The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended the eviction moratorium to affected multifamily housing residents through June 30, 2021. This halt in residential evictions allows the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to extend relief to the hundreds-of-thousands of Americans who rely on USDA-supported multifamily housing communities.

“Due to COVID-19, the United States is facing a nationwide housing affordability crisis. That’s why, in a whole-of-government effort, USDA is taking this important action today to extend rental relief to the tens-of-thousands of individuals in USDA-supported multifamily housing communities,” said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson. “Currently, more than 40,000 tenants are rent overburdened, paying more than 30 percent of their income on rent. Today’s actions will give tenants at USDA-financed properties essential relief while the Department works as quickly as possible to extend the $100 million for emergency rental assistance provided by the American Rescue Plan Act to USDA’s most rent overburdened tenants.”

For more information about the protections provided under this moratorium extension, see the FACT SHEET: The Biden-Harris Administration’s Multi-Agency Effort to Support Renters and Landlords | The White House.

In a recent Census Bureau survey, nine million renters (or an estimated 15 percent of all renters) reported being behind on rent. The same survey showed that about 29 percent of Black families and 17 percent of Hispanic renters were behind on rent.

USDA’s Multi-Family Housing Programs provide affordable multi-family rental housing in rural areas by financing projects geared for low-income, elderly and disabled individuals and families, as well as domestic farm workers. USDA extends its reach by guaranteeing loans for affordable rental housing designed for low- to moderate-income residents in rural areas and towns. USDA also provides grants to sponsoring organizations to repair or rehabilitate housing for eligible families and subsidizes rents for low-income tenants who cannot afford to pay their full rent.

COVID-19 has had a lasting impact on Rural America. Families have lost their homes, students have resorted to unconventional solutions to access schoolwork online, the need for food assistance has grown, and access to COVID-19 testing and vaccinations have been limited. The American Rescue Plan implements funding that invests in the people of Rural America:

• $100 million through September 2022 in rental assistance for low-income and elderly borrowers.
• $39 million through September 2023 to help refinance direct loans under the Single-Family Housing Loan Program and the Single-Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants.
• $500 million in Community Facility Program funds to help rural hospitals and local communities broaden access to COVID-19 vaccines & food assistance.

In addition to programs facilitated by USDA, the American Rescue Plan provides significant investments into rural communities by expanding internet connectivity and establishing a homeowner assistance fund to assist struggling homeowners with mortgage payments, property taxes, property insurance, utilities and other housing related costs.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate, smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

As COVID-19 vaccines continue rolling out across the country, CMS is taking action to protect the health and safety of our nation’s patients and providers and keeping you updated on the latest COVID-19 resources from HHS, CDC and CMS.

With information coming from many different sources, CMS has up-to-date resources and materials to help you share important and relevant information on the COVID-19 vaccine with the people that you serve. You can find these and more resources on the COVID-19 Partner Resources Page and the HHS COVID Education Campaign page. We look forward to partnering with you to promote vaccine safety and encourage our beneficiaries to get vaccinated when they have the opportunity. For more information, visit the CMS COVID-19 Policies and Guidance page.

FORGONE CARE DURING THE PANDEMIC

According to a recent CMS survey, many Medicare beneficiaries reported forgoing non-COVID-19 care such as regular check-ups or medical screening tests due to the pandemic. A recent CMS data analysis also showed a significant decline in service use for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries, particularly for mental health and substance use disorders. With that, the number of services delivered via telehealth has significantly increased during the public health emergency.

As COVID-19 vaccines are becoming more readily available, CMS is encouraging beneficiaries to contact their health care professionals to discuss getting vaccinated, schedule any missed appointments and discuss other healthcare needs, including preventive care, screenings, and mental health services, as well as utilize telehealth services when appropriate.

If you work with CMS beneficiaries

Share the messaging below to encourage beneficiaries to take care of their health during the pandemic:

• Don’t put off necessary care, especially if it’s urgent or may lead to complications, such as heart attack or stroke.
• Continue preventive care such as immunizations and cancer screenings. Talk to your doctor about which services are right for you.
• Learn about telehealth – Many regular health care services can be handled over the phone, a portal, app, or other option. Call your doctor to ask about your options.
• Be active in your health care by taking care of yourself and your family. Exercise, diet, sleep, and relaxation are important parts of staying healthy.
• Need health insurance coverage? Visit Healthcare.gov to sign up for coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. 

