- 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
Vaccines National Strategic Plan
On Jan. 19, the U.S. Department of Human Health Services (HHS) released its Vaccines National Strategic Plan: 2021–2025 that is focused on protection across the lifespan. View the plan here.
USPSTF Statement on Systemic Racism in Preventive Care
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has published an editorial, “The USPSTF Values Statement and Actions to Address Systemic Racism Through Clinical Preventive Services,” in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Authored by members of the Task Force, this editorial affirms that, while clinical preventive services improve health and well-being, systemic racism in the healthcare system prevents many Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic/Latino people from fully benefitting from these services. The editorial also advances a roadmap designed to address systemic racism and help eliminate health inequities.
The FQHC Story on Oral Health Value-Based Care
With Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) serving as a point of care for more than 28 million patients, many of whom are uninsured, living in poverty and located in rural areas, these social determinants of health create chronic conditions, including a disproportionate burden of oral disease. FQHCs have been at the forefront of providing comprehensive, person-centered health care that has been facilitated by better access to technology infrastructure and coordinated primary care delivery. As such, a series of analyses were performed by the DentaQuest Partnership using three data sources to explore health outcomes and service provision in an FQHC population compared to non-FQHC populations. Click here to read more.
Medicaid Expansion Saved Hospitals an Average of $6.4 Million
Hospitals in Medicaid expansion states saved an average of $6.4 million on uncompensated care, according to a study published in Health Affairs. Uncompensated care made up six percent of total expenses for hospitals in non-expansion states in 2017, double the amount for those located in states that had expanded the program. “As COVID-19 has brought hospitals to a time of great need, findings from this study provide important information on what hospitals in states that have yet to expand Medicaid could gain through expansion and what is at risk should any reversal of Medicaid expansions occur”. Read more.
Vaccine Shortage Won’t Last Forever
Pfizer and Moderna currently have the market on COVID-19 vaccination, but if all goes well, that won’t be true much longer. COVID-19 has existed for barely more than a year, but 64 vaccines are in clinical development and another 173 in preclinical development worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Dozens of hopefuls are in clinical trials in the U.S. The two inching closest to the finish line here—by Oxford-AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson—although behind original schedules, could win emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as soon as this spring. Unfortunately, this week Merck announced it has halted development of two potential vaccines for the coronavirus, citing data that showed a lack of immune response.
CDC Changes COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance to Okay Mixing Pfizer and Moderna Shots
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) quietly changed its guidance on COVID-19 vaccinations, saying it is okay to mix use of Pfizer’s and Moderna vaccine for first and second doses in “exceptional situations” and that it’s also fine to wait up to six weeks to get the second shot of either company’s two-dose immunization. While Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines, which both use messenger RNA technology, were authorized to be given 21 and 28 days apart, respectively, the CDC now says you can receive either shot so long as they are given at least 28 days apart, according to new guidance posted Thursday on its website. Read more.
New MA Bulletin Updates Vaccine Administration Fees
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS), Office of Medical Assistance Programs has issued a new bulletin. The purpose of this bulletin is to inform Medical Assistance (MA) providers about updates related to billing and payment for the administration of the novel coronavirus (SARSCoV-2) vaccines, effective Dec. 1, 2020. MAB 01-20-59 advised providers that the administration fee for first and second doses was $10.00. The new administration fee, going back to Dec. 1, 2020, is now $16.94 for the first dose and $28.39 for the second dose. The new fees are based on what Medicare is paying for first and second dose administration and publication of the bulletin indicates DHS received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to pay at Medicare rates. DHS will also pay FQHCs/RHCs for COVID-19 vaccination not affiliated with an FQHC/RHC encounter at Medicare rates, but has not yet published the MA Bulletin affirming this.
Buprenorphine Waiver Changes for Healthcare Staff
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a rule change to allow physicians to prescribe buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) without a waiver. The move by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) eliminates the eight-hour X-waiver course physicians were required to complete by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) before prescribing buprenorphine treatment. Physician assistants, nurse practitioners and other approved advanced practice nurses will still need to obtain an X-waiver before prescribing buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD. For more information on this change please visit the HHS website.
340B Recertification Deadline March 1
The 340B recertification process is open Feb. 1-Mar. 1, 2020. Covered entities that do not recertify by the deadline of Monday, March 1, will be terminated from the HRSA 340B Program starting on Tuesday, March 2. They will require a new registration and will not be eligible to participate in the 340B Program until July. To recertify, Authorizing Officials and Primary Contacts must first set up user accounts by visiting the HRSA 340B Office of Pharmacy Affairs Information System (340B OPAIS) and choosing “I am a participant.” It is the covered entity’s responsibility to ensure they have created their accounts before recertification to allow successful completion of the process. For questions or assistance, email the 340B call center or call 888-340-2787, Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-6:00 pm.
Marketplace Enrollment Increased for 2021
Pennie ended the 2021 Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment period on January 15 with more than 337,000 Pennsylvanians gaining coverage through our new state-based exchange. This is about a 1.8 percent increase over 2020 enrollment numbers. Consumers on average saw a four percent reduction in premium costs. PACHC affiliated enrollment assisters fielded more than 1900 requests for appointments through Pennie’s online appointment request form. According to data collected by Pennie, assisters who were able to claim and access their Pennie Account enrolled more than 2,000 consumers in health plans. PACHC hosted our first virtual Outreach and Enrollment 2021 Debrief session this week, where assisters were able to provide feedback and answer polling questions regarding consumer and assister experience. Staff from Pennie were present and appreciated the valuable feedback from our assister community which will inform decisions for the 2022 enrollment period.