- Telehealth Study Recruiting Veterans Now
- USDA Delivers Immediate Relief to Farmers, Ranchers and Rural Communities Impacted by Recent Disasters
- Submit Nominations for Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) Committees
- Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation of the Medicare Program (Executive Order 14192) - Request for Information
- Dr. Mehmet Oz Shares Vision for CMS
- CMS Refocuses on its Core Mission and Preserving the State-Federal Medicaid Partnership
- Social Factors Help Explain Worse Cardiovascular Health among Adults in Rural Vs. Urban Communities
- Reducing Barriers to Participation in Population-Based Total Cost of Care (PB-TCOC) Models and Supporting Primary and Specialty Care Transformation: Request for Input
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule
- Rural America Faces Growing Shortage of Eye Surgeons
- NRHA Continues Partnership to Advance Rural Oral Health
- Comments Requested on Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit Draft
- Q&A: What Are the Challenges and Opportunities of Small-Town Philanthropy?
Waiver to Provide Acute Hospital Care At Home
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is accepting requests for hospitals to waive certain Medicare Conditions and Participation (CoPs) in order to provide acute care hospital services in a patient’s home.
Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model – Two Rural Participants’ Experiences
This Rural Health Value Rural Innovation Profile describes the successes and challenges of two AHCs serving rural populations. The CMS Innovation Center Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model seeks to identify and address health-related social needs of Medicare, Medicaid, and dual-eligible beneficiaries.
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule for 2021
This week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final policy, payment, and quality updates for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, the Medicare Shared Savings Program, the Quality Payment Program, and the Diabetes Prevention Program for calendar year 2021. In addition to payment updates, it adds new services to the telehealth list, updates the scope of practice policies to allow teaching physicians to use interactive, real-time audio/video to interact with residents, and finalizes billing codes for Principal Care Management (PCM) services for Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Comments Requested: Paperwork Reduction for the FCC – December 24
As part of its Measuring Broadband America Program, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeks input from the public on the types of information that should be collected to determine the speed and performance of broadband connections. Specifically, the FCC would like to receive comments on how they might “further reduce the information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.” Currently, there are software-based tools and online tools that can test consumers’ broadband connections. However, these tools track speeds experienced by consumers, rather than speeds delivered directly to a consumer by an internet service provider. The Measuring Broadband America Program will focus on the broadband performance delivered.
HHS Request for Information on Best Practices in Response to COVID-19 – December 24
There are a number of innovative programs, policies, and best practices that prevent and mitigate the consequences of COVID–19 in urban and rural areas, while also preserving access to healthcare services for non-COVID-19 medical conditions. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requests information on these innovative approaches and best practices in health care for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 conditions to inform and improve HHS priorities and programs.
HHS Request for Information on Redundant, Overlapping, or Inconsistent Regulations – December 21
On November 27, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input from the public to improve existing regulations, and eliminate unnecessary or duplicative regulations, through future exercise of rulemaking authority. As this RFI seeks input on regulations issued by any HHS office or agency, those responding may consider addressing regulatory issues of particular interest to rural health.
Updated Provider Relief Funds FAQs
In support of the national response to COVID-19, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is distributing $175 billion from the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund (PRF) to hospitals and healthcare providers. The PRF Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) provide guidance to recipients regarding terms and conditions, attestation, reporting and auditing requirements, and the general and targeted distributions. On November 18, new questions were added under the headings Use of Funds and Miscellaneous.
Informing Health Care Policy by Leveraging Data
The National Governors Association released a toolkit based on lessons learned during a policy academy on health workforce data. The publication highlights:
- The types of questions states can address with data,
- Information about data sources,
- Key stakeholders to engage, and
- Examples from states that have maximized their data.
The toolkit was developed as part of HRSA’s cooperative agreement with National Organizations of State and Local Officials (NOSLO).
Requests for Nominations for Voting Members on the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines (ACCV)
HRSA requests nominations for voting members to serve on the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines (ACCV). The HHS Secretary appoints nine voting members to the ACCV and they cannot be employees of the U.S. Government.
E-mail the nominee’s resume or curricula vitae to Andrea Herzog or mail the nominee’s resume or curricula vitae to:
Director, Division of Injury Compensation Programs
Healthcare Systems Bureau
Health Resources and Services Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Room 08N146B
Rockville, MD 20857
For more information, read the Federal Register notice (PDF – 194 KB) and Frequently Asked Questions (PDF – 195 KB). Contact Andrea Herzog, Principal Staff Liaison at 301-443-6634.
Medical Journal Highlights HRSA Initiatives in Maternal Health
HRSA staff contributed to a recently published special supplement to the Annals of Internal Medicine journal, to focus on evidence-based approaches to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the United States. Experts at HRSA contributed to the journal articles, which address specific HRSA maternal health initiatives, the impact of opioid use during pregnancy and issues faced by rural populations. External authors include partners from the University of Chicago, Stanford University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Utah and the World Health Organization.