (Monday, September 21, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 59790]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19234]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Notice of Supplemental Funding, Medicare Rural Hospital 
Flexibility Program Evaluation Cooperative Agreement

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department 
of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice of supplemental funding.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: HRSA is awarding supplemental funding under the Medicare Rural 
Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program Evaluation Cooperative Agreement to 
one award recipient in fiscal year 2026 to expand analysis, evaluation, 
and dissemination activities that support Critical Access Hospitals 
(CAHs) and State Flex Programs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheena Johnson, Deputy Division 
Director, Hospital State Division, Federal Office of Rural Health 
Policy, HRSA, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#11627b7e797f627e7f51796362703f767e67"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="74071e1b1c1a071b1a341c0607155a131b02">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> and 872-271-6370.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Intended Recipient of the Award: Regents of the University of 
Minnesota.
    Amount of Non-Competitive Award: $420,000.
    Project Period: July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
    Assistance Listing Number: 93.241.
    Award Instrument: Cooperative Agreement.
    Authority: Section 711(b)(5) of the Social Security Act.

                                       Table 1--Recipient and Award Amount
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Grant No.                      Award recipient name              City, state         Award amount
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U27RH01080...........................  Regents of the University of     Minneapolis, MN.........        $420,000
                                        Minnesota.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Justification: The FLEX Program Evaluation Cooperative Agreement 
supports rural health care improvement by analyzing and presenting CAH 
data, capturing best practices, and developing resources that inform 
quality, financial, operational, population health, and emergency 
medical services improvement efforts. This funding will provide a one-
time supplement to the Regents of the University of Minnesota to expand 
analytic, evaluation, dissemination, and technical assistance support 
for CAHs and State Flex Programs. The recipient will use supplemental 
funding to conduct additional analysis using new Flex Program data, 
feedback on the annual CAH assessment, strengthen dissemination 
activities and accessibility to products and resources, and develop new 
resources to help inform tribal hospitals on feasibility of converting 
to another hospital provider type (e.g., CAH).

Thomas J. Engels,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2026-19234 Filed 9-18-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P


</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>
Indexed from Federal Register on September 21, 2026.

This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.