- 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
- 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
- Comments Requested on Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit Draft
Register Today for NRHA’s RHC and CAH Virtual Conferences
Join for NRHA’s Rural Health Clinic and Critical Access Hospital Conferences, the association’s fastest-growing events for a reason, hosted virtually for the first time. Take advantage of the educational and networking opportunities designed for clinic and hospital professionals and board members serving rural America. If you register for both events, you can save $100 on your total registration cost. A draft agenda for both conferences can be found here.
NRHA’s September Grassroots Call
Your voices and perspectives are incredibly valuable. Each month, the NRHA team hosts a Grassroots Call to deliver an update of what is moving on Capitol Hill and learn more from NRHA grassroots advocates. This call also enables NRHA to supply in-depth explanations behind their advocacy efforts and how you can help. Their goal is to empower NRHA members with the information they need to advocate on behalf of NRHA legislative/regulatory priorities. The September Grassroots Advocacy Call will be held on Wednesday, September 30th at 2PM EST. NRHA looks forward to hearing from you! Register in advance for this meeting, and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
NRHA Appropriations & COVID-19 Relief Package Updates
Unfortunately, efforts to pass an additional COVID-19 relief package have stalled on Capitol Hill. While there are rumors that a bill could still come together, they are largely just that: rumors. NRHA is continuing to advocate that Capitol Hill include a list of rural health care priorities in any potential COVID-19 relief package, but the prospects remain bleak. Instead, Capitol Hill’s attention has shifted to the September 30th federal funding cliff. NRHA expects a clean continuing resolution (CR) to be passed in the coming weeks, but the CR’s end date is still up for debate. Republicans are in favor of setting the CR end date in mid-December, while Democrats are hoping for a CR that extends well into the new year, likely February. NRHA will continue to keep our members apprised of any new appropriations legislation, which will likely come together in the next few days.
Advocacy on behalf of 340B Continues
In a new, bipartisan letter, 28 senators joined NRHA in requesting HHS Secretary Alex Azar to urge the Health Resources and HRSA to exercise its authority to protect the 340B Drug Pricing Program from ongoing attacks by pharmaceutical manufacturers. Earlier, on the other side of the Capitol, the House letter, led by Representatives McKinley and DeGette, was also sent to Secretary Azar. NRHA applauds the work done in both the House and Senate to defend and protect this invaluable lifeline. Their calls echo NRHA’s letter to Secretary Azar late last month.
Sen. Hyde-Smith Questions Experts on Overcoming COVID-19 Challenges Unique to Rural Areas
During Wednesday’s Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) asked Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield how the agency is handling unique rural challenges in relation to COVID-19. His answer? Rural partnerships. NRHA is thankful for the work being done at CDC and is excited to continue to work together to protect rural health.
CMS Issues Notice of Funding Opportunity for CHART Model
President Trump signed the “Executive Order on Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access,” which directed the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to create a new, rural payment model. On August 11th, CMMI unveiled the details of their new model, the Community Health and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model. Wednesday, CMS announced the Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Community Transformation Track within the CHART Model. This track will provide up-front funding to up to 15 rural communities across the country. CMS is accepting grant applications now.
Trump Administration Distributes $25M to Rural Organizations to Combat the Opioid Epidemic
HHS Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan tweeted HRSA’s intent to distribute an additional $25 million to rural organizations fighting the opioid epidemic. NRHA applauds the Administration’s continued work to fund and build upon the success of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP).
Trump Administration Reveals COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan
HHS and the Department of Defense (DOD) released their joint vaccination plan ‘From the Factories to the Frontline.’ This plan was released after months of planning and gathering information from stakeholders in the wake of Congress’ passage of the CARES Act, which included Operation Warp Speed. Operation Warp Speed is the plan to advance and fund several different potential vaccinations in the hopes of identifying a viable vaccination quickly. In reference to rural America, the Administration displayed their commitment to equitable delivery saying:
“HHS is also committed to ensuring rural populations can receive the vaccine, and has decades of experience working with public health partners addressing the needs of hard-to-reach populations. CDC will work with local communities, governments, and other partners to identify the best places and times to reach this population and utilize strategic distribution points via community health centers, schools, workplaces, mobile clinics, and pharmacies.”
CMS Removes Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Regulation (MFAR) from Regulatory Agenda
On Monday, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma tweeted the agency’s decision to remove MFAR from their regulatory agenda: a major regulatory win for NRHA and members. It was projected that MFAR would cost providers severely, specifically in rural America. NRHA continues to advocate CMS to remove other, unnecessary regulations from their agenda, most notably the Price Transparency regulation. This decision was a great step in the right direction, but NRHA and its members are continuing to advocate CMS to remove other gratuitous regulatory burdens on behalf of rural providers.
Capitol Hill Rural Advocates of the Week: September 14th-18th, 2020
For the inaugural week, NRHA is highlighting the fantastic efforts of Representative David McKinley (R-WV) and Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO), who led a letter in the House of Representatives to stand up to pharmaceutical manufacturers attacking the 340B Drug Pricing Program. Representatives McKinley and DeGette corralled a coalition of nearly 250 bipartisan Members to denounce their actions and request U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar urge the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to exert regulatory authority to rein in these unwarranted attacks.