Know What Telehealth Resources are Available

CMS updated policy changes effective January 1, 2021, which included adding services to the Medicare telehealth list during the public health emergency during for the pandemic. See the fact sheet and the list of services payable under the Medicare PFS, which includes office visits, psychotherapy, consultations and other medical or health services, for more information. Providers may also find the CMS COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Toolkit helpful for coverage on administering the vaccine.

Medicaid covers some telehealth services, but coverage differs from state to state. CMS developed a Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth toolkit to help states accelerate adoption of broader telehealth coverage policies in the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) during the COVID-19 emergency.

In response to the increased use and expanded coverage of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, From Coverage to Care (C2C) released two new resources to support providers and patients in making the most of virtual care:

Telehealth for Providers: What You Need to Know – Providers can learn how and when to use telehealth. Topics include how to set up telehealth services, how to conduct a successful visit, and how to keep up to date on telehealth payment (particularly for Medicare and Medicaid).

Telehealth: What to Know for Your Family – Patients can find out the types of care they can receive through telehealth, how to prepare for an appointment, what to expect during a visit, and more. This resource is also available in Spanish.

Providers and partners can download graphics to post on their social media channels and help spread the word about these new resources. All of these resources can be downloaded at go.cms.gov/c2ctelehealth.

For more information, please contact us at: Partnership@cms.hhs.gov

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) was signed into law on March 11, 2021, to provide aid and assistance to both employer and employee during the COVID pandemic. As did previous relief packages, ARPA contains several key provisions that relate to the workplace. Read what employers need to know in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)’s summary of provisions related to the workplace.

Applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will now be accepted through May 31, 2021. The extension from the original March 31 deadline was passed by the House and Senate and has moved on to President Biden for signature. Health centers are eligible for First Draw PPP Loans if they have 500 or more employees but fewer than 500 employees per location. Existing PPP borrowers that did not receive loan forgiveness by Dec. 27, 2020, can reapply for a First Draw PPP loan. If borrowers previously returned some or all of their First Draw PPP loan funds, they may request to modify their First Draw PPP loan amount if they did not accept the full amount for which they were eligible. Second Draw PPP Loans are only available to entities that have received, plan to use, or have used the First Draw PPP loan for authorized uses in its entirety. Entities must have no more than 300 employees per location and can demonstrate at least a 25 percent reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020.

Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam amended the existing Universal Face Coverings order, issued on Nov. 17, 2020, to align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People. The amended order went into effect at 12:01 am on March 17, 2021 and will remain in effect until further notice. According to the CDC, there are several activities that fully vaccinated people can resume now, as low risk to themselves, while being mindful of the potential risk of transmitting the virus to others. Learn more.

On March 25, the Pennie Board of Directors voted to extend the current COVID-19 Special Open Enrollment Period to August 15, 2021, aligning with the federal extension which was announced earlier this week. Pennie is currently working to implement operational and technology changes to ensure the availability of savings provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The ARPA provides additional financial assistance with more general tax credits, eliminates the subsidy cliff for those making more than 400% FPL to ensure they pay no more than 8.5% of their income on premiums for the next two years, makes those eligible for unemployment compensation in 2021 eligible to receive the maximum level of tax credits and cost sharing reductions, ensures that those who received excess Advance Premium Tax Credits (APTC) in 2020 will not have to pay them back when they file their taxes and customers currently accessing health coverage through COBRA will pay no premiums for their coverage from April through September.

Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam this week signed an amended order indicating that certain vaccine providers must work with local Area Agencies on Aging and Medical Assistance managed care organizations to specifically schedule adults eligible in Phase 1A of the state’s vaccination plan. The order also requires these providers to have the ability to schedule appointments for individuals into the future. Under this order, a vaccine provider that informs a Phase 1A individual that no appointments are available may be subject to enforcement. The order also requires providers to continue to ensure that appointments can be scheduled both by phone and using online scheduling systems. Click here to learn more.

The Senate voted 92-7 to extend the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to the end of May. Earlier this week, the Small Business Administration (SBA), the department charged with dispersing the PPP, issued an Interim Final Rule (IFR) regarding new provisions from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 were provisions allowing small hospitals with fewer than 500 employees at a location to be eligible for the funding, even if affiliated with a larger system. NRHA will continue to monitor SBA’s actions in implementing new PPP provisions.