- 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 Releases Frequently Asked Questions for the CHART Model
Last week, CMS released a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document addressing stakeholder questions regarding the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model. The FAQs are posted on the CHART website.
Delayed Start Date for the Radiation Oncology Payment Model
In response to stakeholder feedback, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is changing the start date of the Radiation Oncology Model to July 1, 2021, instead of January 1. Participation in this model is required for all providers of radiotherapy treatment. It creates a single, bundled payment system that is the same across providers, regardless of whether care occurs in an outpatient department or in a physician’s office.
New CMS Rural Health Listserv
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has a new rural health care listserv dedicated to sharing information about programs, policies and resources. To subscribe to the new topic, click on the link above for CMS Email Updates, then look for Outreach and Education, then Rural Health. For more information on rural health activities at CMS, visit go.cms.gov/ruralhealth or contact RuralHealth@cms.hhs.gov.
CMS Announces Fourth COVID-19 Interim Final Rule with Comment Period
On October 28, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its fourth Interim Final Rule with Comment Period (IFC) in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). Highlights of interest to rural stakeholders in this rule include vaccine-related provisions; flexibilities for states maintaining Medicaid enrollment during the COVID‑19 PHE; enhanced Medicare payments for new COVID-19 treatments; and price transparency for COVID-19 tests. Comments will be due 60 days after the date of display in the Federal Register.
New Telehealth Platform to Mobilize Health Care Workforce During COVID-19
ProviderBridge.org was created by the Federation of State Medical Boards through the CARES Act and the FORHP-supported Licensure Portability Program. The site provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing by state as well as a provider portal to connect volunteer health care professionals to state agencies and health care entities.
Request for Information: Maternal and Child Health Bureau Strategic Plan – Respond by December 18.
The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) at the Health Resources and Services Administration supports research and federal grant programs that ensure the health and well-being of mothers, children, and families. The bureau seeks feedback from the public about future plans for their work, including how MCHB can support efforts to eliminate disparities based on race, income, disability, and geography.
CRS: Medicaid Telehealth Policies in Response to COVID-19
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) provides objective policy and legal analysis to committees and members of the U.S. House and Senate. For this report, researchers examined how states have increased the number of services, provider types, and other telehealth options under Medicaid.
COVID-19 Hospital Data Coverage Report – Updated Weekly
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is providing weekly updates to the data set tracking whether hospitals, including rural and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), are completing their COVID-19 data reporting. As specified in recent guidance, hospitals and CAHs must report daily to the federal government, or to their state if they receive a written release from the state, a set of required data elements. Failure to do so will result in a series of enforcement actions over several weeks that could result in termination of the Medicare provider agreement.
Expanded Provider Relief Fund Eligibility and Updated Reporting Requirements
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expanded the types of providers that are eligible for Phase 3 Provider Relief Funds (PRF) to include residential treatment facilities, physician assistants, and advanced practice nursing providers, among others. Providers may submit applications until November 6. HHS also updated the reporting requirements and auditing instructions in response to stakeholder feedback. This new guidance now allows providers to apply PRF payments against all lost revenues without limitation.
Open Enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace Begins November 1
The six-week period during which consumers may enroll in a health insurance plan using the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace begins on Sunday and ends on Tuesday, December 15. Those without an employer-based plan may visit HealthCare.gov and CuidadodeSalud.gov to shop for plans that will begin coverage on January 1, 2021. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have their own state-based websites for enrollment in individual/family or small business health coverage, or both. Some consumers may qualify for Medicaid coverage or a lower cost Marketplace plan depending on their state of residence and household size.