- 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
- Rural RPM Program Is a Lifeline for Pregnant Women
- Safe and Stable Housing Is a Foundation of Successful Recovery
- Expert: Rural Hospitals Are Particularly Vulnerable to Increasing Cyberattacks Targeting Healthcare Facilities
- Biden-Harris Administration Invests Over $200 Million to Help Primary Care Doctors, Nurses, and Other Health Care Providers Improve Care for Older Adults
- AJPH Call for Papers Special Section on Intersections of Public Health And Primary Care
- NIH HEAL Initiative Turns Attention to Pragmatic Trials in Rural Communities
- Limited Continuing-Care Options in Rural Virginia Create Challenges for an Aging Population
CDC Vaccine Locator
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides information about local health departments, along with questions and answers for health care workers and consumers about the COVID-19 vaccination.
Extended Grace Period for IHS Facilities
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the grace period previously granted to Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities, and facilities operated by Tribes and Tribal organizations, to claim Medicaid reimbursement for services provided outside of the “four walls” of the facility to October 31, 2021. This bulletin also explains the steps Tribal facilities and states will need to take before the extended grace period expires in order to continue to be reimbursed for services provided outside the four walls of the facility after October 31st.
Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2022 Finalized
This final rule updates the requirements for benefits and payments for issuers offering individual market Qualified Health Plans on the Federal Health Insurance Exchange in 2022. It clarifies that the network adequacy standards regulation does not apply to Qualified Health Plans that do not use provider networks and adds a new direct enrollment option for federally-facilitated Exchanges and State Exchanges.
Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan 2022 Rate Announcement
CMS has finalized the Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans payment methodologies for CY 2022, including updates to the risk adjustment methodology and star rating system. Read more here.
Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Technical Changes Part II
In this rule, CMS is finalizing remaining proposals from the Medicare Advantage (MA) and Prescription Drug Plans final rule published June 2020, including those related to Special Needs Plans, Part D Coverage Gap Discount Program, opioid misuse and abuse, and the PACE program. Some provisions are effective in March and others will take effect in 2022.
New Rule on Patient Access to Prior Authorization Information
This final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires Medicaid and CHIP programs, including managed care plans, and issuers of individual market Qualified Health Plans on the Federal Health Insurance Exchange to include in their patient access applications information about a patient’s pending and active prior authorization decisions in addition to claims and encounter data and laboratory results.
Medicaid and CHIP Transition Planning Tool
This tool from CMS is a resource to assist states and territories in their planning efforts to restore regular Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) operations after the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE).
Application for CMS Innovation Center Geographic Direct Contracting Model – April 2
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center released the Request for Applications (RFA) for the new Geographic Direct Contracting Model, which will test if using a geographic-based approach to care improves quality and reduces costs. The RFA specifies the regions targeted for the model and that Direct Contracting Entities may contract with Critical Access Hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and Rural Health Clinics as Preferred Providers.
RAND: Evidence-Based Recommendations for Transforming the U.S. Mental Health System
The RAND Corporation is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization that researches and analyzes public policy. In this report, RAND makes frequent reference to rural needs among 15 policy recommendations for reimbursement, workforce development, and telehealth services, among other topics.
HHS: Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) reports that, despite effective vaccines and treatment, “the nation faces unprecedented hepatitis A outbreaks, progress on preventing hepatitis B has stalled, and hepatitis C rates nearly tripled from 2011 to 2018.” The report identifies higher rates of substance use disorder, injection drug use, and homelessness as factors in the increase.