- VA Announces Expansion of "Close to Me" Cancer Program as Part of the Cancer Moonshot, Bringing Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Closer to Thousands of Veterans
- Biden-Harris Administration Releases National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and First-Ever Federal Action Plan
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Action to Increase Access to Quality Care, and Support to Families and Care Workers
- Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don't Meet Them.
- Rural Jails Turn to Community Health Workers To Help the Newly Released Succeed
- Rural Communities Face Primary Care Physician Shortage
- Miles for Milk: How Student-Run Grocery Store Reshaped Rural Community's Food Access
- Native Americans Have Shorter Life Spans, and It's Not Just Due to Lack of Health Care
- Promotoras Play Essential Role in Connecting Farmworkers with Health Care in Rural NorCal
- Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise
- Using Medicaid to Address Young People's Mental Health Needs in School Settings
- Sunsets, Wildlife and Limited Care: Challenges of Aging in Place in Rural America
- City-Country Mortality Gap Widens amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access
- Tribal Environmental Impact Network
- Minnesota's Rural Ambulance Providers Look to State Capitol for Their Own Lifeline
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls – Week of 6/22/20
CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts.
Call details are below. Conference lines are limited so we highly encourage you to join via audio webcast, either on your computer or smartphone web browser. You are welcome to share this invitation with your colleagues and professional networks. These calls are not intended for the press.
Calls recordings and transcripts are posted on the CMS podcast page at: https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/OpenDoorForums/PodcastAndTranscripts
CMS Special Edition – Friday, June 19, 2020
Medicare Coverage of COVID-19 Testing for Nursing Home Residents and Patients
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has instructed Medicare Administrative Contactors and notified Medicare Advantage plans to cover coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) laboratory tests for nursing home residents and patients. This instruction follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recent update of COVID-19 testing guidelines for nursing homes that provides recommendations for testing of nursing home residents and patients with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 as well as for asymptomatic residents and patients who have been exposed to COVID like in an outbreak. Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans will cover COVID-19 lab tests consistent with CDC guidance.
Medicare Advantage plans must continue not to charge cost sharing (including deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance) or apply prior authorization or other utilization management requirements for COVID-19 tests and testing-related services.
Read the Medicare Learning Network article: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/se20011.pdf.
Read the memo to Medicare Advantage plans: https://cms.gov/files/document/hpms-memo-diagnostic-testing-nursing-home-residents-and-patients-coronavirus-disease-2019.pdf.
More information about Medicare coverage of COVID-19 tests is available at: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-tests.
OSHA Releases Guidance to Assist Employers With Reopening Businesses
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued guidance to assist employers reopening nonessential businesses and their employees returning to work during the evolving coronavirus pandemic. During each phase of the reopening process, OSHA recommends that employers should continue to focus on strategies for basic hygiene, social distancing, identification and isolation of sick employees, workplace controls and flexibilities, and employee training.
CDC Publishes New Translations for Meat and Poultry Processing Resources
CDC has translated two quick reference guides for meat and poultry processing facilities: Key Strategies for Employers and Tips for Employees. Now available in 13 languages, these guides provide recommendations and strategies for preventing COVID-19 in meat and poultry facilities. These printable one-page flyers may be found on the Meat and Poultry Processing Facility Toolkit webpage.
CDC Releases Checklist for Agricultural Employers
CDC has published an Agricultural Employer Checklist for Creating a COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plan. To prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19, agricultural employers can use this checklist to create a COVID-19 assessment and control plan for applying specific preparation, prevention, and management measures. This checklist has been developed based on the Agriculture Workers and Employers Interim Guidance from CDC and the U.S. Department of Labor.
New Rural EMS Collection of Resources Published
Currently, the health care industry is undergoing profound change, moving away from dependency on fees assessed for the volume of services provided and toward a people-centered, value-based operation that rewards positive patient outcomes. Transformation to a next evolutionary stage is necessary if EMS is to thrive and play an integral part in the changing health care system. This collection of key resources is intended to help rural EMS adapt and become a more integrated part of the evolving health care system.
The National Rural Health Resource Center has published a new set of resources that can be accessed here.
Community Paramedicine Impact Reference Guide Published
The National Rural Health Resource Center and the Paramedic Foundation have released a new guide for those intending to research, plan, implement, evaluate, or otherwise consider community paramedicine (CP) systems.
This resource includes a compilation of cited references that describe the impact of previously implemented CP initiatives. References include both the impact that CP has the potential to have or has been demonstrated to have on patients, health care systems, payers, health care provider organizations, health care practitioners, and others. It also reflects the impact that policy and health and medical practices have the potential or have been demonstrated to have on CP and its stakeholders.
Use this guide to review results as applicable to the initiative being considered and use the information to inform implementation.
The guide can be accessed here.
SBA Releases Updated Forgiveness Application
The SBA has issued an updated forgiveness application and instructions including an easy” form for selected organizations. The applications and instructions are attached and are available using this link: www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/…
HHS Releases Rural and Underserved Health Workforce Awards
On June 18, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), is announcing awards totaling $107.2 million to 310 recipients to increase the health workforce in rural and underserved communities. Recipients across 45 states and U.S. territories received funding to improve the quality, distribution and diversity of health professionals serving across the country.
“Supporting a strong health workforce is essential to improving health in rural and underserved communities,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “We’ve seen stark disparities in health and healthcare access contribute to the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the Trump Administration’s work to address health disparities, these grants provide support for the training of healthcare workers in rural and underserved communities.”
These programs provide financial and professional support to physicians, faculty, dentists, nurses and students as they pursue careers in health care settings. Awardees will be able to develop and retain clinicians in high-need areas to meet the vital health needs of the most disadvantaged communities.
For funding details and to read the entire press release, please visit the HHS website.
Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency Announces Applications for CARES Assistance for Renters & Homeowners – Available Soon
Applications for CARES financial assistance for renters and homeowners will be available June 29; application submissions can begin July 6.
People who lost income due to the pandemic-related economic slowdown may be eligible for rent or mortgage assistance to help them stay in their homes.
Renters and homeowners who were financially impacted by the economic slowdown related to the coronavirus pandemic will be able to access applications for rent and mortgage relief starting June 29. At that time, applications will be easily accessible from a red banner on the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency’s website at www.PHFA.org. PHFA is administering both programs.