- Telehealth Study Recruiting Veterans Now
- USDA Delivers Immediate Relief to Farmers, Ranchers and Rural Communities Impacted by Recent Disasters
- Submit Nominations for Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) Committees
- Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation of the Medicare Program (Executive Order 14192) - Request for Information
- Dr. Mehmet Oz Shares Vision for CMS
- CMS Refocuses on its Core Mission and Preserving the State-Federal Medicaid Partnership
- Social Factors Help Explain Worse Cardiovascular Health among Adults in Rural Vs. Urban Communities
- Reducing Barriers to Participation in Population-Based Total Cost of Care (PB-TCOC) Models and Supporting Primary and Specialty Care Transformation: Request for Input
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule
- Rural America Faces Growing Shortage of Eye Surgeons
- NRHA Continues Partnership to Advance Rural Oral Health
- Comments Requested on Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit Draft
- Q&A: What Are the Challenges and Opportunities of Small-Town Philanthropy?
Head Start Program Transportation in Rural Areas
This resource discusses the role of transportation in Head Start programs and provides planning and implementation information. It includes information on funding and training, and provides several case studies of Head Start programs that provide transportation. Find more information here.
An Emerging Model for Community Health Worker-Based Chronic Care Management for Patients With High Health Care Costs in Rural Appalachia
This article describes a community health worker-based chronic care management model (CHW-Based CCM) conducted in rural counties within 3 central Appalachian states. It demonstrates how to engage health insurance companies to support and sustain the CHW-Based CCM model. Read more here.
Cancer Surveillance and Access to Care in Rural America
This Webinar Recording discusses a study on access to cancer care in rural areas nationally and in South Carolina. It analyzes travel distance to receive care for colorectal and cervical cancer care across the country and compares it to data on access to colorectal cancer care in South Carolina. Find more information here.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Webinar Transcript
American Heart Association Issues Call to Action for Addressing Inequities in Rural Health
The American Heart Association published a Presidential Advisory on addressing social determinants of health and improving healthcare quality and outcomes in rural America. It summarizes the existing disparities in rural communities and proposes solutions that prioritize rural health policy, research, and innovation. Read more here.
In Rural Hospitals, Telemedicine May Promote Faster, Noninvasive Stroke Treatments
This article features West Virginia University’s telestroke program that connects rural hospitals with neurologists at WVU to assist in diagnosing and treating stroke cases. Researchers analyzed data from participating hospitals and found that the use of noninvasive stroke treatments increased since the program’s implementation. Read more here.
Study: Longer Ambulance Drives as Hospitals Close in Rural Communities
This article summarizes a study that identified an increase in EMS transport times when a local hospital closes. Rural residents already face longer wait times than urban residents, and as more rural hospitals close, wait times become more dangerous for patients. Read more here.
CMS: Non-Emergent, Elective Medical Services and Treatment Recommendations
CMS recently updated recommendations to postpone non-essential surgeries and other procedures to conserve critical healthcare resources and limit exposure of patients and staff to COVID-19. Developed in collaboration with medical societies and associations, the recommendations outline a tiered approach for state and local officials, clinicians, and delivery systems to consider to prioritize services and care to those who require emergent or urgent attention to save a life, manage severe disease, or avoid further harms from an underlying condition.
CMS: Dear Clinician Letter
CMS posted a letter to clinicians that outlines a summary of actions CMS has taken to ensure clinicians have maximum flexibility to reduce unnecessary barriers to providing patient care during the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19. The summary includes information about telehealth and virtual visits, accelerated and advanced payments, and recent waiver information.
Medicare Telehealth & What We Know Today
- The CARES Act included Medicare telehealth flexibility for FQHCs and RHCs for the duration of the crisis. It authorizes Medicare reimbursement for health centers and rural health clinics as distant sites for the duration of the emergency, not reimbursed at PPS rate but instead “such payment methods shall be based on payment rates that are similar to the national average payment rates for comparable telehealth services under the physician fee schedule under section 1848.”
- Since 2019, FQHCs could bill Medicare for virtual communication services (aka phone calls) using code GOO71. (This is in lieu of the codes 99441, 99442, and 99443, which only those providers who bill under the fee schedule can use.) The payment is around $14, and FQHCs cannot bill for it if the patient had a related evaluation/management service within the previous 7 days or has an on-site appointment within the next 24 hours. These services must be initiated by a patient and as long as the provider responding to the call is an employee or contractor of the health center, he or she does not have to be physically located at the health center while delivering these services. CMS also has an FAQ document on virtual communication.
On March 30 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an array of new rules and waivers of federal requirements offering maximum flexibility to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic including a section entitled “Further Promote Telehealth in Medicare.” There is a provider-specific fact sheet on new waivers and flexibilities for FQHCs and RHCs but it does not address telehealth.
Paycheck Protection Program Application Released
The Small Business Administration (SBA) released the loan application for the Paycheck Protection Program and an information sheet containing loan guidelines. Some highlights of the guidelines:
- April 3, 2020: Loan applications will start being accepted for businesses and sole proprietors
- April 10, 2020: Loan applications will start being accepted for independent contractors and self-employed individuals
- More lenders will be added as they are approved/enrolled. To apply, you should reach out to one of the approved lenders
- There are no changes to affiliation standards from those specified in the CARES Act. However, additional guidance may be released by SBA as appropriate
- All loan terms will be the same for everyone
- Due to anticipated high demand, SBA anticipates allowing not more than 25% of the forgiven loan amount to be used for nonpayroll costs (utilities, rent and interest on a mortgage)
- Interest Rate: 1% fixed rate, lowered from 4%
- Maturity: 2 years, shortened from 10 years