Hospital Price Transparency requirements go into effect January 1, 2021.  CMS plans to audit a sample of hospitals for compliance starting in January, in addition to investigating complaints that are submitted to CMS and reviewing analyses of non-compliance, and hospitals may face civil monetary penalties for noncompliance.

Is your institution prepared to comply with the requirements of the Hospital Price Transparency Final Rule? Effective January 1, 2021, each hospital operating in the United States is required to provide publicly accessible standard charge information online about the items and services they provide in 2 ways:

• Comprehensive machine-readable file with all items and services
• Display of 300 shoppable services in a consumer-friendly format

In the final rule, CMS outlined a monitoring and enforcement plan to ensure compliance with the requirements.  We finalized a policy that CMS monitoring activities may include, but would not be limited to, the following, as appropriate:

• Evaluation of complaints made by individuals or entities to CMS
• Review of individuals’ or entities’ analysis of noncompliance
• Audit of hospital websites

If we conclude a hospital is noncompliant with one or more of the requirements to make public standard charges, we may take any of the following actions, which generally, but not necessarily, will occur in the following order:

• Provide a written warning notice to the hospital of the specific violation(s)
• Request a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) if noncompliance constitutes a material violation of one or more requirements
• Impose a civil monetary penalty not in excess of $300 per day and publicize the penalty on a CMS website if the hospital fails to respond to our request to submit a CAP or comply with the requirements of a CAP

See 45 CFR part 180 Subpart C- Monitoring and Penalties for Noncompliance.

Visit the Hospital Price Transparency website for additional information and resources to help hospitals prepare for compliance, including:

• FAQs (PDF)
• 8 Steps to a Machine-Readable File (PDF)
• 10 Steps to a Consumer-Friendly Display (PDF)
• Quick Reference Checklists (PDF)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced the release of a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document on the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model. These FAQs, which are being reviewed by NRHA technical experts, provide additional information and details on various participatory and financial components of the CHART Community Transformation Track, such as the Capitated Payment Amount (CPA), Critical Access Hospital (CAH) eligibility and participation in the CHART Model, Participant Hospital interest and participation in the Model, and flexibilities and enhancements under the Model. The updated FAQ content can be found on the CHART Model webpage.

For more information about the CHART Model: You may visit the CHART Model webpage at innovation.cms.gov/innovation-models/chart-model or contact the CHART Help Desk at CHARTmodel@cms.hhs.gov with questions.

The new Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) website is live.

The updated website has a new design and refreshed content to improve how you access BHW programs and information.

Over the past few months, we worked with internal and external stakeholders gathering as much feedback as possible to ensure we are providing the best online experience possible.

Visit our new funding section for all of our available funding opportunities from grants to loans to scholarships.

Find everything from our program outcomes to workforce projections in our Data and Research section.

There is much more to explore – see for yourself!

Customers in Pennsylvania now have until Dec. 22 to enroll in a plan at pennie.com for coverage that begins New Year’s Day.

Important Details for Customers Below:

• All customers will continue to be able to shop for Jan. 1 coverage through 11:59pm EST on Dec. 22
• Extended deadline is automatically available to all customers and will be reflected when they login and plan shop
• Customers will not be able to enroll in Feb. 1 coverage until Dec. 23 (although they will be able to anonymously shop for Feb. 1 coverage from Dec.16-Dec. 22)
• Customers enrolling for Jan. 1 coverage after Dec. 15 should remember to make a prompt binder payment to ensure that their coverage is in effect on Jan. 1. Any delays could result in the customer not having all of their member materials in hand on Jan. 1.

Customers can be directed to 1-844-844-8040. If you have any questions, the Broker/Assister Call Center can be reached at 1-844-844-4440. Send your questions for PACHC to help@pachc.org or call 1-866-944-2273.

USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Bette Brand highlighted the department’s investments in 2020 that are building prosperity and strengthening the nation’s rural businesses and communities.

“Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, USDA invested a record $40 billion in rural communities in 2020,” Brand said. “This assistance is helping increase economic opportunities and improving the quality of life for rural residents across the 50 states and all U.S. territories.

Brand added, “USDA responded with urgency to help those affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic. We worked to bring high-speed internet capacity, modern community facilities, and upgraded water and wastewater infrastructure to rural areas. We helped provide homeownership opportunities and reliable electricity. We invested in businesses and family-supporting jobs, because when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”

Below is a summary of USDA’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 accomplishments:

Connecting Rural America to High-Speed Broadband

• Invested $1.3 billion to support rural broadband expansion through the ReConnect Pilot Program. Included in this total is $85 million provided through the CARES Act. In total, these investments are connecting approximately 280,000 households, 19,978 farms and 10,053 businesses to high-speed internet.
• Invested $187 million in broadband through the Telecom Infrastructure and Community Connect programs. These investments are connecting 58,249 households in rural communities to high-speed internet.

