USDA announced $3 million in competitive grants is available for urban agriculture and innovative production projects. USDA will accept applications on Grants.gov until midnight July 6, 2020.

Planning Projects should initiate or expand efforts of farmers, gardeners, citizens, government officials, schools, and other stakeholders in urban areas and suburbs. Projects may target areas of food access; education; business and start-up costs for new farmers; and development of policies related to zoning and other needs of urban production.

Implementation Projects should accelerate existing and emerging models of urban, indoor, and other agricultural practices that serve multiple farmers. Projects will improve local food access and collaborate with partner organizations and may support infrastructure needs; emerging technologies; educational endeavors; and urban farming policy development.

To learn more please follow this link.

Pennsylvania Governor Wolf’s Administration received approval from the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a plan to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to students who are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals at school through the National School Lunch Program. This program, known as Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), will be temporary and is designed to bridge the gap left by schools closing and help families who may have strained resources due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The approved P-EBT plan will allow for DHS to provide SNAP funds to households with children who have lost access to free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program due to pandemic-related school closures. P-EBT benefits will be issued through EBT cards issued to qualifying families. A family’s benefit will be determined based off the federal reimbursement rate for the daily rate of free school breakfasts and lunches, or approximately $5.70 per child. This benefit will be calculated for the remainder of the school year, leading to an approximate benefit of $370.50 per child if they were receiving free or reduced-price school meals when school closures began. Now that the program is approved, benefits will begin to be issued to qualifying families within approximately 15 business days.

If a family’s economic situation has changed since school closures began, they can still apply for the National School Lunch Program and, if determined eligible, receive P-EBT benefits. Families can apply online at www.compass.state.pa.us.

The Department of Health and Human Services has extended the deadline for healthcare providers to attest to receipt of payments from the Provider Relief Fund and accept the Terms and Conditions. Providers will now have 45 days, increased from 30 days, from the date they receive a payment to attest and accept the Terms and Conditions or return the funds. As an example, the initial 30-day deadline for providers who received payment on April 10, 2020, is extended to May 24 from May 9, 2020. With the extension, not returning the payment within 45 days of receipt of payment will be viewed as acceptance of the Terms and Conditions.

President Trump is providing support to healthcare providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic through the bipartisan CARES Act and Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act which provide $175 billion in relief funds to hospitals and other healthcare providers on the front lines of the coronavirus response. This funding will be used to support healthcare-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19 and to ensure uninsured Americans can get treatment for COVID-19.

In allocating the funds, the Administration is working, among other things, to address both the economic harm across the entire healthcare system due to the stoppage of elective procedures, and addressing the economic impact on providers particularly impacted by COVID-19, and to do so as quickly and transparently as possible.

Visit hhs.gov/providerrelief for more information on the allocations. Recipients of payments from any of these allocations must attest and accept the Terms and Conditions within 45 days.

• HHS is distributing $50 billion across the healthcare system to providers and facilities that bill Medicare.
• Recognizing the financial strain from COVID-19 inpatient admissions, HHS is distributing $12 billion to hospitals that reported at least 100 COVID-19 inpatient admissions through April 10 to HHS.
• HHS is distributing $10 billion to rural hospitals and clinics.
• HHS is distributing $400 million to tribal healthcare providers.
• HHS is using a portion of the Provider Relief Fund to reimburse healthcare providers, at Medicare rates, for COVID-related treatment of the uninsured.
• HHS is working to provide relief to additional healthcare providers including skilled nursing facilities, dentists, and other providers significantly impacted by COVID-19.

Pennsylvania First Lady Frances Wolf, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller, and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding outlined food assistance programs available for Pennsylvanians to enroll in to get them through current COVID-19-induced tough times. They said Pennsylvanians should feel no shame in accepting state and federal food benefits that were, in fact, designed for unprecedented times like the coronavirus pandemic.

