- Request for Information (RFI): Evolving the Network of the National Library of Medicine
- 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
30 Day Public Inspection Period and Comments Received from USDA Rural Development’s Periodic Review of Rural Areas in Pennsylvania (Housing Programs)
On March 8, 2023, USDA Rural Development issued a 90-day public notice informing the public that USDA was conducting a periodic review of all areas under its jurisdiction to identify areas that no longer qualify as rural for housing programs. The 90-day public notice listed communities under review for potential eligibility changes and provided the public with a link to submit comments or concerns regarding any potential loss of eligibility.
In accordance with 7 CFR 3550.56 and HB-1-3550, Section 5.3 (C)(1), USDA Rural Development has concluded the 90-day public notice and comment period and has reviewed areas under its jurisdiction to identify areas that no longer qualify as “Rural” for housing programs as well as areas that will now be considered as eligible rural areas.
During the 90-day public comment period, a total of (4) public comments were received. Thank you to all those who submitted comments. Public comments help the Agency better understand how communities are impacted from a potential change in eligibility and are considered throughout the determination process.
For a complete review of comments received, or questions regarding rural area boundaries, please contact Single Family Housing Program Director, Michelle Musser at (570) 433-5082 or via email at Michelle.Musser@usda.gov.
The updated rural area map can now be viewed on our eligibility website.
Users will need to click on the program, for example “Single Family Housing Direct” or “Single Family Housing Guaranteed,” and then click on the “Accept” button on the disclaimer page, if presented, and then click on the “Proposed Eligibility Areas” tab.
Revised rural boundaries will become effective October 1, 2023. For areas whose designation will change from rural to non-rural, a one-time notice will be published 30 days prior to implementation date confirming the updated boundaries.
HRSA Seeks Grant Reviewers
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is seeking individuals to serve as grant reviewers in the coming months. HRSA relies on grant reviewers to select the best programs from a competitive group of applicants. Having reviewers with expertise in oral health care programing and/or equitable access to preventive health care greatly benefits the review process and is also an opportunity to learn about the review process itself. Reviews are typically held remotely over a period of a few days. Non-federal participants selected as a reviewer and who complete their assigned duties receive an honorarium.
Community Catalyst Pushes for Expanded Dental Coverage
Community Catalyst submitted a letter to the Biden Administration urging them to address the gaps and inconsistences in the Affordable Care Act’s essential health benefits. Community Catalyst and 50 other groups, including the PA Coalition for Oral Health, signed on to the letter, which also called on the Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to adopt several health care services into the Essential Health Benefits framework, including oral health care.
Click here to read the press release.
Click here to read the letter.
Non-Invasive Caries Therapy Guide Released
The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health published the “CareQuest Non-Invasive Caries Therapy Guide,” an illustrated manual of tips and tricks on how to perform evidence-based techniques to improve oral health for all. The goals of the guide are to increase access to care by decreasing resilience on invasive dentistry, transform the oral health workforce by empowering non-dentists to manage dental caries, improve clinical outcomes, and lower barriers to adopting evidence-based techniques.
New CareQuest Infographic Published: Oral Health and Overall Health for Older Adults
The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health and the Lunder-Dineen Massachusetts General Hospital MOTIVATE Program created an infographic that explains the importance of oral health for the overall health of older adults. The infographic also includes recommendations including more communication between physicians, dentists, and patients about the connections between oral health and overall health.
There are versions of the infographic available for both providers and patients.
Click here for more information and to access the infographics.
Oral Health Resource Center Fluoride Varnish Handout Available
The Oral Health Resource Center shared a new patient education handout, “Fluoride Varnish for Adults: Q&A.”
This resource provides information that health professionals can share with adults, including pregnant people, about how fluoride varnish can make their teeth more resistant to tooth decay. The resource explains what fluoride varnish is and discusses its safety. It also addresses things to avoid after it is applied to teeth, how long it lasts, how often it should be applied, and whether it is covered by dental insurance.
Leveraging Career Pathway Programs: Read about the State Strategies to Combat Health Care Workforce Shortages
The National Conference of State Legislatures provides an overview of programs states have implemented to address or mitigate workforce shortages. The report describes programs across various stages of education, including K-12, community college, and undergraduate programs.
Here You Can Read the New Report to Congress on Baseline Trends and Framework for Evaluating the No Surprises Act
This report from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) details key trends in factors that will be important to evaluate the No Surprises Act (NSA) and describes the framework for future evaluations. The NSA, enacted on December 27, 2020, addresses certain instances of surprise billing where individuals with private health coverage receive unexpectedly high medical bills when they are unknowingly or unavoidably treated by an out-of-network provider, facility, or provider of air ambulance services. ASPE found that overall, between 2012 and 2020, out-of-network claims decreased similarly in rural and urban areas.
Here’s the New Report to Congress on Medicaid Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT).
In this report, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provide an extensive analysis of Medicaid coverage of NEMT, including the types of medical services accessed, monthly trends in the use of NEMT versus telehealth services, and a comparison of the volume of NEMT services used by states and geographic area. For example, in 2021, about 7 percent of beneficiaries living in frontier or remote areas used NEMT compared to less than 4 percent of all Medicaid beneficiaries.
Here You Can Read About the Accommodation and Acceptability of Health Care by Non-Metropolitan/Metropolitan and Race/Ethnicity Status
Among the findings from the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis:
- Non-metropolitan respondents more frequently reported lack of transportation, whereas metropolitan respondents were more likely to report not getting appointments scheduled soon enough (both examples of accommodation barriers).
- Among the non-metropolitan respondents, lack of transportation was most common among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and American Indian/Alaska Native respondents compared to non-Hispanic White counterparts.
- Among non-metropolitan respondents, a higher percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native respondents reported not being at all satisfied with their care.