- Rural Children Struggle to Access Hospital Services, Say Researchers
- Outlining the Intersection between Health Care and Missing and Murdered Indigenous People
- Biden-Harris Administration Announces Critical More Than $1.5 Billion State and Tribal Opioid Response Funding Opportunities
- RPHARM Program Fulfills Need for Rural Pharmacists
- Farmers Don't Do Mental Health
- A Pilot Program in Rural Vermont Hopes to Build a Blueprint for Substance Abuse Recovery
- Rural Telehealth Extension Reintroduced in Congress
- Students From Across the State Emphasized the Need for Mental Health Resources in Rural Alaska During a Conference
- The South Was the Center of Rural Population Growth Last Year
- How HHS SUD Confidentiality Regulations Will Impact Rural Providers
- 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
- Navajo Psychiatrist Bridges Gaps Between Native American Culture and Behavioral Health Care
- Biden-Harris Administration Releases National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and First-Ever Federal Action Plan
- Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don't Meet Them.
- Rural Communities Face Primary Care Physician Shortage
Here is An Important Notice for HRSA Grantees
On May 26, HRSA will follow a federal upgrade to security measures for online systems requiring a login for external users. The new multi-factor login procedure will affect those who access HRSA’s Electronic Handbook (EHB) system, including grantees, grant applicants, service providers, and consultants. To avoid issues with upcoming application and reporting deadlines, it is important to set up the new login procedure ahead of the change on May 26.
Here You Can Find the Factors Associated With Lengths-of-Stay for Inpatients With Substance Use Disorder
The NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis finds that lengths of stay for rural inpatients in areas with no access to buprenorphine-waivered physicians were more than nine times higher than for urban patients.
Read About Distribution of Direct Care Workforce COVID-19 Funding Between Rural and Urban Counties in Minnesota and Illinois
Researchers from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center examine the differences in the distribution of federal funding between rural and urban counties in Minnesota and Illinois.
You Can Find a Suicide Prevention Resource Center Here – Best Practices Registry
A listing of resources with demonstrated effectiveness organized by population served, approaches, and location – including urban vs. rural.
Here You Can Read About Telehealth and the End of the PHE
The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) officially ended on May 11, but many Medicare telehealth flexibilities remain in place temporarily. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a fact sheet to provide clarity around federal telehealth flexibilities. HHS will release additional guidance on updates and timing relating to the continuation of these flexibilities in the coming weeks. Learn more about telehealth policy changes with the end of the PHE. Earlier this spring, NRHA sent a letter to HHS on PHE flexibilities we would like to see made permanent, including telehealth provisions, and we continue to advocate for legislative change in Congress.
GAO Released a Report on Rural Health Care Accessibility
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report titled, “Why Health Care is Harder to Access in Rural America.” The report found many rural residents face several challenges, including fewer health care providers, longer travel distances to get to health care, fewer transportation options, and less broadband internet. The report recommends that federal agencies learn more about the needs of rural residents and address the gaps in information regarding the healthcare needs of people living in rural areas. Join NRHA in fighting for rural health.
Good to Know! Read How PHE is Unwinding Resources
The PHE officially ended a week ago on May 11. NRHA is working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure rural providers aren’t left behind. Please review the following resources and reach out to the NRHA team with any questions:
CMS Has Proposed a Rule on SNF Prospective Payment System: Comments Have Been Requested
CMS released its fiscal year (FY) 2024 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System proposed rule. The proposed rule includes a 3.7% increase in payments to SNFs in FY 2024. This rule does not include the anticipated minimum staffing standards for nursing homes, which are expected later this spring. For more information, you can find NRHA’s full summary here. Please find CMS’ fact sheet here.
CMS Releases Inpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule: Comments Have Been Requested
CMS released the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule. NRHA’s full summary is available here. CMS also released a fact sheet. Key provisions include:
- Increased IPPS payments by 2.8% overall and 3.3% for rural hospitals.
- Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) provisions include codifying conversion guidance and allowing REHs to be Medicare Graduate Medical Education eligible sites.
- The proposed policy that hospitals reclassified as rural must be treated like geographically rural hospitals for wage index calculations.
- A safety net hospital request for information.
CMS Has Proposed Rules Regarding Medicaid and CHIP: Comments Have Been Requested
CMS released two proposed rules regarding Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP): Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services and Medicaid and CHIP Managed Care Access, Finance, and Quality. NRHA released summaries for both the access and managed care proposed rules. Comments on both proposed rules are due July 3, 2023, via regulations.gov.