While most eligibility verifications for food assistance have been waived to reduce barriers to access during COVID-19 mitigation in Pennsylvania, there are several state programs that still require individuals to seek out and enroll in individually to qualify and receive benefit. These programs include:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Formerly known as food stamps, SNAP provides assistance to low-income and working Pennsylvanians, allowing them to purchase produce and groceries for themselves and their family. SNAP helps more than 1.8 million Pennsylvanians, including about 700,000 children, about 690,000 people with disabilities, and about 300,000 older adults, expand purchasing power to ensure their household has enough food to avoid going hungry. SNAP is issued through a monthly payment to an electronic benefit transfer card, and benefits are based off income and household size. People can apply for SNAP online at compass.state.pa.us online at any time.
• Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program: This program runs from June 1 through November 30 each year. Seniors must be 60 or older by December 31 of the program year and have income at or below 185% of the U.S. poverty level. Eligible seniors should call their county Aging office for information on distribution of vouchers. Vouchers are distributed on a first come, first serve basis.
• WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program: This program runs from June 1 through November 30 each year, and recipients must be on the WIC program to receive this benefit. Children 1-year and older, and pregnant/post-partum women will receive vouchers for the program during their quarterly WIC visit (May through September).
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program: Eligible participants include individuals who are at least 60 years old and whose household income is at or below 130% of the U.S. poverty level. To qualify, individuals must complete an application with proof of income. Questions about where/how to access this program can be directed to the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Food Assistance by calling 1-800-468-2433 or emailing ra-fooddist@pa.gov.
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Women who are pregnant or have had a baby in the past six months, or twelve if breastfeeding; infants and children under the age of five; and fathers, grandparents, and foster parents who are the legal guardian of a child under age five, may apply for WIC. WIC applicants must reside in Pennsylvania, have a medical or nutritional risk, and have a gross household income that does not exceed 185% of the U.S. poverty level.

In addition to applying for the benefits above, Pennsylvanians can receive immediate access to food resources by visiting a Feeding Pennsylvania or Hunger-Free Pennsylvania member food bank. Pennsylvanians out of work and without pay as a result of COVID-19 are eligible to receive state and federally sourced foods from Pennsylvania’s food banks and pantries

With the coronavirus pandemic costing roughly 33.5 million Americans their jobs so far and a growing number of states beginning to reopen some businesses in an attempt to help, WalletHub today released updated rankings for the States with the Biggest Increases in Unemployment Due to the Coronavirus, along with accompanying videos, as a follow-up to our report on the Cities with the Biggest Growth in Unemployment Due to COVID-19.

To identify which states’ workforces have been hurt most by COVID-19, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on increases in unemployment claims. We used this data to rank the most impacted states in both the latest week for which we have data (April 27) and overall since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis (March 16). Below, you can see highlights from the report, along with a WalletHub Q&A. To see the states most impacted since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.

Increase in Pennsylvania Unemployment Due to Coronavirus (1=Worst, 25=Avg.):

•  706.57% Increase in Unemployment Claims (April 2020 vs April 2019)
  • 96,603 the week of April 27, 2020 vs 11,977 the week of April 29, 2019
  • 5th lowest increase in the U.S.
•  253.88% Increase in the Number of Unemployment Claims (April 2020 vs January 2020)
  • 96,603 the week of April 27, 2020 vs 27,298 the week of January 1, 2020
  • 5th lowest increase in the U.S.
• 2,108.14% Increase in Unemployment Claims Since Pandemic Started
  • 1,713,729 between the week of March 16, 2020 and the week of April 27, 2020 vs 81,291 between the week of March 18, 2019 and the week of April 29, 2019
  • 19th lowest increase in the U.S.

To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-biggest-increase-in-unemployment-due-to-coronavirus/72730/.

The commonwealth is offering free N95 respirator decontamination to health care facilities, first responders, and other eligible organizations that may be experiencing a shortage. The service, called the Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and funded with federal dollars.

All health care facilities and emergency medical services may use this service. In addition, if experiencing a critical shortage of N95 respirators, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, hazardous materials units, public works, utility companies, and emergency management agencies may use this service.

An eligible organization that wishes to use the system should talk to their county emergency management coordinator. Registration is required, and the masks will be shipped. Click here for more information.

On May 6, 2020, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed an executive order protecting health care practitioners from liability for good-faith actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for more information.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf is creating the Commonwealth Civilian Coronavirus Corps, a public service initiative that will support efforts in the fall to increase testing and contact tracing and provide critical new job opportunities in the public health sector. The intent is to fund these positions with federal dollars. Read full story.

From Kaiser Health News

Richard Oswald, still mourning the loss of his family’s homestead to flooding along the Missouri River, is planting corn and soybeans into ground that last year was feet deep underwater.

It’s probably good, he said, to not have too much time to think.

“Diversion therapy is the best treatment for farmers right now,” said the 70-year-old from Atchison County, Missouri. “Being busy helps.”

