According to a new report, 172 ransomware attacks since 2016 have cost health care providers more than $157 million, and five of those attacks, in Pennsylvania, have set those companies back some $4.5 million. That’s according to research by industry publication Comparitech. Read more.

With Open Enrollment ending March 31 for Medicare Advantage plans, Axios reports enrollment rates have increased 9.4 percent over the same time period last year.  Medicare Advantage plans are a type of Medicare health plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare to provide all your Part A and Part B benefits. Most Medicare Advantage Plans also offer prescription drug coverage. The number of plans available in each county in Pennsylvania varies from 45 plans in Susquehanna County to 61 in Lancaster.  To view plan information by county, click here.

Pennsylvania’s April 28 primary election is still two-and-a-half months away, but it’s not too soon to start thinking about how you will vote in that election. Voters in the commonwealth now have two options for mail ballots:

• Absentee ballot: If you plan to be out of the municipality on election day or if you have a disability or illness, you should request this ballot type, which still requires you to list a reason for your ballot
• Mail-in ballot: If you aren’t an absentee voter, you may apply for a mail-in ballot. You may simply request this ballot without a reason

In order to request either ballot type, you must be registered to vote. Visit Check Your Registration Status to review your registration information.

After releasing the President’s Budget for FY21, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar headed up to Capitol Hill to defend the health care priorities for the Administration. While the majority of the Secretary’s time in front of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees was spent explaining the Administration’s efforts on the Coronavirus, multiple rural health champions were able to share concerns about rural health programs in the budget request. Senator Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Congressman Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL) and 2020 NRHA Rural Champion Congressman Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) all were able to press the Secretary on the importance of funding crucial rural health programs.

A recent Axios article highlights flaws in addiction treatment centers. Reuters recently reported only 15% of patients in residential drug and alcohol treatment programs are receiving medication assisted treatment (MAT). However, research proves that MAT is the most effective form of treatment for those struggling with opioid use disorder (OUD). The article goes into depth about consumers not always having the proper information needed to decide if a treatment center is the best fit for themselves or a family member. Learn more.

Quality Insights offers training, technical assistance and outreach to small and mid-sized provider groups and other eligible professionals in Pennsylvania to assist with participation in the Medicaid Promoting Interoperability Program and in meaningfully using EHR systems. Quality Insights engages with Pennsylvania’s certified health information organizations and the Public Health Gateway (PHG) to increase health information exchange in Pennsylvania. For more information, call (877) 346-6180.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) has grants available to Pennsylvania health information organizations (HIOs) to help connect hospitals and ambulatory practices to the PA eHealth Partnership Program’s Pennsylvania Patient & Provider Network (P3N). The P3N enables electronic health information exchange across the state through the connection of healthcare providers to an HIO, and the participation of the HIO in the P3N. The anticipated performance period for this grant runs through Sept. 30, 2020 but if you are interested in this program, it is crucial that you reach out to one of the PA certified HIOs as soon as possible. HIO’s must submit bids to DHS by March 24, 2020 for these grants. Information about the PA certified HIOs can be found here.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has released notice of proposed rulemaking on Mobile Methadone Vans for public comment. The DEA proposes to revise the existing regulations for narcotic treatment programs (NTPs) to allow a mobile component associated with the registered program to be considered an equivalent activity.  The revisions to these regulations are intended to make maintenance or detoxification treatments more widely available, while ensuring that safeguards are in place to reduce the likelihood of diversion.