- 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
- NIH HEAL Initiative Turns Attention to Pragmatic Trials in Rural Communities
HHS Announces New Catalytic Program for the Climate
National Sessions Beginning January 25. The Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) was established in 2021 to address the impact of climate change on health in the United States and territories. The office has been coordinating efforts across 12 operating divisions, including HRSA, in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). From the beginning, the initiative identified rural areas as uniquely vulnerable – where people, businesses, and safety net health organizations pay disproportionately high costs to recover from storms, heat waves, and wildfires. Following on an information session in November 2023 the OCCHE is launching its Catalytic Program later this month – providing funding, tax credits, grants and other supports made available by the Inflation Reduction Act. The opportunities are meant for health care organizations – especially safety net providers – to improve energy efficiency, infrastructure resilience, and more. The Catalytic Program will be carried out through collaboration with federal partners, including the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy, and reach out to ground-level partners through a series of national webinars and separate breakout sessions by provider type (e.g., rural facilities) to help organizations to assess their needs and opportunities. Sign up now to take part in sessions taking place January through April.
Investments Being Granted Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) for the Appalachian Region
Letters of Intent February 16. The federal Appalachian Regional Commission works in partnership with 13 states to promote economic growth where one-fourth of the region’s 423 counties are rural. The INSPIRE initiative supports the post-treatment to employment continuum, which could include investments in healthcare networks that support substance use disorder recovery, recovery-focused job training programs, and other initiatives that coordinate these efforts. Successful INSPIRE grant applications will demonstrate the potential for individuals in recovery to obtain and maintain stable employment, with a focus on support services and training opportunities that lead to successful entry and re-entry into the workforce. Letters of Intent are required by February 16, 2024. The deadline for final applications is March 8, 2024. Award announcements are anticipated to be made in September 2024.
HRSA Updates HPSA Designations
HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce has released the current list of Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) – which can be geographic areas, populations, or facilities – that have a shortage of primary, dental, or mental health care providers. The designations are used to determine eligibility for federal programs that support the health workforce, such as the National Health Service Corps, as well as safety net programs such as HRSA’s Health Centers and CMS’s Rural Health Clinics. For more details on the information used to determine HPSAs, visit the HRSA Data Warehouse.
Rural Hospitals Are Caught in an Aging-Infrastructure Conundrum
Kevin Stansbury, the CEO of Lincoln Community Hospital in the 800-person town of Hugo, Colorado, is facing a classic Catch-22: He could boost his rural hospital’s revenues by offering hip replacements and shoulder surgeries, but the 64-year-old hospital needs more money to be able to expand its operating room to do those procedures.
“I’ve got a surgeon that’s willing to do it. My facility isn’t big enough,” Stansbury said. “And urgent services like obstetrics I can’t do in my hospital, because my facility won’t meet code.”
Rural hospitals throughout the nation are facing a similar conundrum. An increase in costs amid lower payments from insurance plans makes it harder for small hospitals to fund large capital improvement projects. And high inflation and rising interest rates coming out of the pandemic are making it tougher for aging facilities to qualify for loans or other types of financing to upgrade their facilities to meet the ever-changing standards of medical care.
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month!
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. This month-long national health observance brings together thousands of dedicated professionals, healthcare providers, and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers, and many others. The 2024 theme is “Healthy Habits for Healthy Smiles.” The American Dental Association has free downloadable posters, postcards, and flyers available on their website. You can also order physical copies of these materials to be shipped.
Assessing Value-Based Payment Policies for Rural Areas
In 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a goal to have all Original Medicare (fee-for-service) beneficiaries in care relationships with health care providers that are accountable for the beneficiaries’ total cost of care and quality by 2030. This policy paper from the Rural Health Value team discusses the challenges that are particular to rural areas as well as potential opportunities.
CMS’ Proposed Rule Addresses Appeals Rights for Certain Changes in Patient Status
The proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is in response to a federal court ruling that affects Medicare beneficiaries who received “observation services” in a hospital as outpatients. The case of Alexander v. Azar in the U.S. District Court of Connecticut was decided by a federal judge in March 2020 and requires that beneficiaries who are initially admitted as hospital inpatients, but are subsequently reclassified as outpatients (resulting in a denial of coverage for the hospital stay under Medicare Part A), are entitled to an appeals process if they meet other eligibility criteria. CMS is requesting comment from the public on this proposal to create a standardized notice advising beneficiaries of their rights to three types of appeal – expedited, standard, or retrospective – depending on the patient’s current status.
Comment by February 22
Expanded Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy Begins
In compliance with the Inflation Reduction Act, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Low-Income Subsidy Program (also known as Extra Help) will provide full financial assistance to beneficiaries enrolled in the Medicare Part D program with incomes up to 150% of the federal poverty level. Medicare beneficiaries who are eligible and enroll in Medicare Savings Programs are automatically eligible for full low-income subsidies, the payment of Medicare Parts A and B premiums, and cost-sharing. Other Medicare beneficiaries must apply for the Extra Help program via the Social Security Administration to obtain these subsidies.
The U.S. Playbook Announced to Address Social Determinants of Health
The plan sets the stage for structural changes – from the federal to state and community levels, both inside and outside of government – that are meant to address the social needs affecting health outcomes and hindering health equity. Three pillars would form the initial scaffolding for a nationwide effort: 1) data gathering and sharing; 2) flexible funding for social needs; and 3) support for community-based organizations. Among the federal-level contributions is a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that began in 2015. PLACES – Population-level Analysis and Community Estimates of Health – is the first initiative to connect county, place, and Census tract data with the CDC’s surveillance data to develop and implement targeted preventions.
Study Examines Why Early-Career Physicians Leave First Jobs
Hint: It’s not the money. A joint study conducted in the fall of 2023 by MGMA and Jackson Physician Search sought physicians’ and medical group administrators’ views on the top factors influencing residents and fellows to accept and stay in their first jobs. Not surprisingly, the study confirms that compensation is the number one factor driving first-job decisions. However, when physicians were asked what made them leave their first jobs, the most cited reason was the “practice ownership/ governance model.” The report concludes that new physicians may be following the money without fully understanding how their new organization will be managed – and how that may impact their job satisfaction. Read the report: The Surprising Reason Early-Career Physicians Leave Their First Jobs – And What Employers Can Do About It.