The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) has produced a summary of the rural health provisions in COVID-19 relief legislation and highlights NRHA’s priorities for COVID-19 relief for rural health care.

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their COVID-19 Vaccines webpage, which includes resources on vaccine data, key things to know, and information on how vaccines get to patients. Notably, everyone 16 years of age and older is now eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

The National Telehealth Technology Assessment Resource Center provides this resource and the Pandemic Response Plan Toolkit. These documents examine critical areas of policy and need for healthcare delivery during a pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has expanded its definition of persons authorized to give the vaccine.  These include, among others, current and retired traditional and non-traditional health care professionals, and students in health care programs. Find more information here.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced a national effort to help community partners promote COVID-19 vaccine confidence.  The campaign includes educational materials targeted to specific audiences and seeks volunteers for the COVID-19 Community Corps.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) offers examples and promising practices for states, municipalities, community-based partners and anyone else working to ensure access to vaccination. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services released an issue brief on potential barriers to vaccination for homebound older adults.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) helps uninsured individuals find no-cost COVID-19 testing, treatment and vaccines.  The HRSA Uninsured Program provides claims reimbursement to health care providers generally at Medicare rates for testing, treating, and administering vaccines to uninsured individuals, including undocumented immigrants.  There are at-a-glance fact sheets for providers and for patients in English and Spanish. Find more information here.

By Tim Murphy and Tim Marema

The rural death count from Covid-19 was the lowest since July. New cases increased by a modest 2%.
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The American Cancer Society has released Cancer Facts and Figures 2021, which includes estimated numbers of new cancer cases and deaths; current cancer incidence, mortality, and survival statistics; and information on cancer symptoms, risk factors, early detection, and treatment. This year’s edition features a special section on the relationship between COVID-19 and cancer.

Primary care providers (PCPs) can be key players in the movement to building confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine. Since last November, CVS Caremark has surveyed thousands of Americans about their intentions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, finding that 45 percent combined said that they definitely would, or definitely would not, get the vaccine, while 55 percent considered themselves to be in the “movable middle.” Donald Berwick, MD, MPP, former CMS administrator and founder of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, emphasized that “trust is everything… trust in science … trust in accumulated experience, and trust in the helpers.”