Introduction
As the spring season begins, March brings renewed momentum and a focus on upcoming initiatives. RubinBrown is proud to present this month's issue that highlights key updates, ongoing priorities, and notable developments shaping the months ahead.
Blogs
Generative and Agentic AI: Cybersecurity Risks Executives Can't Ignore
Artificial Intelligence is transforming operations across customer service, finance, HR, and cybersecurity—but with speed and automation comes risk. AI is a business decision with operational, legal, and financial consequences. This
article explores the risks of generative and agentic AI, from data privacy to regulatory compliance, and why executives need a disciplined, governance-driven approach to scale AI safely.
Critical Access Hospitals: How to Make the Most of Your Unique Benefits
Running a CAH is challenging but hidden within those challenges are powerful opportunities to boost reimbursement and strengthen financial stability. This article breaks down eight Medicare benefits and funding options that many CAHs overlook and how fully leveraging them can support long‑term sustainability.
Click to dive deeper into each opportunity.
Why Experience Matters: The Case for Outsourcing Cost Report Preparation
Cost reporting affects far more than year‑end settlements; it shapes compliance, reimbursement, and strategic decision‑making. This
article highlights how leveraging experienced preparers can reduce risk, improve accuracy, and ensure your organization captures all eligible reimbursement. Read more to understand the long‑term value of a well‑supported cost reporting process.
The Financial Benefits of Becoming a CCBHC
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics are transforming outpatient behavioral health by expanding access, integrating services, and offering more predictable, cost‑based reimbursement. This
article breaks down how CCBHCs are funded, why the PPS rate structure matters, and the financial advantages of becoming an early adopter. Learn how this growing national model can strengthen both care delivery and long‑term sustainability.
Important Updates & Deadlines
- Congress finalized a federal funding package that extends key COVID-era Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2027, bringing much-needed stability to virtual care delivery after repeated short-term lapses and a brief government shutdown. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 preserves expanded Medicare telehealth coverage, including home as an originating site, waived geographic limits, broader provider eligibility, continued use of audio-only services, and delayed in-person requirements for mental health visits, while lawmakers continue work on permanent telehealth policy reforms. Providers should review updated CMS guidance to align operations with the extended rules.
- For December 31 year‑end providers, the FY 2025 Medicare cost report filing deadline of June 1, 2026, is coming up soon. The cost report is more than a required submission; it directly impacts your reimbursement, future payment rates, and the accuracy of key financial metrics used across your organization.
Don’t wait. Ensuring your cost report is accurate, complete, and truly reflective of your organization’s costs can have a meaningful impact on reimbursement. Our team is here to support you through the preparation process and help you navigate common challenges.
- Major updates to the HIPAA Security Rule are expected to become final in May 2026, triggering a 240‑day compliance window. The proposal eliminates the distinction between “required” and “addressable” safeguards, making all specifications mandatory, and introduces new expectations such as MFA, encryption at rest and in transit, biannual vulnerability scans, annual penetration testing, and expanded business associate oversight.
Organizations should begin assessing their current posture now to prepare for the heightened cybersecurity and documentation requirements. RubinBrown will continue to provide updates as the rule is finalized.
- Effective February 16, 2026, all HIPAA covered entities—including health plans, behavioral health providers, and compliance leaders—must update their Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) to reflect stricter confidentiality requirements for substance use disorder (SUD) records under the revised 42 CFR Part 2 rules. These updates must explain enhanced privacy protections, new limits on the use of SUD information for fundraising (including a clear opt out), and how SUD records may be used, shared, and protected in legal contexts. Organizations must also post and distribute the updated NPP by the deadline, revise related internal policies, refresh staff training, and update Business Associate Agreements to ensure full compliance. Failure to meet these requirements may lead to enforcement action by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
Get to Know the RubinBrown Healthcare Team
RubinBrown partners with healthcare organizations of all types to deliver tailored solutions that strengthen financial performance and operational efficiency.
