- Senator Baldwin Introduces HSHS Act to Protect Communities from Hospital Closures
- What to Know about Smoke, Heat and Health
- Tribal Partnership With UW-Madison Combines Ag Research With Indigenous Food Knowledge
- The Rewards of Working as Rural Docs
- Request for Information (RFI): Evolving the Network of the National Library of Medicine
- Dental Therapists, Who Can Fill Cavities and Check Teeth, Get the OK in More States
- Colorectal Cancer Is Rising among Younger Adults. Some States Want to Boost Awareness.
- 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
CMS Proposed Rule on Anomalous DME Spending and MSSP Financial Calculations
– Comment by July 29. This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule for mitigating the impact of significant, anomalous, and highly suspect (SAHS) billing activity on the Medicare Shared Savings Program financial calculations in calendar year 2023. This proposed rule is part of a larger strategy to address significant, anomalous, and highly suspect (SAHS) within ACO reconciliation, and additional information will be forthcoming in the Physician Fee Schedule. Due to a recent, observed increase in Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics & Supplies (DMEPOS) billing to Medicare for selected intermittent urinary catheter supplies in CY 2023, CMS proposes to exclude use of these codes from any supplier in 2023 from ACO expenditure and revenue calculations.
New: Rural SUD Info Center Released
This exciting new clearinghouse highlights the work of three different Rural Centers of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders (SUD), all of which are funded by FORHP’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). Visitors to the website will find current information and technical assistance opportunities on SUD through a rural lens.
New Funding Opportunity: Technology-Enabled Collaborative Learning Program
– Apply by August 2. HRSA’s Office for the Advancement of Telehealth will invest approximately $3,800,000 for up to eight new cooperative agreements. Awarded entities will evaluate, develop, and expand the use of technology-enabled learning models to build capacity, improve retention of health care providers, and increase access to services. Eligible applicants include entities that provide, or support the provision of, health care services in rural areas, frontier areas, health professional shortage areas, or medically underserved areas, or to medically underserved populations or Native Americans, including Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations.
FDA Guidance Provides New Details on Diversity Action Plans Required for Certain Clinical Studies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a draft guidance, “Diversity Action Plans to Improve Enrollment of Participants from Underrepresented Populations in Clinical Studies.” Diversity Action Plans are intended to increase clinical study enrollment of participants of historically underrepresented populations to help improve the data the agency receives about the patients who may potentially use the medical product. The draft guidance was developed by the Oncology Center of Excellence Project Equity in collaboration with the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, the Office of Women’s Health, and the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity.
Final Recommendation Statement: Interventions for High Body Mass Index in Children and Adolescents
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released a final recommendation statement on interventions for high body mass index in children and adolescents. The Task Force recommends that healthcare professionals provide or refer children and teens to behavioral interventions to help them manage their weight and stay healthy. To view the recommendation, the evidence on which it is based, and a summary for clinicians, please go here.
Increased Risk of Dengue Virus Infections in the United States
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify healthcare providers, public health authorities and the public of an increased risk of dengue virus (DENV) infections in the United States in 2024. In the setting of increased global and domestic incidence of dengue, healthcare providers should take steps including:
· Maintain a high suspicion for dengue among patients with fever and recent travel (within 14 days before illness onset) to areas with frequent or continuous dengue transmission.
· Consider locally acquired dengue among patients who have signs and symptoms highly compatible with dengue in areas with competent mosquito vectors.
· Order appropriate FDA-approved dengue tests and do not delay treatment waiting for test results to confirm dengue.
· Know the warning signs for progression to severe dengue.
· Recognize the critical phase of dengue. The critical phase begins when fever starts to decline and lasts for 24–48 hours. During this phase, some patients require close monitoring and may deteriorate within hours without appropriate intravenous (IV) fluid management.
· Hospitalize patients with severe dengue or any warning sign of progression to severe dengue and follow CDC/WHO protocols for IV fluid management.
Change Healthcare Breach Notifications Are Going Out
On Thursday, June 20, Change Healthcare started sending out breach notifications to affected customers. In addition, they have updated the Change Healthcare website with a HIPAA Substitute Notice. It is important to note that the Department of Health and Human Services said on May 31 that Change can be the notifying entity, however, per the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), it’s on the covered entity (health center) to reach out to Change to delegate the tasks of providing the required HIPAA breach notifications on their behalf. Change plans to start sending actual letters to the affected individuals themselves in late July, though the company noted it may not have addresses for everyone. Exposed data could include contact information, health insurance details, medical information like diagnoses and test results, billing and payment information and personal details like Social Security numbers or ID numbers
HRSA Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program
The Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Loan Repayment Program is accepting applications through June 27, 7:30 pm. Eligible substance use disorder (SUD) treatment clinicians and community health workers can apply to the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Loan Repayment Program. HRSA can provide up to $250,000 in educational loan repayment.
Have You Seen the Trends in Physician Compensation?
Doximity, a digital platform and community for U.S. medical professionals, recently conducted a physician compensation study, surveying nearly 150,000 physicians over a five-year period to gain insights into physician compensation trends and critical challenges facing the physician workforce. Did you know the average pay for doctors increased nearly 6% in 2023? If you want to see how your health center’s compensation compares to the national average, the Doximity report is available for you to view for free.
Health Care in America Is Deeply Unequal
Axios writes that health care in America is deeply unequal, and it might get worse. That matters because all of the innovation in the world won’t make any difference to patients if it’s unaffordable or inaccessible. “It’s not only inequities in access to the system, but then also differential experiences even within the system,” said Samantha Artiga, vice president and director of the Racial Equity and Health Policy Program at KFF. When you look at health outcomes, “you will see persistent and long-standing disparities in health … really from the beginning of life to end of life.” These disparities are evident in insurance, hospitals, prescription drugs, access, aging, mental health, addiction, workforce, and emerging technologies – all of which add up to inequity in life expectancy. Learn more.