Improving Rural Infrastructure

• Invested a record $6.3 billion in 125 projects to upgrade or build electric infrastructure. These investments will benefit 10.7 million customers by improving electric service reliability across 34 states.
• Invested $801 million in Smart Grid technology to improve electric system operations and monitor grid security for rural electric customers.
• Invested $2.1 billion to expand access to safe drinking water and improve wastewater management systems. These investments will improve the reliability of local water supply for 2.1 million rural Americans.
• Invested $140 million through the Community Facilities Programs in rural infrastructure projects such as roads, airports and transportation improvements.

Bolstering Rural Economic Development

• Invested $22.4 million through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) to increase the availability of renewable fuels derived from U.S. agricultural products. These investments will help increase biofuels sales by a projected 150 million gallons annually.
• Invested $1.7 billion to assist 384 rural businesses through the Business and Industry (B&I) Loan Guarantee Program. Included in this total was $326 million provided through the CARES Act. These investments created or saved nearly 18,000 jobs.
• Invested more than $386 million in 2,304 loan and grants through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) for energy efficiency improvements, renewable energy systems, and energy development assistance in rural businesses. These investments are projected to generate or save more than 1.8 billion kWh.

Improving Rural Quality of Life

• Invested $1.5 billion in loans and grants through the Community Facilities Programs that funded the construction or modernization of 1,683 essential community facilities such as rural hospitals, educational institutions and public safety facilities. These investments will benefit 20 million rural residents, across all 50 states, Guam, Virgin Islands and the Western Pacific.
• Invested $71.5 million through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program in 116 distance learning and telemedicine projects. These investments will benefit 12 million rural residents, making it easier for them to access healthcare and educational opportunities without having to travel long distances.
• Invested $24 billion in direct and guaranteed loans through the Single Family Housing Programs to help 143,795 low- and moderate-income families buy homes in all 50 states, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Enhancing Customer Service

• Cut red tape to increase private investment in rural America by making it easier for lenders to access four flagship loan programs under the OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative.
• Took immediate actions to assist rural residents, businesses and communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, USDA launched a Federal Rural Resource Guide, provided loan forbearances, halted evictions, and made additional funding available under existing programs. For more information, visit our COVID-19 response page.
• Streamlined regulations to ease customer access to CARES Act programs, infrastructure improvements, business development, housing, community facilities and high-speed internet access in rural areas.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

Trauma Center accreditation has been granted to an additional Critical Access Hospital, Conemaugh Miners Medical Center, in Hastings, effective January 1, 2021.  An elevation in Trauma Center Level has been granted immediately to Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health–Lancaster General Hospital, in Lancaster.  A comprehensive list of the Commonwealth’s trauma centers is located at www.ptsf.org.

Effective January 1, 2021, this brings the total number of trauma centers in Pennsylvania to 42.

Trauma centers are hospitals with resources immediately available to provide optimal care and reduce the likelihood of death or disability to injured patients.  Accredited trauma centers must be continuously prepared to treat the most serious life threatening and disabling injuries.  They are not intended to replace the traditional hospital and its emergency department for minor injuries.

In Pennsylvania, there are four levels of trauma centers. Level I trauma centers provide the highest degree of resources with a full spectrum of specialists and must have trauma research and surgical residency programs.  Level II trauma centers require the same high level of care but do not require research and residency programs. Level III trauma centers are smaller community hospitals that do not require neurosurgeons and focus on stabilizing severe trauma patients prior to transport to a higher-level trauma center.  They may admit patients with mild and moderate injuries.  Level IV trauma centers provide enhanced care to injured patients within the emergency department and focus on stabilization and quick transfer to a higher-level trauma center. They may admit mildly injured patients.

Each trauma center regardless of its level is an integral component of the emergency medical services (EMS) system.  The EMS system assures appropriate patient care management from the time of injury to treatment at a local hospital or trauma center through the rehabilitative phase of care.

The Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation (PTSF) is a non-profit corporation recognized by the Emergency Medical Services Act (Act 1985-45).  The PTSF is the organization responsible for accrediting trauma centers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Contact:  Juliet Altenburg, MSN, RN, Executive Director, 717-697-5512, jaltenburg@ptsf.org