- Senator Baldwin Introduces HSHS Act to Protect Communities from Hospital Closures
- What to Know about Smoke, Heat and Health
- Tribal Partnership With UW-Madison Combines Ag Research With Indigenous Food Knowledge
- The Rewards of Working as Rural Docs
- Request for Information (RFI): Evolving the Network of the National Library of Medicine
- Dental Therapists, Who Can Fill Cavities and Check Teeth, Get the OK in More States
- Colorectal Cancer Is Rising among Younger Adults. Some States Want to Boost Awareness.
- Rural Hospitals Built During Baby Boom Now Face Baby Bust
- Food Stamps Go Further in Rural Areas — Until You Add Transportation Costs
- CMS Announces Resources and Flexibilities to Assist with the Public Health Emergency in the State of Texas
- CMS Proposes New Payments for Digital Health Under CY2025 PFS Draft Rule
- Improving Public Health by Strengthening Community Infrastructure
- Biden Harris Administration Proposes Policies to Reduce Maternal Mortality, Advance Health Equity, and Support Underserved Communities
- Nearly Half of U.S. Counties Don't Have a Single Cardiologist
- Randolph County, Ill. Turns Unused Part of Nursing Home Into State-Of-The-Art Behavioral Health Center
Trump Administration Vaccine Distribution Strategy Available
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Defense (DoD) on Sept. 16 released two documents outlining the Trump Administration’s detailed strategy to deliver safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses to the American people as quickly and reliably as possible. The documents, developed by HHS in coordination with DoD and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provide a strategic distribution overview along with an interim playbook for state, tribal, territorial and local public health programs and their partners on how to plan and operationalize a vaccination response to COVID-19 within their respective jurisdictions. Access the plan and additional information here.
Additional Stimulus Aid Unlikely before Election
President Trump tweeted this week that, “I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business. “Stocks fell, and even his allies were baffled by this move. He then tweeted the next evening, “If I am sent a Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200), they will go out to our great people IMMEDIATELY. I am ready to sign right now. Are you listening Nancy?” Indications are if there is another stimulus package it will be only stimulus checks. The House last week passed a $2.2 trillion stimulus package which included $7.6 billion for FQHCs.
Gov. Wolf Unveils Health Care Reform Package
Gov. Tom Wolf last Friday announced a health care reform package that will focus on affordability for consumers, accountability for corporations, and eliminating inequities in care and coverage, particularly those “resulting from systemic racism.” Read more.
The Evolving Landscape of National Telehealth Policies during a Public Health Emergency: Responsiveness to Rural Needs
Principal Authors: Keith Mueller, PhD; Hannah Rochford, MA
Prepared by the RUPRI Health Panel: Andrew F. Coburn, PhD; Alana Knudson, PhD; Jennifer P. Lundblad, PhD, MBA; A. Clinton MacKinney, MD, MS; Timothy D. McBride, PhD
Throughout the unprecedented challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has been a pillar of federal response policies aiming to position healthcare and public health entities to continue providing necessary services. While the core aims of rural health systems remain unchanged amidst COVID-19 circumstances, unfortunately, so too do many of the challenges they face in reaching these aims. This paper’s discussion summarizes the elements recognized as necessary for effective use of telehealth, identifies the challenges the federal policy response has addressed well, points to where opportunities for continued progress remain and speculates as to what barriers to progress may exist for actors in rural healthcare and public health. Recommendations for the expansion of telehealth made prior to the pandemic by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) offer structure to this discussion.
Click here for the full document.
CMS Announces New Repayment Terms for Medicare Loans Made to Providers During COVID-19
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced amended terms for payments issued under the Accelerated and Advance Payment (AAP) Program as required by recent action by President Trump and Congress. This Medicare loan program allows CMS to make advance payments to providers and are typically used in emergency situations. Under the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act repayment will now begin one year from the issuance date of each provider or supplier’s accelerated or advance payment. CMS issued $106 billion in payments to providers and suppliers in order to alleviate the financial burden healthcare providers faced while experiencing cash flow issues in the early stages of combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency (PHE).
“In the throes of an unprecedented pandemic, providers and suppliers on the frontlines needed a lifeline to help keep them afloat,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “CMS’ advanced payments were loans given to providers and suppliers to avoid having to close their doors and potentially causing a disruption in service for seniors. While we are seeing patients return to hospitals and doctors providing care we are not yet back to normal,” she added.
CMS expanded the AAP Program on March 28, 2020 and gave these loans to healthcare providers and suppliers in order to combat the financial burden of the pandemic. CMS successfully paid more than 22,000 Part A providers, totaling more than $98 billion in accelerated payments. This included payments to Part A providers for Part B items and services they furnished. In addition, more than 28,000 Part B suppliers, including doctors, non-physician practitioners, and Durable Medical Equipment (DME) suppliers, received advance payments totaling more than $8.5 billion.
