- 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
- 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
HRSA launches #TelehealthTuesday campaign
HRSA has kicked off the #TelehealthTuesday social media campaign to spotlight Telehealth.HHS.gov as the trusted place for telehealth information for patients and providers. Every Tuesday, join HRSA and follow #TelehealthTuesday on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn as they highlight tips, best practices, and other resources to ensure telehealth success. Telehealth is convenient and easy, and an important tool, especially during the COVID-19 public health emergency. On Telehealth.HHS.gov providers can find everything they need to know about telehealth, including policy and reimbursement updates, “how to” information, and implementation resources. Patients can get tips and information about the types of services they can receive via telehealth and what to expect from a telehealth appointment.
Learn more at telehealth.hhs.gov.
National Rural Health Day is November 19
Join HRSA as they celebrate National Rural Health Day on Thursday, November 19. HRSA Administrator Tom Engels will kick off the day with opening remarks at 10 a.m. ET, followed by a welcome from Chair of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, Jeff Colyer.
Also featured will be a presentation by HRSA’s rural grantees discussing their resiliency and innovation during the COVID-19 public health emergency. HRSA will host a variety of events throughout the week which are open to the public.
View the agenda showcasing information and resources from across HRSA and HHS.
CDC Foundation COVID-19 Communications Toolkit
The non-profit supporting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers this collection of resources that help local public health agencies communicate about the pandemic.
CMS Finalizes CY2021 Payment Rules for Home Health
On November 4, CMS finalized Medicare payment policy updates for home health providers that are effective January 1, 2021. The rule includes an overall payment rate increase of $410 million that rural areas will experience as 1.5 percent greater than last year. Other policy updates are related to rural add-on payments, remote patient monitoring, and the home infusion therapy benefit. CMS finalized using the September 14, 2018 OMB Bulletin for delineations for Core-Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs), so several counties changed status as to whether they are rural or urban. CMS included a transition period to mitigate any potential decreases in payments.
Final Rule on Price Transparency for Private Insurance
In this final rule, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury are requiring individual and group health insurers, by 2023, to offer online tools for consumers to estimate how much they will have to pay out-of-pocket for health care items and services before receiving care. The rule also requires that by 2022 insurers publically display their negotiated rates for in-network providers; their historical payments to out-of-network providers; and their in-network negotiated rates and historical net prices for prescription drugs.
New Toolkit for Long-term Services and Supports
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) developed this toolkit to support states’ efforts to rebalance long-term services and supports (LTSS), so there is an equitable balance between services and supports delivered in-home and community-based settings relative to institutional care. The kit includes strategies to increase the share of LTSS provided in community-based settings; tools to assist with policy and programmatic changes; case studies of innovative programs; and links to relevant resources.
Comments Requested: Medicare Advantage Advance Notice Part II – November 30
Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released Part II of the Calendar Year 2022 Advance Notice of Methodological Changes for Medicare Advantage (MA) Capitation Rates and Part C and Part D Payment Policies for public comment. It includes estimates of changes in payments to MA plans and requests input on future quality measures and concepts for the MA and Prescription Drug plan Star Ratings system, which helps beneficiaries to compare plans. Find more information here.
ONC Interim Final Rule on Pandemic-Related Health IT
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) is accepting comments on an Interim Final Rule, effective on December 4, pertaining to Information Blocking and the ONC Health IT Certification Program that were outlined in the ONC Cures Act Final Rule released in March 2020. Find more information here.
States Turn to Telehealth During the Pandemic
With funding support from the Health Resources and Services Administration, the National Conference of State Legislatures provides details of more than 79 bills changing telehealth policies in 36 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
USDA: The Meatpacking Industry During COVID-19
The Economic Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides data on rural counties where meatpacking is the primary employer, and where confirmed cases are higher than in other rural areas.