In an industry rocked over the past year by record rates of bankruptcies, suicides and mental health crises spurred by weather extremes, trade wars and faltering economics, COVID-19 has fostered even more uncertainty for the future of America’s farms. Already the pandemic has decimated agricultural markets.

Read more.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released an Interim Final Rule with Comment Period (IFC) building on the agency’s efforts to give the American healthcare system maximum flexibility to respond to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Below is a summary of resources and information available on the rule. View the full rule here.

For more information on the White House Task Force response to COVID-19, visit www.coronavirus.gov. Additional information specific to CMS is available at the CMS News Room and Current Emergencies Website.

Press Release: Trump Administration Issues Second Round of Sweeping Changes to Support U.S. Healthcare System During COVID-19 Pandemic

The IFC outlines actions CMS is taking to ensure states and localities have the flexibilities they need to ramp up diagnostic testing and access to medical care, key precursors to ensuring a phased, safe, and gradual reopening of America. Read the press release and fact sheet for more details.

Fact Sheets

CMS has updated multiple fact sheets that summarize changes made through regulatory actions in response to COVID-19. View more resources available on CMS waivers and flexibilities here.

A full list of emergency declaration blanket waivers for health care providers implemented to date is available here. Additional fact sheets include:

• Clinicians:
  •  Physicians and Other Practitioners (PDF)
• Hospitals and Facilities:
  • Hospitals (PDF)
  • Teaching Hospitals, Teaching Physicians and Medical Residents (PDF)
  • Long Term Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities and/or Nursing Facilities) (PDF)
  • Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) (PDF)
  • Long Term Care Hospitals & Extended Neoplastic Disease Care Hospitals (PDF)
  • Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (PDF)
  • End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Facilities (PDF)
• Service providers:
  • Home Health Agencies (PDF)
  • Hospices (PDF)
  • Durable Medical Equipment (PDF)
  • Laboratories (PDF)
  • Ambulances (PDF)

• Other CMS Programs:
  • Medicare Advantage and Part D Plans (PDF)
  • Medicaid & Basic Health Programs
  • Medicare Shared Savings Program Participants (PDF)
  • Participants in the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (PDF)

Laboratory and Testing and Resources

CMS is committed to taking critical steps to ensure America’s clinical laboratories can respond to the threat of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses to ensure patient health and safety.

• Memo to State Survey Agencies
• List of lab test codes for COVID-19, Influenza, RSV (PDF) (4/30/20)

CMS Hospitals without Walls Initiative

CMS is allowing healthcare systems and hospitals to provide services in locations beyond their existing walls to help address the urgent need to expand care capacity and to develop sites dedicated to COVID-19 treatment.

• Slides: COVID-19 Regulations & Waivers To Enable Health System Expansion (PDF)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Several changes in the IFC allow additional Medicare payment; CMS has issued FAQs addressing Medicare Fee-for-Service Billing issues.

• Frequently Asked Questions

Additional Resources for Stakeholders

CMS has developed a toolkit for stakeholder partners to help you stay informed on CMS and HHS materials available on COVID-19. Check back often for the most up-to-date information; please refresh your browser often to see the most up-to-date information.

Upcoming COVID-19 Stakeholder Calls

Conference lines are limited, so we highly encourage you to join via audio webcast, either on your computer or smartphone web browser. You are welcome to share this invitation with your colleagues and membership.

To listen to the audio files and read the transcripts for the COVID-19 Stakeholder calls, visit the Podcast and Transcripts page.

CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Call – Thursday, May 7th at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern

Audio Webcast Link: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=2ccba159-709ea889-2ccb9066- 0cc47a6a52de-80625c0cb20a4e86&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=b5705466-e9247d4d-b5706559-0cc47a6d17cc-b1cc79a70fb7db26&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=1a9e6b45-46cb6295-1a9e5a7a-0cc47a6a52de-5b1b993b40c7e8b0&u=https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2097

Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 1181167

Lessons from the Front Lines – Friday, May 8th at 12:30 – 2:00 PM Eastern

Web Link: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=0ffb90f8-53ae99eb-0ffba1c7-0cc47adb5650- 044bb37a61085446&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=eaec5c69-b6b87542-eaec6d56-0cc47a6d17cc-79a22c23b0ea7df6&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=93cd454b-cf984c9b-93cd7474-0cc47a6a52de-05fb34f3eed54d63&u=https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2039

Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 877-251-0301; Access Code: 9146779