Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced efforts to make it easier for rural healthcare providers to access funding for high-speed broadband connections and telecommunications services.  Four new proposals for the FCC’s Rural Health Care Program are intended to make it easier for providers to receive support, reduce delays in funding commitments, and improve the overall efficiency of the program.  Public response to FCC proposals in February 2022 brought about the current changes that include the way service rates are determined and invoiced.  The Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking announced on January 26 includes fine-tuning rules for determining rural and urban rates, and making it easier for healthcare providers to receive funding as soon as they become eligible.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a Special Enrollment Period for qualified beneficiaries of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Between March 31, 2023, and July 31, 2024, CMS will allow Marketplace-eligible consumers to submit a new application or update an existing application through HealthCare.gov. A recently released study, conducted pre-pandemic, showed that nearly two-thirds of disenrolled beneficiaries had a period of uninsurance.  Healthcare providers and other community-based organizations can assist with outreach to individuals and families who may lose coverage. To help you better understand what states can do, the nonprofit State Health & Value Strategies provides two resources for state Medicaid agencies, state-based marketplaces, labor departments, and employers.  The first is an issue brief discussing strategies for helping people understand and navigate their coverage options.  A companion brief describes the importance of a Medicaid disenrollment survey to monitor coverage changes (p. 4) associated with the unwinding of continuous enrollment.

 The FORHP-supported Rural Health Resource Center provides ongoing technical assistance to health providers nationwide through reports, webinars, podcasts, toolkits, and other media. Responding to feedback from stakeholders, they’ve redesigned their website to make it easier to navigate and use.

  Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced more than $35 million in grants awarded for projects that support “cradle-to-career” solutions for low-income students through the Department’s Promise Neighborhoods program.  The national nonprofit Partners for Rural Impact is one of the newest Promise Neighborhood grantees, supporting two schools in Hazard, Kentucky, where the U.S. Secretary of Education made the announcement.

   To inform future planning, HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) seeks perspectives on the federal program that aims to reduce disparities for mothers and babies. Respondents need not answer every question in the Request for Information, but MCHB would like to know about both challenges and innovations in rural areas. Respond by February 3.

 Hospitals interested in residency slots that will be supported by Medicare in Fiscal Year 2024 must apply through the Medicare Electronic Application Request Information (MEARIS™) by March 31. This is the second of five rounds of awards; the first 200 slots were awarded earlier this month.  Rural hospitals are among the facility types eligible to establish new programs or expand existing residency programs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will prioritize training sites located in Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and Tribal facilities located outside of a HPSA. For more information, see the Frequently Asked Questions and the application submission process guide.  Applications are Due March 31.

  HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) offers programs that support thousands of healthcare sites and tens of thousands of providers at these sites. This new interactive map is updated daily with a comprehensive view of BHW program sites, Health Professional Shortage Areas, and other relevant health workforce data sets.