- 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
- Using Medicaid to Address Young People's Mental Health Needs in School Settings
- Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise
- 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
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Support the Primary Care Workforce
- Over 3,000 Homes on the Navajo Nation Receive Accurate Addresses for the First Time
- Rural Population Grows for Second Consecutive Year
- Rapides Library Offers Telehealth to a Town Without Doctors
- Rural Infection Preventionists Need Community Support
- New Federal Health IT Strategy Sets Sights on a Heathier, More Innovative, and More Equitable Health Care Experience
Medicare Open Enrollment Period (OEP) Bootcamp Begins in 2022
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is hosting a webinar to focus on Medicare updates and resources prior to the start of Medicare Open Enrollment. The webinars will be held on September 28 and 29 from 1:00 – 2:30 pm. Click here to register for the Sept. 28 webinar that will cover Medicare Plan Finder basics, updates, user tips, and information about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. Click here to register for the Sept. 29 webinar that will cover a Medicare Open Enrollment Period (OEP) overview, general program and cost updates, OEP Media outreach campaigns, Call Center overview and activities, vaccination campaigns, State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) overview, OEP resources and fraud awareness, and prevention.
Congress Continuing Resolution Negotiations
Negotiations are ongoing in Congress as legislators try to craft a continuing resolution (CR) that can get enough bipartisan support to pass. Because the CR must pass by September 30 to keep the government funded, pressure is rising. However, several significant issues still need to be addressed, including military aid for Ukraine, COVID-19 and Monkeypox funding, disaster relief, and permitting reform.
HHS Invests over $104 Million to Expand Substance Use Treatment and Prevention in Rural Communities to Combat the Overdose Epidemic
In support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Overdose Prevention Strategy, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced investments of over $104 million to expand treatment and prevention services for substance use in rural communities nationwide as part of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), a multi-year initiative aimed at reducing the morbidity and mortality of rural Americans from substance use. Today’s funding also supports the President’s National Drug Control Strategy and delivers on his Unity Agenda priority of beating the overdose epidemic.
“The overdose epidemic continues to take too many lives and leave too many loved ones heartbroken – including in our rural communities,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The Biden-Harris Administration has made addressing the nation’s addiction and overdose epidemic a top priority, and at HHS we are taking every opportunity to ensure everyone – no matter who they are or where they live – has access to the critical care and support they need. This funding will help communities save lives by expanding treatment opportunities and prevention for substance use.”
This funding will help rural communities address difficulties they face in providing and accessing substance use treatment, as nearly 37 percent of rural counties
lack at least one clinician who can prescribe the opioid treatment buprenorphine. Rural communities in particular have experienced a consistent rise in drug overdose deaths, with a nearly five-fold increase from 1999 to 2019. Opioid-involved overdose deaths, especially those involving fentanyl, have increased significantly across the United States since 2019.
“Today we are taking action to support the critical needs of rural communities by expanding access to opioid use disorder treatment,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “Too often, the needs and challenges of rural communities are not well understood, but at HRSA, we are focused on reaching the rural communities that need our support the most and helping them tackle the overdose crisis.”
Today’s announcement highlights funding through the following three programs:
- The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Medication Assisted Treatment Access is awarding $10 million to establish new medication assisted treatment access points for substance use, including opioid use disorder. The program will reduce barriers to evidence-based treatment in underserved rural areas.
- The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Implementation awarded $65 million to strengthen and expand opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services in rural communities utilizing workforce development and training, telehealth, health care integration, and family support services.
- The Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Behavioral Health Care Support awarded $29 million to improve the quality and sustainability of behavioral health care services in rural communities, including through evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment for substance use. The program works to improve rural residents’ access to quality, integrated behavioral health care services.
To learn more about HRSA’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, visit https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/opioid-response.
You’re Invited! Join RWJF’s Virtual Gallery Opening
What if the solution you are looking for can be found in another country?
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is pleased to present The Blue Marble Gallery, an online collection of works from changemakers in various continents, designed to inspire your journey toward health equity. Discover how people across the globe are impacting child care, nutrition, urban design, and more to unveil fresh solutions and unlock new possibilities for your community.
Join us to celebrate the opening of the Blue Marble Gallery on October 18, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. ET . The exhibit will be available on our website for a limited time, so reserve your spot today.
At the virtual reception, you’ll get an exclusive look at this pop-up exhibit and have the chance to reflect with others on how ideas from other countries and cultures can inspire change here in the United States.
Medicare Publishes 2023 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums, Deductibles, 2023 Medicare Part D Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts
On September 27, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2023 premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts for the Medicare Part A and Part B programs, and the 2023 Medicare Part D income-related monthly adjustment amounts.
Please see the FACT SHEET- 2023 Medicare Parts A B Premiums and Deductibles for detailed information.
