- Social Factors Help Explain Worse Cardiovascular Health among Adults in Rural Vs. Urban Communities
- Reducing Barriers to Participation in Population-Based Total Cost of Care (PB-TCOC) Models and Supporting Primary and Specialty Care Transformation: Request for Input
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule
- Rural America Faces Growing Shortage of Eye Surgeons
- NRHA Continues Partnership to Advance Rural Oral Health
- Comments Requested on Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit Draft
- Q&A: What Are the Challenges and Opportunities of Small-Town Philanthropy?
- HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson, Joined by Co-Chair of the Congressional Black Maternal Health Caucus Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, Announces New Funding, Policy Action, and Report to Mark Landmark Year of HRSA's Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative
- Biden-Harris Administration Announces $60 Million Investment for Adding Early Morning, Night, and Weekend Hours at Community Health Centers
- Volunteer Opportunity for HUD's Office of Housing Counseling Tribe and TDHE Certification Exam
- Who Needs Dry January More: Rural or Urban Drinkers?
- Rural Families Have 'Critical' Need for More Hospice, Respite Care
- Rural Telehealth Sees More Policy Wins, but Only Short-Term
- States Help Child Care Centers Expand in Bid To Create More Slots, Lower Prices
Report Highlights Dentist Workload Impact from Staffing Shortages
A new report from the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute (HPI) found that dentists are taking on additional tasks as staffing shortages persist. HPI surveyed 1,000 dentists in October 2023 and found that more than one-third of respondents reported that workload division has changed between themselves and their teams since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many dentists are taking on duties normally assigned to dental hygienists, dental assistants, and administrative team members.
Dental Changes Included in 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, which is a complete listing of fees used by Medicare to pay doctors or other providers. CMS has finalized the payment policy for dental services for head and neck cancer treatments. CMS also codified allowing Medicare Part A and B payment for dental or oral examination performed as part of a comprehensive workup prior to medically necessary diagnostic and treatment services, to eliminate an oral or dental infection prior to, or contemporaneously with, those treatment services, and to address dental or oral implications after radiation. Finally, CMS has finalized its proposal to permit payment for certain dental services linked to other covered services used to treat cancer. The fee schedule is effective on or after January 1st, 2024.
PA Oral Health Coalition Releases 2018-2025 Charitable Work Tracking Report
PCOH is pleased to release the 2018-2023 Charitable Work Tracking Report which includes five years of data collected from free and charitable clinics in Pennsylvania. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Free Clinic Association of Pennsylvania for their assistance in collecting and compiling the data.
Telehealth Policy Resource Center Fact Sheet for 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Released
The fact sheet covers telehealth services made eligible by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in the 2024 Physician Fee Schedule. These are services that can be delivered by telehealth, remote monitoring services, physician supervision, diabetes self-management training, and more. The Center for Connected Health Policy is supported by HRSA’s Office for the Advancement of Telehealth.
Read the full article here.
New CMS Initiatives Added to Catalog for Rural Providers
Updates from the Rural Health Value team includes summaries for the States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model and the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, announced last week with applications due on January 30. The Rural Health Value team is funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.
Read the full article here.
Medicare Finalizes Rule on Nursing Home Ownership Disclosure
Published on November 15, the final rule for Nursing Home Ownership Disclosure requires nursing homes enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid – upon initial enrollment or when revalidating – to disclose additional information regarding their owners, operator, management, and entities that lease or sub-lease property to nursing homes. The rule also finalizes definitions of private equity company and real estate investment trust for Medicare provider enrollment purposes and makes these disclosures public.
Read the full article here.
Proposed Updates: Health Insurance Marketplaces and Insurers for 2025
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services propose new standards for health insurance plans on State and Federal Marketplaces, as well as new requirements for agents, brokers, web-brokers, direct enrollment entities, and other assisters that help Marketplace consumers. Proposals include requiring state Marketplaces to develop standards for time and distance to receive care that are at least as stringent as those under the Federally facilitated Marketplace plans; allowing states to add routine dental services as an essential health benefit; easing consumers’ transition to new coverage under special enrollment periods; and establishing standards for Marketplace call centers to have live representatives available during hours of operation. The number of issuers offering plans in rural areas has increased in recent years making Marketplace plans an important source of health insurance coverage for those living in rural areas.
Comment by January 8.
Read the full article here.