- HRSA: Inclusion of Terrain Factors in the Definition of Rural Area for Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Grants
- Celebrating National Rural Health Day
- DEA, HHS: Third Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications
- Talking Rural Health Care with U of M
- Public Inspection: DEA, HHS: Third Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications
- CDC Presents a Five-Year Plan for Rural Healthcare
- Kansas Faith Leaders 'Well Positioned' To Help Fill Mental Health Care Gaps in Rural Areas
- The CDC Wants More Kansas Farm Workers to Get Their Flu Shots This Season
- Study: Rural Residents More Likely to Struggle With Medical Debt
- VA Proposes to Eliminate Copays for Telehealth, Expand Access to Telehealth for Rural Veterans
- Deaths From Cardiovascular Disease Increased Among Younger U.S Adults in Rural Areas
- In Rural Avery County, Helene Washed Away One of the Only Dental Clinics
- Rural Veterans Are Struggling with Access to VA-Provided Care
- Idaho Gained Nurses. But Not Enough To Deal with Retirements and Population Boom.
- Community Health Workers Spread Across the US, Even in Rural Areas
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration LaunchesFindTreatment.gov
Today, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced the launch of FindTreatment.gov, a newly designed website that will help connect Americans looking for substance abuse treatment with approximately 13,000 locations across the United States. HHS Secretary Alex Azar and SAMHSA Assistant Secretary Elinore McCance-Katz issued the following statements:
“Better access to treatment, prevention, and recovery services is one of the five pillars of HHS’s strategy to end the opioid crisis,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “Under President Trump, we have unequivocally and strongly supported medication-assisted treatment in particular because we see addiction as a medical issue, not a moral failing. Addiction demands treatment, not judgment. We know that finding access to the right provider, at the right time, can be essential to helping someone start on the road to recovery. Now, thanks to FindTreatment.gov, more Americans will have easier ways to the find the treatment that they or loved ones might need.”
“An easily-accessible system to locate treatment will be a critical tool for individuals to get the care they need” said Elinore F. McCance-Katz, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. “Increasing treatment access is an integral part of the approach to address substance use disorders across the country.”
Further background from HHS:
Over 19.3 million American adults had substance use disorder (SUD) in 2018, and connecting them with appropriate treatment is a critical step to combating the opioid crisis in America
· In 2019, estimates suggest 1.27 million Americans are receiving medication-assisted treatment, a 38 percent increase from an estimated 921,000 Americans in 2016
· FindTreatment.Gov is designed to provide the most relevant information for each individual’s recovery needs by creating a modern, user-friendly experience that is visually clear, simple, and welcoming to those in crisis
· Visitors can access information on location, treatment options, payment and insurance information, and over 13,000 state-licensed facilities, based on data compiled by SAMHSA
Examples of treatment include:
· Residential treatment – Live-in care, lasting for a month up to one year
· Outpatient treatment – Treatment at a program site while the patient continues to live on their own
· Detoxification – Supervised withdrawal from substance use
· Interim care – When immediate admission to other care isn’t available
· Content and design were developed over the last year by incorporating 300 pieces of feedback, plus 60 long-form informational interviews, from recovery professionals, help line operators, local advocates, parents seeking help, and Americans in active recovery
DentaQuest Report Part 1: The Burden of Dental Care Costs for Low-Income Families
Did you know that people living in poverty spend ten times more as a proportion of their annual family income on dental services than high-income families? Click here to read Part 1 of our 3-part series that outlines barriers to dental care based on income, and how expansion of an adult dental benefit could increase access to care and reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3 in our series about the burden of out-of-pocket costs of dental care for low-income families. Visit our Research page for other research briefs, white papers, articles and more.
Read the report from DentaQuest here: https://www.dentaquestpartnership.org/system/files/Poverty%20Report.pdf
Pennsylvania is Expanding In-State Lifeline Call Centers
Governor Tom Wolf this month announced that Pennsylvania has been awarded a $1.3 million grant to increase access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by expanding state-based call centers.
Continue reading “Pennsylvania is Expanding In-State Lifeline Call Centers”
Republicans’ New Health Reform Plan
The Republican Study Committee (RSC), which is comprised of conservative House lawmakers, this week released a framework to reform the U.S. health care system by eliminating parts of the Affordable Care Act and providing states with more regulatory authority. RSC members have said the proposal is designed to be an alternative to so-called “Medicare-for-All” and other single-payer proposals being touted by Democrats. (Source: The Hill, 10/22)
The Places Where ‘Food Insecurity’ Is Most Severe
Data that a think-tank published this week shows where the challenges are greatest, along with some of the underlying factors that can make it difficult for people to afford food. Read full article »
House Energy & Commerce Committee Pass Drug Pricing Legislation
On October 17, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy & Commerce Committee passed an updated version of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s drug pricing legislation (H.R. 3). According to Politico, “The committee also approved on voice votes bills that would direct expected savings from the government drug price negotiations required by the legislation to new dental, vision and hearing benefits for seniors in Medicare as well as new financial support for low-income Medicare beneficiaries.” It is not likely this legislation will pass the Senate, but our team believes that these voice votes demonstrate that there is traction behind addressing the lack of oral health coverage in the Medicare program. The House Ways & Means Committee is set to mark up this package next week, so stay tuned
Auto-HPSA National Updates
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has updated all automatically designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (Auto-HPSAs) scores. All Auto-HPSA organizations have the opportunity to submit rescore requests via the online Auto-HPSA portal. The deadline to guarantee that your rescore requests are processed before 2020 NHSC Loan Repayment Program (LRP) application cycle is November 1, 2019. You can find the Rural Health Voices Blog post on this subject here.
National Rural Health Day is November 21, 2019
National Rural Health Day was created to increase awareness of rural health-related issues and challenges; as well as recognize those who are working to improve the health and well being of the millions of people living in America’s rural communities. The week of November 18-21 there will be twitter chats, webinars, a virtual job fair, and a special webcast HRSA celebration with Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan and several HHS agencies.
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. About 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men in the U.S. experience IPV in their lifetime.
New Report: The HRSA Office of Women’s Health has released the first progress report on The HRSA Strategy to Address Intimate Partner Violence, 2017-2020 (PDF – 428 KB). The report highlights key achievements by HRSA Bureaus and Offices between 2017 and 2018. Read the report’s executive summary to learn more (PDF – 3.1 MB).
Domestic Violence Awareness Month Webinar: Thurs., Oct. 31, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET. HRSA’s Office of Women’s Health and Office of Regional Operations will host a webinar that highlights state-level efforts to address intimate partner violence and provide strategies for implementing trauma-informed care in health settings. Register to attend.
HHS Announces Guide for Appropriate Tapering or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Use
October 10 – Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a new Guide for Clinicians on the Appropriate Dosage Reduction or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Analgesics (PDF – 118 KB). Individual patients, as well as the health of the public, benefit when opioids are prescribed only when the benefit of using opioids outweighs the risks. But once a patient is on opioids for a prolonged duration, any abrupt change in the patient’s regimen may put the patient at risk of harm and should include a thorough, deliberative case review and discussion with the patient. The HHS Guide provides advice to clinicians who are contemplating or initiating a change in opioid dosage.
“Care must be a patient-centered experience. We need to treat people with compassion, and emphasize personalized care tailored to the specific circumstances and unique needs of each patient,” said Adm. Brett P. Giroir, M.D., assistant secretary for health. “This Guide provides more resources for clinicians to best help patients achieve the dual goals of effective pain management and reduction in the risk for addiction.”
Read the new guide (PDF – 118 KB)