- CMS: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2026 Rates; Requirements for Quality Programs; and Other Policy Changes; Correction
- CMS: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2026 Rates; Requirements for Quality Programs; and Other Policy Changes; Correction
- CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly; Correction
- CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly; Correction
- CMS: Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
- CMS: Medicare Program; FY 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Fiscal Year 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
- CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2025 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program; and Medicare Overpayments; and Appeal Rights for Certain Changes in Patient Status; Corrections and Correcting Amendment
- CMS: Request for Information; Health Technology Ecosystem
- CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; CY 2025 Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Changes to Part B Payment and Coverage Policies; Medicare Shared Savings Program Requirements; Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program; and Medicare Overpayments; and Appeal Rights for Certain Changes in Patient Status; Corrections and Correcting Amendment
- VA: Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program Funding Opportunity
- State: 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: J-1 Visa Waiver Recommendation Application
- HHS: Request for Information (RFI): Ensuring Lawful Regulation and Unleashing Innovation To Make American Healthy Again
- Public Inspection: CMS: Request for Information: Health Technology Ecosystem
Proposed Senate Bill Targets SDOH
The Social Determinants Accelerator Act of 2019 (S. 2986) was introduced in the U.S. Senate in December to create a coordinated approach among federal agencies to address social determinants of health (SDOH) for Medicaid recipients. The act, if it becomes law, would establish a federal interagency council that would make recommendations on how best to coordinate funding and the administration of federal programs incorporating the use of data to better meet the needs and improve the care for Medicaid recipients. The council would work to award “Social Determinants Accelerator Grants” to state or local governments or tribal health or human services agencies to fund “programs that would seek to benefit targeted populations, seeking to access and link relevant data to enable coordinated benefits and services that would achieve at least one measurable health outcome and one important social benefit.” Read more.
PA NEN 2020 Annual Conference
2020 Annual Conference Nutrition Education with Public Health Approaches: Building Strong & Healthy Communities.
Click HERE to register. As of today we have 116 registrants! Our Keynote Speakers will be:
Keynote Speaker – “Moving from What and Why to How: Recommendations for Addressing the Social Determinants of Health”: Gabriel Kaplan, PhD, MPA, URP, Chief, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Keynote Speaker – Collaboration Building – Frances Butterfoss, PhD, MSEd consultant at Coalition Work
Other topics include:
Social media ethics and strategy for food and nutrition professionals: Julie Stefanski, MEd, RDN, CSSD, LDN, CDE of Stefanski Nutrition Services and Food, Nutrition and Dietetics Content Writer for OnCourse Healthcare, a Relias Company
Field trip to Upper Merion Community Garden and Upper Merion Area Food Cupboard
MANNA’s medically tailored, home-delivered meals program and updates on their new research and nutrition institute
Medicaid Telehealth Guidance
As a companion piece to the earlier released Medicare Telehealth Guidance, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services today released Medicaid Telehealth Guidance to states. You can find a copy of the guidance here: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/downloads/medicaid-telehealth-services.pdf
Additionally, you can find the homepage for general Medicaid Telehealth Guidance here: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/telemedicine/index.html
President Trump Expands Telehealth Benefits for Medicare Beneficiaries During COVID-19 Outbreak
On March 17, the Trump Administration announced expanded Medicare telehealth coverage that will enable beneficiaries to receive a wider range of health care services from their doctors without having to travel to a health care facility. Beginning on March 6, 2020, Medicare—administered by CMS—will temporarily pay clinicians to provide telehealth services for beneficiaries residing across the entire country.
For More Information:
This guidance, and earlier CMS actions in response to the COVID-19 virus, are part of the ongoing White House Task Force efforts. To keep up with the important work the Task Force is doing in response to COVID-19, visit the coronavirus.gov webpage.
For information specific to CMS, visit the Current Emergencies website.
Report on CAH Hospital Compare Measures Released
The national Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) has released reports of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) performance and reporting rates on selected Hospital Compare measures, using data from 2018.
The Hospital Compare data in this report include several measures that are also measures for the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP). Although the majority of CAHs report data on these measures to both Hospital Compare and MBQIP, the data in this report may differ from MBQIP reports because some CAHs only report data to one of these programs.
The national report may accessed here and state reports may be accessed via the links below. All FMT publications can also be found on the Flex website.
Concerns Expressed with NTP’s 2019 Monograph
In September 2019, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) released a draft monograph concluding that “fluoride is presumed to be a cognitive neurodevelopmental hazard to humans.” Before finalizing its monograph, NTP asked a committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to review its conclusion and decide whether it is supported by the scientific evidence. In a new report, the Committee finds that NTP’s monograph failed to provide adequate support for its conclusion. The American Fluoridation Society (AFS) released a document reviewing the main points of the Committee’s report.
HRSA Retains Dental Sealant Measure for 2020
The draft dental sealant measure, CMS277, captures the percentage of children age 6-9 years, at moderate to high risk for caries who received a sealant on a first permanent molar during the measurement period. The dental sealant measure will be retained for 2020. Based on feedback received during the public comment period, HRSA will not move forward with adding the fluoride varnish measure (CMS74) for 2020.
Expanded Telehealth Benefits for Medicare Beneficiaries During COVID-19 Outbreak
On March 17, 2020, the Trump Administration today announced expanded Medicare telehealth coverage that will enable beneficiaries to receive a wider range of healthcare services from their doctors without having to travel to a healthcare facility. Beginning on March 6, 2020, Medicare—administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)—will temporarily pay clinicians to provide telehealth services for beneficiaries residing across the entire country.
To read the Fact Sheet on this announcement visit: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/medicare-telemedicine-health-care-provider-fact-sheet
To read the Frequently Asked Questions on this announcement visit: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/medicare-telehealth-frequently-asked-questions-faqs-31720.pdf
This guidance, and earlier CMS actions in response to the COVID-19 virus, are part of the ongoing White House Task Force efforts. To keep up with the important work the Task Force is doing in response to COVID-19 click here www.coronavirus.gov. For information specific to CMS, please visit the Current Emergencies Website.
Message from PA Oral Health Coalition about COVID-19
The PA Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) has releaesd a statement on oral health services during the COVID-19 pandemic:
“As Pennsylvania has been justifiably proactive in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts, the PA Coalition for Oral Health supports the state issuing directives to the dental community immediately to initiate ’emergency treatment only’ policies. Stopping the spread of this virus and protecting the health and safety of patients, their family members, and dental professionals is our first priority.”
CDC Update for Rural Communities on the COVID-19 Disease Response
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has put together a special program for RURAL providers and stakeholders for an update on the COVID-19 response. Registration is required by linking here.
Date: Monday, March 23, 2020
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Presenter: Dr. Jay Butler (Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases)
Dr. Butler will share guidance with partners, public health practitioners, healthcare providers, and others working to protect the health of rural communities. He will describe what CDC knows at this point and what CDC is doing in response to this outbreak. We will also have time for questions and answers.
Please email eocevent337@cdc.gov to submit questions in advance and indicate that questions are for the 3/23 call.
This event will be recorded. Questions not answered during it may be sent to ruralhealth@cdc.gov
REGISTER HERE:
zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_etqFB-z0Tjyp-_WGI8jfzw