The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has consolidated existing scope of project information as it relates to the COVID-19 public health emergency on to a single webpage. No new guidance is included. Instead, it provides a single place to find scope of project and COVID-19 resources. Also, as a reminder, HRSA continually updates the COVID-19 FAQ webpage and the page for coronavirus-related funding FAQs. The COVID-19 Information for Health Centers and Partners webpage now includes links to Provider Relief Fund FAQs/resources.

On June 23, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced an online tool for employees to help them determine if they are eligible for paid sick leave due to COVID-19. This tool walks employees through a series of questions to test if their employer qualifies for the paid leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). If the provisions apply, the tool moves forward to guide the employee on whether they qualify for either paid sick leave or extended family and medical leave under FFCRA. The DOL is working a similar employer online tool that is to be published soon.

The CMS Office of Minority Health has new resources available to assist consumers with information on health coverage and staying safe at home during this pandemic. These resources from the Coverage to Care (C2C) series are valuable and can be downloaded and printed as part of your outreach and education to consumers and patients. COVID-19 and Your Health Coverage and COVID-19-Resources for Vulnerable Populations provide links and helpful information. Some of these resources are also available in other languages.

This week, the House introduced and is planning to vote on legislation to strengthen the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act. Also, the House recently introduced a $1.5 trillion infrastructure package, known as the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2). The bill includes a provision to authorize $10 billion over five years for health center capital projects. The House expects to take up this bill next week. While both bills will likely pass the House, the prospects in the Senate are less favorable. In addition, several congressional committees held hearings this week as they continue to monitor the COVID-19 response. The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Monday to discuss how COVID-19 has exacerbated racial disparities, the Senate HELP Committee held a hearing on Tuesday to look at lessons learned from the pandemic and the House Energy and Commerce Committee looked at the Administration’s response to the pandemic.

Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman announced that the Insurance Department has submitted a notice to the Pennsylvania Bulletin outlining guidance for insurers that encounter providers engaging in inappropriate billing practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The notice is a continuation of Notice 2020-03, issued March 21, 2020, which urged health insurers to help consumers avoid balance billing and surprise balance bills. The notice also recommended health insurers make all necessary and useful information available on their websites, or through consumer assistance lines, to provide readily available accurate information for insureds during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The COVID-19 Surprise Bill notice encourages health insurers to continue with guidance issued in previous notices and encourages companies and agencies to be aware of new potential billing issues that have arisen in context of the continuing pandemic. Click here to read the release.

Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced that the Department of Health (DOH) has applied for a more than $301 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to strengthen state and local public health capacity in Pennsylvania. More than $100 million of the funding would go to Pennsylvania’s six county health departments and four municipal health departments, who have primary responsibility for public health efforts inside their jurisdiction. The funding will support six primary strategies to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic including:

• Continuing work to develop a robust testing and contact tracing strategy
• Supporting local health departments
• Investing in public health surveillance and laboratory infrastructure

The grant submission focused on ensuring minority and underserved communities are targeted for testing, outreach and that we have improved demographic data collection. Click here for a breakdown of the six strategies and corresponding funding.

Rachelle Bradley, as an emergency room nurse, is fighting the coronavirus spread in the North Carolina town show grew up in. This is the only hospital in her area, and the coronavirus is now spreading rapidly in rural areas. The Northwest Regional Center for Rural Development at Pennsylvania State University states that the virus is spreading more rapidly in rural communities than in urban, increasing the strain on rural health care providers. There is a major strain due to the shortage of nurses and skilled professionals in rural areas, not the lack of rooms or beds, and while the healthcare labor shortage is not a rural-only issue, there is a disproportionate burden in rural areas.

COVID-19 has accelerated the threat of rural hospital closures. Although rural hospital closures threaten communities nationwide, communities serving higher percentages of non-white populations are at a higher risk of closure. Southern states that have not chosen to expand Medicaid, that have higher percentages of non-white populations, and where people rely more on emergency services, are at high risk of experiencing a hospital closure. Furthermore, the spread of COVID-19 is escalating in rural areas, which causes researchers to fear that areas with weakened rural health care infrastructure will not have the capacity needed to treat large surges of patients.

Representatives Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA-15) and G.K. Butterfield (NC-01) introduced the bipartisan Helping Ensure Access to Local TeleHealth, or the HEALTH Act, which will codify Medicare reimbursement for community centers and rural health clinics for telehealth services. Rep. Thompson remarks that, “The HEALTH Act will cut red tape and provide community health centers and rural health clinics the ability to offer these vital services to their patients on a more permanent basis.” Rep. Butterfield further states, “I am proud to join Congressman GT Thompson in introducing this vital legislation to address the telehealth needs of Medicare patients during this pandemic and beyond.” NRHA supports the passage of this bipartisan bill because telehealth has proven vital during COVID-19 and remain necessary in the future as well. However, issues like poor bandwidth internet connectivity and access to appropriate technology for rural providers and their patients must be addressed.