Lenders helped 4,962 Rural Families Achieve Homeownership

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development announced the top five guaranteed housing program lenders for 2020 in Pennsylvania. In total, 4,962 rural families and individuals achieved homeownership through the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program.

The top lenders in Pennsylvania are listed below. The amount of rural families and/or individuals they assisted is in parentheses:

1. Residential Mortgage Services (319)
2. Jersey Shore State Bank (226)
3. Cross Country Mortgage (212)
4. Union Home Mortgage (187)
5. Plaza Home Mortgage (180)

Acting State Director for Rural Development in Pennsylvania Jeremy Wilson said, “At USDA, we believe that our lending partners open the door to homeownership to rural Americans, help strengthen communities, provide stability for families, and an opportunity for them to build generational wealth.”

This year marks the 30th anniversary of USDA’s Single-Family Housing Guaranteed Loan program. The program has helped 4.8 million people achieve the dream of homeownership.

“We could not have accomplished this without these partnerships,” Wilson said.

Today, as part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) signed by President Biden, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing that it is again lowering the cost of health insurance and opening more pathways for Americans to obtain affordable and comprehensive health coverage. Starting July 1, 2021, consumers who received or are approved to receive unemployment compensation for any week beginning in 2021 may be able to find even lower cost plans and save extra money on out-of-pocket expenses through HealthCare.gov.

To take advantage of these additional savings, consumers who received or have been approved for unemployment compensation in 2021 need to visit HealthCare.gov to submit a new application or update their existing application to maximize the savings they can get for the rest of 2021. An average of three out of five eligible uninsured Americans can access $0 plans after advance payments of tax credits and an average of four out of five current HealthCare.gov consumers will be able to find a plan for $10 or less per month after advance payments of tax credits. CMS encourages current consumers who have received unemployment income for any week beginning in 2021 to update their application and enrollment between July 1 and August 15 to maximize the savings on their Marketplace coverage for the rest of the year.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is focused on providing relief to millions of families who need to access health insurance coverage because they have been impacted by job losses or underemployment during the pandemic,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The Administration has made it easier than ever for Americans to enroll in an affordable, comprehensive health insurance plans through HealthCare.gov thanks to the increased financial assistance provided through the American Rescue Plan. We encourage consumers who have received unemployment compensation in 2021 to visit the Marketplace to see if they qualify to save money on their health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs.”

“We are doing everything we can to remove financial barriers to comprehensive health care,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “The American Rescue Plan provides consumers with additional savings and will make coverage even more attainable for those most in need. We welcome people who received unemployment benefits in 2021 to check out their health coverage options on HealthCare.gov on July 1.”

To read the HHS press release, visit: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/06/29/american-rescue-plan-lowers-health-insurance-costs-americans-who-may-have-lost-their-job.html.

Proposed rule would accelerate shift from volume-based incentives to quality-based incentives

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that accelerates the shift from paying for home health services based on volume, to a system that incentivizes value and quality. The rule also seeks feedback on ways to attain health equity for all patients through policy solutions, including enhancing reports on Medicare/Medicaid dual eligible, disability status, people who are LGBTQ+; religious minorities; people who live in rural areas; and people otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

The CY 2022 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) proposed rule addresses challenges facing Americans with Medicare who receive health care at home. The proposed rule also outlines nationwide expansion of the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model to incentivize quality of care improvements without denying or limiting coverage or provision of Medicare benefits for all Medicare consumers, and updates to payment rates and policies under the HH PPS.

“Homebound Medicare patients face a unique set of challenges and barriers to getting the care they need,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “Today’s announcement is a reaffirmation of our commitment to these older adults and people with disabilities who are counting on Medicare for the health care they need. This proposed rule would streamline service delivery and value quality over quantity – at a time when Americans need it most.”

The CMS Innovation Center (CMMI) developed the HHVBP Model, which began Jan. 1, 2016, to determine whether payment incentives for providing better quality of care with greater efficiency would improve the quality and delivery of home health care services to people with Medicare. The HHVBP Model’s current participants comprise all Medicare-certified home health agencies (HHAs), providing services across nine randomly selected states. The Third Annual Evaluation Report of the participants’ performance from 2016-2018 showed an average 4.6% improvement in HHAs’ quality scores and an average annual savings of $141 million to Medicare.

CMS announced Jan. 8, 2021 that the HHVBP model met the statutory requirements for expansion. CMS is proposing to expand the HHVBP Model nationwide effective Jan. 1, 2022. By expanding the HHVBP Model, CMS seeks to improve the beneficiary experience by providing incentives for HHAs to provide better quality of care with greater efficiency.

Additionally, the proposed rule would improve the Home Health Quality Reporting Program by removing or replacing certain quality measures to reduce burden and increase focus on patient outcomes. CMS would also begin collecting data on two measures promoting coordination of care in the Home Health Quality Reporting Program effective Jan. 1, 2023 as well as measures under Long Term Care Hospital and Inpatient Rehabilitation Quality Reporting Programs effective Oct. 1, 2022. This would position the agency with data to monitor outcomes across diverse populations and support the recent Executive Order 13985 of Jan. 20, 2021, entitled “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.”

For a fact sheet on the proposed rule, visit: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/cms-proposes-calendar-year-2022-home-health-prospective-payment-system-rate-update-home-health-value

To download the proposed rule can be downloaded from the Federal Register, visit at: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/current

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today proposed a series of provisions to follow through on President Biden’s commitment to build on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), expand health coverage access and advance health equity. These provisions are the third installment of the payment notice for 2022.

The proposed rule includes a variety of provisions to protect and expand Americans’ access to high-quality, affordable health insurance. This includes proposals to lengthen the annual open enrollment period for 2022 by an additional 30 days, create a new special enrollment period opportunity for certain low-income consumers, and expand the duties of Federally-facilitated Exchange Navigators to offer additional help to consumers enrolling in plans. These actions demonstrate a strong commitment by the Biden-Harris Administration to extend health insurance coverage to more Americans and make it easier and more affordable to get covered.

For more information on the proposed rule review the fact sheet and press release.

To review the proposed rule in its entirety, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2021-13993/patient-protection-and-affordable-care-act-updating-payment-parameters-section-1332-waiver.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is encouraging schools, child care centers and summer meal sites to participate in the Pennsylvania Harvest of the Month Program and other programs that connect farms with schools to get more fresh, locally grown food on students’ plates. Pennsylvania Harvest of the Month is coordinated by Project PA, a collaboration between PDE and Penn State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences. A Pennsylvania Harvest of the Month calendar identifies a Pennsylvania-grown agricultural product each month. To facilitate connections between schools and farms, links to resources to find PA farms and growers are provided along with recipes that incorporate the designated item of the month.