On July 16, 2022, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) will transition to an easy-to-remember, 3-digit number (988). To strengthen and expand the existing network of over 200 locally operated and funded crisis centers across the country, the Lifeline suicide & crisis network is looking to bring on new volunteers and paid employees to receive training to answer calls, chats, and texts from people in crisis.  Since 1999, suicide rates in rural areas have been consistently higher than those in metropolitan areas.

In March 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) temporarily waived certain eligibility requirements for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to help people keep their health coverage during the pandemic. However, with the public health emergency ends, states will soon be required to restart eligibility reviews for this public health insurance covering more than 83 million beneficiaries of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Plan.  Nearly a quarter of individuals under age 65 who live in rural areas are covered by Medicaid.  When the eligibility waivers end, some estimates count that up to 15 million people will lose their coverage through a process called “unwinding.” To help states prepare for the change, CMS will host a monthly learning series from May through October of this year. The Communications Toolkit, linked in the headline above, has information to help beneficiaries understand the steps to renew their coverage.

The American Lung Association (ALA) has released its 23^rd annual “State of the Air” report that shows that more than 40% of Americans still live with unhealthy air, despite some nationwide progress. The report’s key findings highlight the burden of living with unhealthy air and how it falls disproportionately on people of color. The report also recommends actions you can take to protect yourself and your communities from the dangers of air pollution. Read Pennsylvania’s State of the Air Report.

The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) has announced the opening of the substance use disorder (SUD) Loan Repayment Program (LRP). This program is aimed toward aiding SUD treatment and Single County Authority (SCA)-funded case management professionals with repaying their outstanding qualifying educational loans. Applications must be submitted via the online application portal by May 26, 2022. Eligible practitioners must have the capacity to provide SUD treatment or SCA-funded case management services at approved practice site(s) and meet the requirements in Section 6 of the Project Summary. Selected candidates must demonstrate a minimum of two prior years of experience in the SUD field as well as agree to a service commitment of two additional years. For more information, view the Application Guidance. Questions regarding the grants and the application process should be emailed to RA-DAGrantsMgmt@pa.gov.

The U.S. Government has released a first-of-its-kind progress report on the implementation of President Biden’s Memorandum on Advancing the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons Around the World. You can read the full news release here that also includes a statement by Health & Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on the report. Also, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, Admiral Rachel Levine provided remarks at an Out for Health Conference in Texas regarding the LGBTQI+ community that you can read by clicking here.

Health Affairs reported on May 1, 2022, that just 25% of Medicaid managed care network primary care physicians provide 86% of primary care to Medicaid beneficiaries, according to a study of four states. Additionally, 25% of specialists provide 75% of specialty care. The results suggest that “current network adequacy standards might not reflect actual access,” the study said. Read More.

With the nation poised to reach the tragic milestone this month of 1 million official deaths from the pandemic, a new survey finds that 40% of American adults know someone who died of COVID-19. Read more.

Racial and ethnic discrimination in the U.S. health care system is taking a toll on older Americans, even preventing some from getting needed care, a Commonwealth Fund study finds. One in four older adults of color surveyed said that healthcare professionals have treated them unfairly or ignored health concerns because of their race or ethnicity. Among those who reported being discriminated against, more than a quarter said that they did not get the care they needed because of that discrimination. Read more here.

The PA Department of State (DOS), under which all of Pennsylvania’s health professional licensure boards rest, has issued a notice that DOS’s professional licensing waivers issued under the COVID-19 disaster declaration will begin expiring in phases starting May 23. All waivers will expire by June 30. The legislature ended the COVID-19 disaster declaration in June 2021, extending some license waivers. Without a disaster declaration, the governor and DOS cannot further extend the waivers. Legislative action is necessary to develop any active waiver. Under Act 14 of 2022, all waived and suspended regulations initiated because of the COVID-19 disaster emergency would expire June 30, 2022, unless terminated earlier. Licensed professionals and other individuals affected by these waivers should make every effort to return to compliance based on the pending expiration. A list of all waivers and scheduled expiration dates is available on the Department of State website.