The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program that provides funds and discounts for families and households struggling to afford internet service. Those living in households where the household income is below 200% of the Federal Poverty Line are likely eligible but can check their household’s eligibility. Eligible households may receive the assistance of up to $30 a month in discounts for broadband service, and/or a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop, computer, or tablet purchased through a participating provider. Click here to apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program and learn more.

Juul, the popular electronic cigarette manufacturer, has agreed to pay $38.8 million to Pennsylvania’s Department of Health as part of a settlement in a lawsuit over its youth marketing practices, brought by the state Attorney General’s office. Read more.

The Biden administration is moving to make permanent the pandemic rules that allowed take-home drugs to help fight opioid addiction. The proposed rule from HHS would make it easier for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) to access drugs like methadone for home use and for providers to prescribe them via telehealth for patients with OUD. This change comes amid a broader administration push to address the opioid crisis — and while the Food and Drug Administration is reviewing whether to make a nasal spray for reversing opioid overdoses available without a prescription. “Enabling creative, effective strategies, such as telemedicine, is critical to reducing the number of overdose deaths in our country, particularly in underserved areas, and ending the overdose crisis,” a group of attorneys general from 44 states and the District of Columbia said in a letter last month calling for the extension.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a request for information (RFI) on the coverage of benefits in health plans that are subject to the Essential Health Benefit (EHB) requirements, as part of the Affordable Care Act. CMS wants public input on topics such as the description of the EHB, the scope of benefits covered in typical employer plans, the review of EHB, coverage of prescription drugs, and substitution of EHB. NACHC will review and provide a comment letter template; comments are due Jan. 30, 2023. 

These proposed rules focus on expanding access to healthcare options under the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes that beginning January 1, 2024, Marketplaces have the option to implement a new special rule for consumers losing Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage. Of special note, CMS also proposes to permit assisters to conduct door-to-door enrollment to increase consumer engagement and advance health equity. Included in the proposed rule is to revise network adequacy and essential community provider (ECP) standards and expand access to care for low-income and medically underserved consumers by establishing two additional major ECP categories for Plan Year 2024 and beyond: Mental Health Facilities and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Centers. Beginning in 2024, this rule would allow marketplaces the ability to modify auto re-enrollment for those eligible for cost-sharing reductions who would normally be auto-enrolled into a bronze plan but instead be automatically re-enrolled into a silver plan in the same product with a lower or equivalent premium. In addition, CMS proposes minor updates to standardized plans, including placing all covered generic drugs in a cost-sharing tier.

The Senate recently released a request for information to understand challenges related to serving individuals dually eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare. NACHC needs your help describing the barriers to care for dually eligible for health center patients and how federal legislation can create change on a national level. Challenges can include care coordination, service integration, addressing social determinants of health and adequate reimbursement. To inform NACHC’s comment letter, please review and share feedback by Dec. 23 using the submission form.

State physician general Dr. Denise Johnson issued a standing order asking pharmacies to dispense naloxone without a prescription, including a new injectable form. Dr. Johnson is encouraging pharmacies to carry different forms of naloxone, including the “epi-pen like” form as well as a nasal spray.