- 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
Electronic Exchange Requirements Move Closer to Reality
After several COVID-related delays, the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) has set a December 31 deadline for the healthcare industry to support apps that store records electronically, such as Apple Health. This is part of the 21st Century Cures Act, and it works both ways: Health IT developers will need standardized APIs and FHIR technology to support data exchange and interoperability, and providers will be expected to use APIs and FHIR technology. Patients won’t be required to use apps, but medical offices will at least have to support electronic exchanges using the FHIR standards. What remains to be seen is how this will be enforced.
Funding for Nurse Practitioners in Underserved Communities
The University of Pennsylvania has announced the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program, which will recruit and prepare a diverse cadre of nurse practitioners to provide primary care to individuals and families in underserved communities. The $125 million donation by Leonard A. Lauder, chairman emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies, to create this first-of-its-kind, tuition-free program is the largest gift ever to an American nursing school. Lauder is a Penn alumnus.
Licensing Tools for Health Professionals
The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) has created the following web-based tools for certain health professions:
- Online Resource for Licensure of Health Professionals. As telehealth usage increased during the pandemic, FORHP funded new work with the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards to reduce the burden of multi-state licensure. The site provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing in each state for psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists assistants and social workers.
Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth. ProviderBridge.org was created by the Federation of State Medical Boards through the CARES Act and the FORHP-supported Licensure Portability Grant Program. The site provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing by state as well as a provider portal to connect volunteer health care professionals to state agencies and health care entities.
COVID-19 Increases Long-term Heart Risks
A large-scale scientific study of U.S. veterans found that coronavirus patients were at “substantial” risk of heart disease one year after their illness, increasing the odds of clots, arrhythmias, heart failure and related conditions. Read more.
COVID-19 Can Destroy Placenta and Lead to Stillbirths
New research bolsters evidence from small case reports and confirms that placenta damage rather than an infection of the fetus is the likely cause of many COVID-19-related stillbirths. Researchers in 12 countries, including the U.S., analyzed placental and autopsy tissue from stillbirths and newborns who died shortly after birth. The cases all involved unvaccinated women who had COVID-19 during their pregnancy. Researchers found that placentas were infected and extensively destroyed. Read more.
The Science is Clear: Racism is a Public Health Threat
On February 7, Health Affairs published a special issue highlighting the impact of structural racism on America’s health and healthcare—featuring new research on racial health disparities and the policies to address structural racism. Understanding and addressing the impact of racism, particularly structural racism, on health is essential to building equity in health. Read the full special issue.
Contract Pharmacy Restrictions Implemented
This week, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced that it is implementing contract pharmacy restrictions under 340B. Fortunately, (and despite the somewhat confusing wording in the announcement) all FQHCs and other Federal “grantees” are exempted from these rules. GSK marks the 14th drug maker to implement 340B contract pharmacy restrictions and the 10th to explicitly exempt Federal “grantees” (which includes both FQHC grantees and look-alikes). Notably, GSK has informed hospitals that they can avoid the contract pharmacy restrictions if they provide data about their 340B drugs to the 340BESP website.
Share Lifeline with Qualified Patients
Lifeline is a federal government program that offers a monthly discount on phone, internet, or bundled package bills to qualified low-income people, which can give them the tools to access services like telehealth. Customers living on Tribal lands can receive an additional benefit.
Special Enrollment Period
In 2021, the Pennie Board of Directors approved a Low-Income Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for individuals and dependents with household incomes that do not exceed 150% of the Federal Poverty Levels in accordance with the 2022 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters. These monthly SEPs are available for both new and current enrollees. New enrollees can enroll in a plan in any metal level now. Soon, Pennie will announce current enrollees can move to a silver-level plan. This SEP is available while subsidies under the American Rescue Plan remain in effect.
Insurance Commissioner Leaves Pennsylvania
Jessica Altman, Pennsylvania’s Insurance Commissioner, was named as new CEO of Covered California the state’s health insurance marketplace for ACA coverage. She serves as the Insurance Commissioner and chair of the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange (Pennie) Authority Board of Directors. She also holds a leadership position with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and is chair of the Health Insurance and Managed Care Committee. Mike Humphreys, Chief of Staff at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, will fill Jessica’s position on the Pennie Board. Pennsylvania is the 5th largest insurance market in the nation.