This month, we’re spotlighting our Interim Leadership Services. RubinBrown’s Interim Leadership Services provide seasoned healthcare executives who step into critical leadership roles to stabilize operations, strengthen financial performance, and guide organizations through periods of transition or growth. Whether supporting a CFO, revenue cycle, or broader financial function, our interim leaders deliver immediate impact while building a foundation for long-term success. Each engagement is backed by RubinBrown’s full team of specialists, giving clients the depth of a national healthcare advisory firm behind every decision. To learn more about how RubinBrown can support your organization’s interim leadership needs, visit
Interim Leadership.
Celebrating Our Team
We’re proud to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of our Healthcare Consulting team members. Please join us in congratulating Caren Puvalowski, who recently earned her Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional (CRHCP) certification.
Upcoming Events
April 9-10, 2026: OkHIMA Annual Conference: Julie Hardy will be presenting on Effectively Implementing a Compliance Plan in a Physician Practice
April 14, 2026: Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC): An Evolution of Behavioral Health Treatment and Payment
Join us as we provide a clear, practical overview of the CCBHC model, including certification requirements, mandated core services, and the operational expectations tied to implementation. Attendees will gain insight into PPS reimbursement, compliance considerations, and how transparency in payment structures can support long‑term financial and clinical strategy.
Register here.
April 23, 2026: AKHIMA Virtual Presentation by Julie Hardy on Effectively Implementing a Compliance Plan in a Physician Practice
April 23-24, 2026: Michigan Annual Rural Health Conference, Mt. Pleasant, MI
Attending the conference? Be sure to stop by and connect with Caren Puvalowski and Claudine Hildreth to learn how our team can assist your organization in optimizing its rural designation.
April 28, 2026: Cyber Security Simplified: Affordable Steps to Strengthen Rural Health Provider Systems. Register here.
May 12, 2026: AHIA Webinar- Follow the Money: Enterprise Risk Across the Healthcare Revenue Chain
May 19, 2026: PA AAHAM - Denials That Start in the Chart: A Nurse Auditor’s Perspective, presented by Julie Hardy and Sandy Newstein
June 2, 2026: PA AAHAM - Rural Health Revenue Cycle: Doing More With Less, presented by Caren Puvalowski and Clair Kelley
June 23, 2026: PA AAHAM - Process Improvement for People Who Don’t Have Time for Process Improvement, presented by Clair Kelley and Eric Kelley
June 25, 2026: MO Rural Health Association: The Rural Health Clinic Advantage: Leveraging the RHC Designation for Financial Success, presented by Caren Puvalowski and Clair Kelley
Past Events
January 22, 2026: Michigan Great Lakes HFMA - Turning Compliance into Strategy: Leveraging Cost Reports for Rural Hospital Success
This session highlighted how rural hospitals can transform the Medicare cost report from a compliance requirement into a strategic tool for strengthening financial performance, improving reimbursement accuracy, and supporting long‑term sustainability.
January 27, 2026: AI Real World Use Cases
Led by Ryan Orton, Partner and Artificial Intelligence & Data Practice Lead, RubinBrown showcased real‑world AI use cases in action. The session demonstrated how organizations are applying AI to automate processes, reduce risk, and unlock new value through capabilities such as invoice matching, large‑scale document extraction, intelligent support, data query systems, and churn‑risk insights.
February 18, 2026: Rural Health at a Crossroads - Unlocking Opportunities Amid OBBBA Uncertainty
The session explored strategies for rural healthcare organizations to address the financial challenges posed by OBBBA. Caren Puvalowski guided participants through practical tools and real‑world approaches, drawing on her deep experience in rural health finance to help organizations safeguard reimbursement, strengthen financial performance, and support long‑term sustainability in their communities.
March 25, 2026: Hospital Price Transparency and Transparency in Coverage (TiC): What Providers Need to Know
Growing regulatory pressure around price transparency set the stage for a focused review of current Hospital Price Transparency and TiC requirements, enforcement trends, and the structure of key disclosures. Our team members highlighted how organizations are using transparency data to inform financial strategy, strengthen compliance, and enhance patient engagement.
If you were unable to attend any of our webinars but would like additional information, please contact Claudine Hildreth at
Claudine.Hildreth@RubinBrown.Com / 810.853.6182
Published: 03/23/2026
Readers should not act upon information presented without individual professional consultation.
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