Pennsylvania Publishes Updates to the Dental Fee Schedule
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Office of Medical Assistance Programs, has published an updated dental fee schedule effective August 29, 2022. Please review carefully as there are new codes that have been added to the schedule. Each provider should work with their managed care contracts
to ensure proper payment.
2020 Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) Now Available
The Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE) is the only source of single-year health insurance coverage estimates for all counties in the U.S. The estimates are provided by select demographic and economic characteristics (by age and sex groups and at income levels that reflect thresholds for federal and state assistance programs). The state estimates are also provided by race and Hispanic origin. The data are now available on the Census Bureau’s website athttps://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sahie.html.
See 2020 COUNTY and STATE estimates of people with and without health insurance coverage by:
- Age groups: Under 65 years, 18-64 years, 21-64 years, 40-64 years, 50-64 years, under 19 years
- Sex groups: Both sexes, male only, female only
- Income groups: All incomes, <=200%, <=250%, <=138%, <=400%, 138-400% of poverty
- Estimates for the under 19 years group are available for just the six income categories listed above
- For states only: White alone, not Hispanic; Black alone, not Hispanic; and Hispanic (any race)
Coming Soon! Medicare Open Enrollment
Medicare health and drug plans can make changes each year—things like cost, coverage, and what providers and pharmacies are in their networks. You can change your Medicare health plan and/or Medicare drug coverage from October 15–December 7. Before the Medicare OEP, you’ll get notices in the mail about changes to your coverage for the coming year. You should always review the materials you get from your plan, like the “Evidence of Coverage” (EOC) and “Annual Notice of Change” (ANOC). If your plan is changing, make sure it will still meet your needs for the next year. If you’re satisfied with your plan, you don’t need to do anything.
For more information, call 1-800-MEDICARE or visit Medicare.gov.
“Medicare Open Enrollment Period (OEP) Bootcamp 2022” Webinars
September 28–29 from 1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Join us as we share Medicare updates and resources to help those who assist people with Medicare make informed decisions about their 2023 health care coverage.
Topics for each day:
Wednesday, September 28—Medicare Plan Finder basics, updates, and user tips, information about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, including details about new costs for insulin and vaccines in 2023, and Q&A.
To register for the September 28 webinar, visit CMSnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov/moodle/course/view.php?id=227
Thursday, September 29—Medicare OEP overview, general program and cost updates, OEP Media outreach campaigns, Call Center overview and activities, vaccination campaigns, State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) overview and OEP resources, and fraud awareness and prevention.
To register for the September 29 webinar, visit CMSnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov/moodle/course/view.php?id=228
These webinars will be recorded and posted to the National Training Program (NTP) website. To view the recordings, visit CMSnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov/?q=ntp-courses.
Rural Workforce Innovation Network Regional Virtual Workshops
Locating and Applying for Federal Grants
Join representatives from USDA Rural Development, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Economic Development Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response to learn about federal funding opportunities.
We’ll discuss how to locate federal grants, share tips on completing applications, and give an overview on federal grants management. Workshops will take place regionally, and you can attend whichever workshop is most convenient for you.
If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the webinar, please notify the RWIN Team at RD.Innovation.RWIN@usda.gov.
- Midwest: September 29, 2022, 2 – 4 p.m. Eastern Time
Registration - West: October 13, 2022, 2 – 4 p.m. Eastern Time
Registration - Northeast: October 27, 2022, 2 – 4 p.m. Eastern Time
Registration - South: November 17, 2022, 2 – 4 p.m. Eastern Time
Registration
To learn more about the upcoming webinars, visit Rural Workforce Innovation Network.
NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRP) Application Cycle Opened on September 1
Have you thought about applying for an NIH Extramural LRP award? Do you know someone that should? Awardees can receive up to $100,000 of qualified educational debt repayment with a two-year contract.
The NIH LRPs are unique programs, with tremendous benefit to early-stage researchers, so we strongly encourage those that were not successful in getting their applications funded to apply again.
Be sure to visit the LRP website or attend one of our upcoming events to learn more about eligibility requirements, application dates, and benefits of receiving an NIH LRP award!
- October 3 – LRP Technical Assistance Webinar
- Early November – Ask Me Anything
The Extramural LRP application cycle will close on November 17, 2022.
Click here to visit the LRP website.
LRP Application Tips
- Obtain your NIH eRA Commons ID and make sure your password is current. An eRA Commons ID will be required to start your application.
- Check out the new application tutorial videos
- Check out the latest LRP Application Guide to learn about application components
- Check out the published guide notices
- Reach out to an NIH LRP Program Officer to discuss your research
- Contact your Institutional Business Official (IBO) at your institution
- Contact an LRP Ambassador
- Application Deadline – November 17, 2022