- 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: Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Fiscal Year 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
- CMS: Request for Information; Health Technology Ecosystem
- VA: Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program Funding Opportunity
- State: 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: J-1 Visa Waiver Recommendation Application
- Public Inspection: CMS: Request for Information: Health Technology Ecosystem
- HHS: Request for Information (RFI): Ensuring Lawful Regulation and Unleashing Innovation To Make American Healthy Again
- VA: Solicitation of Nominations for the Appointment to the Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs
- GAO Seeks New Members for Tribal and Indigenous Advisory Council
- VA: Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program Funding Opportunity
- 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
Supporting a Trained Direct-Care Workforce in Facility Settings During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
A new article by the National Governors Association discusses state strategies for recruiting and retaining a direct-care workforce in facility settings during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. It also outlines the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) waivers issued to address staffing challenges across the continuum of care during the public health emergency, including a waiver to temporarily reduce certain training requirements.
The article was produced through HRSA’s cooperative agreement with National Organizations of State and Local Officials.
For Providers on Telehealth.HHS.gov: New Telebehavioral Health Care Best Practice Guide
Telehealth.HHS.gov has added a new best practice guide on telehealth for behavioral health care. Behavioral health – like other areas of health care – has changed significantly due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. It is now easier for mental health providers to offer and get reimbursed for telebehavioral health services. Telehealth can also make behavioral health services safer and more private and convenient for patients who can access care from their home. Find resources in the telebehavioral health best practice guide on getting started, developing a strategy, billing, preparing patients, and more.
Rural Early Childhood Health Promotion Toolkit
Children living in rural communities may experience unique challenges that impact health outcomes. The Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub), the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center, and the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis created a toolkit to help rural organizations with implementing early childhood health promotion programs in their communities.
New research: Nursing Home Closures in the U.S.
New research from the HRSA-funded RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis shows that a higher percentage of nursing homes closed in nonmetropolitan counties in the U.S.
The report shows that between 2008 and 2018, 1,255 nursing homes closed across the country. As of 2018, almost 8 percent of U.S. counties had no nursing home, with 10 percent of nonmetro counties and less than 4 percent of metro counties lacking nursing homes. Of the 243 counties with no nursing homes, 44 were newly created “nursing home deserts” (counties with no nursing home) because of nursing home closures between 2008 and 2018; about 91 percent of these new nursing home deserts were in nonmetropolitan counties.
Nursing Education and Training in the United States
HRSA has published a new report on the education and training of the U.S. nursing workforce based on data from the 2018 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN). Did you know that the proportion of nurses who graduated with a bachelor’s degree rose to 54.5 percent in the years between 2012 and 2016, compared to only 22.9 percent before 1971? Check out other highlights from the report (PDF – 524 KB).
CDC Article Highlights Trends in Health Centers’ Telehealth Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Using data from 245 health centers that completed the voluntary weekly Health Center COVID-19 Survey, a new CDC article reviews trends in telehealth use, including by U.S. Census region and urban/rural classification, during a 20-week period. Study results underscore the need to sustain expanded telehealth use among health centers and to continue to address barriers to telehealth adoption, particularly in the south and rural areas.
For more information about survey results—including links to dashboards—visit our Health Center COVID-19 Survey page.
HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program and New Vaccine Administration Data
HRSA continues to make COVID-19 claims reimbursement to health care entities for the testing and treatment of uninsured individuals. The program is also reimbursing providers for administering COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured individuals. Starting last week, HRSA began adding claims information related to COVID-19 vaccine administration. As of March 3, 2021, HRSA has reimbursed over $2 billion in testing claims, $2 billion in treatment claims and newly added is approximately $750 thousand in vaccine administration claims for the uninsured.
A listing of health care entities that have agreed to the program’s Terms and Conditions and received claims reimbursement is now available from CDC.
HRSA Awards $99 Million to End the HIV Epidemic in the United States
Today, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced the award of nearly $99 million through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program to expand access to HIV care, treatment, medication and essential support services. This investment is a critical component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. EHE aims to reduce the number of new HIV infections in the United States by at least 90 percent by 2030 with the goal of decreasing the number of new HIV infections to fewer than 3,000 per year.
“For three decades, HRSA’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program has been a leader in the federal effort to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S.,” said HRSA Acting Administrator Diana Espinosa. “Today’s investment builds on the more than $2 billion in grants awarded through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program in fiscal year 2020, which helps to continue the program’s incredible track record of viral suppression that saves lives, reduces health disparities and slows the spread of the virus.”
FORHP Grants in Motion
Every quarter the Rural Health Information Hub (RHIHub) releases Grants in Motion, which is a feature in their online Rural Monitor publication that highlights some of the exceptional work our FORHP awardees are achieving in their communities. In addition to archived stories, this quarter’s edition of Grants in Motion highlights St. Charles Madras, an awardee through the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program.
New Guidance on COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing and Vaccinations
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Department of Labor, and Treasury Department issued joint guidance clarifying that private group health insurance plans and issuers generally must cover COVID-19 diagnostic testing without cost sharing, prior authorization, or other medical management requirements. This guidance also includes information for providers on how to get reimbursed for COVID-19 diagnostic testing or for administering the COVID-19 vaccine to those who are uninsured. Read more here.