HRSA relies on grant reviewers to select the best programs from a competitive group of applicants. Over the coming months, the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy will be competing a number of programs, including among other things: substance use disorders and opioid use disorder, rural workforce, and rural hospitals. Having reviewers with expertise in rural health greatly benefits the review process and is also an opportunity to learn about the review process itself. Reviews are typically held remotely over a period of a few days and reviewers who participate and complete their assigned duties receive an honorarium. Registration is easy and does not commit you to serving as a reviewer. Please consider lending your expertise to these important initiatives.

Read the full article here.

The online site is meant to help beneficiaries, provider organizations, and state-level Medicaid agencies better understand how individuals and families can renew coverage from Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or find better options.  The outreach materials are tailored to reach different populations, including by state, for people in rural areas, and various racial and ethnic communities.  The site also explains key government actions taken to support Medicaid renewals and transitions, as many are losing coverage in the post-pandemic policy shift known as Unwinding.  See Events below for an upcoming learning opportunity on January 24.

Read the full article here.

In 2021, Congress established this Federal Communications Commission program to increase access to the internet through monthly discounts for service and one-time payments to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet.  Without additional funding from Congress, the program is projected to run out of money in April 2024.  Households currently enrolled in the program will receive a notice from their internet service provider about the end of the benefit.  The FCC is still accepting applications until midnight Eastern time on February 7, but enrollees must have their eligibility approved and sign up with an internet service provider before this deadline.  Households who have applied, been approved, and are receiving the monthly internet discount before February 8, 2024 will continue to receive their ACP benefit until funds run out, as long as the household remains enrolled in the program.

Read the full article here.

The PA Department of Health (DOH) issued Health Advisory 733, concerning Measles cases in PA. As of Jan. 5, 2024, there have been seven cases of measles diagnosed in the commonwealth since Dec. 6, 2023. Six of these cases were epidemiologically linked and from southeastern Pennsylvania. One case was in northcentral Pennsylvania and not epidemiologically linked to the other cases. The index case in the southeastern Pennsylvania outbreak acquired measles while traveling abroad and the remaining cases were exposed via healthcare or childcare settings. The northcentral Pennsylvania case was unrelated, and the illness was acquired while living abroad. All these cases were in unvaccinated individuals. Providers should have an increased suspicion for measles in patients who are not immune and present with a febrile rash illness and follow the proper recommendations for testing and infection control measures. DOH reminds providers to immediately report suspected cases of measles to local public health authorities or to the DOH at 877-PAHEALTH (877-724-3258).

According to a new report by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) in collaboration with The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), Pennsylvania’s hospitals lost $8.1 billion during the COVID-19 pandemic but continued to provide economic value to the state. Of the expenses and lost revenue reported, the largest expense was staffing, which amounted to $1.3 billion. The report also indicates that in fiscal year 2022, hospitals provided an economic value of $182 billion in spending, an increase of $39 billion from before the pandemic in fiscal year 2019. Read the report.

While officials and families continue to grapple with the drug crisis’s devastating effects, a new report has investigated which states are succeeding as far as rehabilitation efforts go. Pennsylvania was found to be among the top. Click here to learn more.