January 24, 2020

With health care an election-year priority, the American College of Physicians (ACP) this week called for sweeping government action to guarantee coverage for all, reduce costs and improve the basic well-being of Americans. Declaring that the U.S. health care system “is ill and needs a bold new prescription,” the ACP endorsed either of the two general approaches being debated by Democratic presidential candidates: a government-run “single-payer” system that would cover everyone; or a new “public option” government plan that would offer comprehensive coverage to compete with private insurance.

January 24, 2020

The Supreme Court on Friday announced it will hear two cases on whether employer health plans should be allowed religious and moral exemptions from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement to cover birth control. The Trump administration in November 2018 issued final rules to allow more employers to opt out of providing no-cost birth control, but federal judges stopped the rules from taking effect. The justices said Friday they would hear the administration’s appeal of lower-court decisions that blocked the rules nationwide. In the case before the court, Pennsylvania and New Jersey sued the administration, arguing that its exemptions would unlawfully deny preventive health care to millions of women. The Supreme Court will decide whether the Trump administration may allow employers to limit women’s access to free birth control under the ACA.

January 24, 2020

The Supreme Court on Friday announced it will hear two cases on whether employer health plans should be allowed religious and moral exemptions from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement to cover birth control. The Trump administration in November 2018 issued final rules to allow more employers to opt out of providing no-cost birth control, but federal judges stopped the rules from taking effect. The justices said Friday they would hear the administration’s appeal of lower-court decisions that blocked the rules nationwide. In the case before the court, Pennsylvania and New Jersey sued the administration, arguing that its exemptions would unlawfully deny preventive health care to millions of women. The Supreme Court will decide whether the Trump administration may allow employers to limit women’s access to free birth control under the ACA.

This policy brief investigating allied health incentive programs at the state level by examining their goals, policies, practices, and available data on their achievement in recruiting and retaining allied health professionals to rural and underserved areas. Nearly 70 programs were surveyed and documented that provided financial support or training opportunities for 39 different types of allied health professionals and students in return for a service commitment. Read more here.

This resource outlines tools and strategies for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to use when integrating with other healthcare providers. It discusses approaches to the integration of medical direction, medical protocols, quality reviews, training and continuing education, and operations, among other topics. Read more here.

This resource offers guidance to state Flex program coordinators to incorporate performance management and evaluation into Flex program operations as required by the Flex Program Cooperative Agreement. It supports the state’s capacity for assessing program activities, making improvements, and establishing if activities are effective. It also defines key terms and concepts, discusses reporting requirements, demonstrates a performance year work plan, covers data collection, and provides examples of goals and measures to be included in the evaluation plan. Read more here.

This resource describes the purpose of partial psychiatric hospitalization programs (PPHPs), and compares 2016 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey of Hospitals data on the availability and the characteristics of PPHPs among non-metropolitan and metropolitan hospitals in the U.S. Read more here.

This resource is an overview of Medicare Advantage plans available in 2020 and changes since 2019. It features statistics including the number of plans available from 2010-2020 and percent of Medicare beneficiaries having access to Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), local Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs), and regional PPOs, with breakdowns by metro and nonmetro counties, and a county-level map showing numbers of plans available in 2020. Read more here.

This resource reports on the characteristics of demand for fixed broadband among households and small businesses in rural areas and how they affect private sector infrastructure investments. It discusses the role of schools and libraries as providers of broadband service and training to rural residents, and how broadband-enabled services, such as telemedicine, may encourage rural households and small businesses to adopt the technology. It also highlights federal programs and policies that may increase or impede broadband demand, and offers options for the U.S. Congress to consider as it addresses rural broadband demand. Read more here.

This resource provides an overview of the March 2019 Rural Emergency Care Summit convened by the National Rural Health Resource Center. It explores the role of emergency medical services (EMS) as the healthcare system transitions from volume-based to value-based care and addresses challenges to EMS and hospital collaboration and strategies for future integration. It also discusses how Flex Programs could support rural EMS improvements. Read more here.