Providers were required to make payments starting in August of this year, but with this action, repayment will be delayed until one year after payment was issued. After that first year, Medicare will automatically recoup 25 percent of Medicare payments otherwise owed to the provider or supplier for eleven months. At the end of the eleven-month period, recoupment will increase to 50 percent for another six months. If the provider or supplier is unable to repay the total amount of the AAP during this time-period (a total of 29 months), CMS will issue letters requiring repayment of any outstanding balance, subject to an interest rate of four percent.
The letter also provides guidance on how to request an Extended Repayment Schedule (ERS) for providers and suppliers who are experiencing financial hardships. An ERS is a debt installment payment plan that allows a provider or supplier to pay debts over the course of three years, or, up to five years in the case of extreme hardship. Providers and suppliers are encouraged to contact their Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) for information on how to request an ERS. To allow even more flexibility in paying back the loans, the $175 billion issued in Provider Relief funds can be used towards repayment of these Medicare loans. CMS will be communicating with each provider and supplier in the coming weeks as to the repayment terms and amounts owed as applicable for any accelerated or advance payment issued.
To view the fact sheet, click here: Fact Sheet
To view the frequently asked questions click here: FAQs
RHC PPP Terms and Conditions Announced
The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act authorized the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to provide $225 million to RHCs for COVID-19 testing and related expenses. Beginning May 20, 2020, HRSA issued funding as one-time payments to RHC organizations of $49,461.42.
The terms and conditions for this program specify that, “The Recipient shall submit reports as the Secretary determines are needed to ensure compliance with conditions that are imposed on this Payment, and such reports shall be in such form, with such content, as specified by the Secretary in future program instructions directed to all Recipients.”
To monitor and assess the program, HRSA has established a set of proposed measures that funded RHCs report back to HRSA at the Tax Identification Number (TIN) level. This brief set of proposed measures includes basic information on the RHC organization, the number of and location of testing sites (active and inactive), information on the use of funds, the total number tests conducted, and the number of COVID-19 positive tests.
HRSA proposes to use this information to evaluate the effectiveness of the program at an aggregate level. As proposed, funded organizations must report the number of tests conducted and the number of positive tests on a monthly basis for the duration of the reporting period retroactively to May 2020. No personally identifiable, patient-level information is being requested.
HRSA will be in contact with RHCs in the coming weeks with more information on the RHC COVID-19 Testing Reporting (RHC CTR) website, upcoming webinar, and other additional information. Please forward the email to the best contact for your RHCs COVID-19 Testing Program and cc: RHCCOVID-19Testing@hrsa.gov if you are the incorrect recipient. HRSA has funded the National Association of Rural Health Clinics to provide technical assistance to RHCs on the RHC COVID-19 Testing Program.
If you have additional questions you may email RHCcovidreporting@narhc.org.
HRSA Rural Health Clinic COVID-19 Testing Program Team
RHCCOVID-19Testing@hrsa.gov
To subscribe or unsubscribe from the RHC COVID-19 Testing Program mailing list, click here.
New Infographics Available for Oral Health Professionals
The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) published two new infographics for oral health professionals. The documents provide information about the benefits of and barriers to preventive dental visits for pregnant women and children and adolescents ages 1-17. The resources can be shared with program administrators and other stakeholders to raise awareness about the importance of preventive dental visits to reduce oral health problems and unnecessary treatment expenses.
Click on the below links to download the infographics:
“Preventive Dental Visits for Children and Adolescents are Important!”
“Preventive Dental Visits for Pregnant Women are Important!”
Study Results: Coverage is Critical for Reducing Dental-Related ER Use
A recent study from Community Catalyst highlights the relationship between Medicaid coverage and ER visits for oral health issues. The study found that states that offer Medicaid adult dental benefits and that have expanded their Medicaid programs under the ACA have the lowest rates of dental-related ER use. States that have taken up both of these policy options have also shown a decrease in dental-related ER use over time.
New Report: Ventilator-Assisted Pneumonia and the Mouth
A new report from the DentaQuest Partnership looks at the connection between oral health and overall health and further examines ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). The report asserts that addressing social conditions, structural racism, access to care, oral health education and other factors may not only improve oral health outcomes but also reduce the risk for COVID-19, VAP and even death in Black communities.
Gateway Health to Implement Expanded Oral Health Service Credentialing
Gateway Health has implemented Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner (PHDHP) credentialing and network participation. This opportunity will increase access to care for patients in Pennsylvania. For background, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services released a bulletin in 2017 recognizing PHDHPs as providers able to be credentialed and contracted through managed care organizations. The role of dental hygienists across the nation has evolved due to the lack of cost-effective access to preventive oral health care and the need to increase oral health literacy across the nation.
Contact Holly Kauffman for more information or to request an application.