- 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
- Safe and Stable Housing Is a Foundation of Successful Recovery
- Rural RPM Program Is a Lifeline for Pregnant Women
- Expert: Rural Hospitals Are Particularly Vulnerable to Increasing Cyberattacks Targeting Healthcare Facilities
- Biden-Harris Administration Invests Over $200 Million to Help Primary Care Doctors, Nurses, and Other Health Care Providers Improve Care for Older Adults
- AJPH Call for Papers Special Section on Intersections of Public Health And Primary Care
U.S. Fatal Overdoses Soared in First Quarter of 2020
As pandemic started, U.S. fatal overdoses soared. In the first three months of 2020, fatal drug overdoses nationwide rose by about 15 percent, compared with the same period a year before, new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Read more.
Pennsylvania Company Receives FDA OK for Rapid Oral COVID-19 Test
Bethlehem-based OraSure has received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its rapid COVID-19 test, allowing it to bring the test to market. The company had earlier said it hoped to release in the fourth quarter of this year.
CDC Finds Nearly 300,000 “Excess Deaths” in the U.S. Amid Pandemic and 25- to 44-Year-Olds Hit Hard
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that COVID-19 has taken a disproportionate toll on Latinos and Blacks, as previous analyses have noted. But the CDC also found, surprisingly, that it has struck 25- to 44-year-olds very hard: Their “excess death” rate is up 26.5 percent over previous years, the largest change for any age group. It is not clear whether that spike is caused by the shift in COVID-19 deaths toward younger people between May and August or deaths from other causes, the CDC said. “Excess deaths” is a calculation by researchers of the number of deaths overall during a particular period compared to how many people die during the stretch in a normal year. It is an important calculation because some people who die might never have been tested for the disease, for example, and if people die at home without receiving medical care, they might not make it into the confirmed data. In the most updated count to date, CDC researchers found that nearly 300,000 more people in the United States died from late January to early October this year compared to the average number of people who died in recent years.
Department of Health Announces Week-Two Rapid Antigen Test Card Distributions
The Wolf Administration this week began distribution of the second allotment of COVID-19 antigen test kits provided by the federal government to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified institutions in Berks, Huntingdon, Union and Westmoreland counties. Last week 70,840 tests were distributed to 55 facilities in Bradford, Centre, Lebanon, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill and Snyder counties. Counties expected to receive tests next week include Blair, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Tioga, Venango and Wyoming. On October 15, the Secretary of Health issued an Order to healthcare providers and facilities reinforcing that all antigen test results, both positive and negative, are required to be reported to the Department of Health.
Commentary: Rural Public Libraries as Telehealth Providers During Covid-19
By Craig Settles
A public library in Pottsboro, Texas, offered telehealth services to its patrons throughout the pandemic despite broadband access issues. Now, it could become a blueprint for a national rural network of libraries providing access to telehealth.
Read more
‘Covid in Rural America Is a Horror Story,’ Says Head of Health Association
By Tracy Staley
Rural America faces a public-health crisis, with Covid-19 spreading quickly as the nation heads into flu season, says Alan Morgan. His interview is part of Daily Yonder Day at the Rural Assembly Everywhere virtual festival, starting Monday, October 26.
Read more
CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Call – October
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls – October
CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts.
Call details are below. Conference lines are limited so we highly encourage you to join via audio webcast, either on your computer or smartphone web browser. You are welcome to share this invitation with your colleagues and professional networks. These calls are not intended for the press.
Calls recordings and transcripts are posted on the CMS podcast page at: https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/OpenDoorForums/PodcastAndTranscripts
CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Calls (twice a month on Tuesday at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern)
Office Hour Calls provide an opportunity for hospitals, health systems, and providers to ask questions of agency officials regarding CMS’s temporary actions that empower local hospitals and healthcare systems to:
- Increase Hospital Capacity – CMS Hospitals Without Walls;
- Rapidly Expand the Healthcare Workforce;
- Put Patients Over Paperwork; and
- Further Promote Telehealth in Medicare
Next Office Hours:
Tuesday, October 27th at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 2394789
Audio Webcast link: https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2612
Weekly COVID-19 Care Site-Specific Calls
CMS hosts calls for certain types of organizations on an intermittent basis to provide targeted updates on the agency’s latest COVID-19 guidance. One to two leaders in the field also share best practices with their peers. There is an opportunity to ask questions of presenters if time allows.
Next Nursing Homes
Wednesday, October 28th at 4:30 – 5:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 5587022 Audio Webcast Link: https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2627
For the most current information including call schedule changes, please click here
To keep up with the important work the White House Task Force is doing in response to COVID-19 click here: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=36fa2226-6aae0b0d-36fa1319-0cc47a6d17cc-2d06c219f858d641&u=http://www.coronavirus.gov/. For information specific to CMS, please visit the Current Emergencies Website.
Updated Telehealth Resources for Medicare and Medicaid
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the “State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit: Policy Considerations for States Expanding Use of Telehealth, COVID-19 Version,” originally released in April 2020. It has new examples and insights into lessons learned from states that have implemented telehealth changes. The Medicaid and CHIP data snapshot illustrates the rate of telehealth use across the states during the public health emergency. CMS also updated the list of Medicare services that can be provided via telehealth during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Read more here.
Medicare Changes Payments for COVID-19 Lab Results
Beginning January 1, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will lower its base payment from $100 to $75 for COVID-19 diagnostic tests using certain highly sophisticated equipment called “high throughput technology.” The change is explained in an amended Administrative Ruling, CMS 2020-1-R2. Labs that complete the test within two calendar days will receive a $25 add-on payment.
Rural Infection Rate Exceeds Metropolitan Rate over 60%
By Tim Murphy and Tim Marema
Metropolitan counties accounted for more than three-quarters of the new Covid-19 cases last week. But on a per capita basis, the rate of new infections in nonmetropolitan counties is much higher.
Read more
