- CMS: Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
- CMS: Medicare Program; FY 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Fiscal Year 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
- 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
Rural Healthy People 2030 Webinar Recording Available
A recording is now available of the recent Southwest Rural Health Research Center webinar on the Rural Healthy People initiative, including early results of the Rural Healthy People 2030 survey. The Southwest Rural Health Research Center at Texas A&M University with funding support from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy is conducting a survey as part of Rural Healthy People 2030, a project designed to understand the most important health priorities for rural Americans. This once-in-a-decade survey allows individuals who care about rural health to voice opinions on important topics for the health of rural individuals.
New Online Tool in Pennsylvania Aims to ID, Address Health Inequities
A new tool launched by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services can help providers and community organizations identify and address health inequities, state health experts say. The tool, an interactive data dashboard known as PA HEAT or the Pennsylvania Health Equity Analysis Tool, aims to give providers, community organizations and the public the opportunity to address health equity concerns in their communities.
NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRP) Application Cycle Open on September 1
The NIH LRPs are unique programs, with tremendous benefit to early-stage researchers, so we strongly encourage those that were not successful in getting their applications funded to apply again. Awardees can receive up to $100,000 of qualified educational debt repayment with a two-year contract.
The Extramural LRP application cycle will close on November 18, 2021. Be sure to visit our website to take advantage of our resources, and to learn more about eligibility requirements, application dates, and benefits of receiving an NIH LRP award!
U.S. House of Representatives Tees Up Infrastructure & Reconciliation Legislative Packages
The U.S. House of Representatives returned to Washington, D.C. to consider the bipartisan infrastructure package, which passed the Senate on August 10 (69-30). The House voted 220-212 along party lines to set a date for consideration of the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package and pass a $3.5 trillion budget resolution, teeing up the Build Back Better reconciliation package.
Timeline for final passage of the infrastructure package in the House of Representatives remains unclear, but NRHA is continuing to monitor developments on Capitol Hill. The Senate bill includes $65 billion for broadband connectivity buildout, with significant mention of rural. However, it does not include funding for hospital capital and extends Medicare sequestration for an additional year, until 2031. NRHA is continuing to urge Congress to amend the Senate bill, particularly the Medicare sequestration pay-for.
In terms of the Build Back Better reconciliation package, Senate Committees have been instructed to finalize the draft language for their portions of the text by September 15. Senate Democrats released an outline of what they hope to see included in the final package, which includes provisions to expand Medicare to include dental, vision, and hearing benefits and lowering the eligibility age, address health care provider shortages, improve health equity via maternal, behavioral, and racial justice health investments, and invest in community colleges and pandemic preparedness.
ED Visits Involving Dental Conditions
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) published a new statistical brief, “Emergency Department (ED) Visits Involving Dental Conditions, 2018.” This brief updates a similar report from 2009 and provides valuable information about dental-related ED visits. The brief reports that in 2018, there were more than 2 million dental-related emergency department (ED) visits, which represented 615.5 visits per 100,000 population. It is important to note that Pennsylvania is not one of the 40 states that participates in this database.
Geisinger Requiring COVID-19 Vaccine for All Employees
Officials called it “a necessary step to protect the health of our patients and their colleagues.”
Geisinger Health System announced Wednesday that all employees will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 15.
All workers must complete a Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccine series by October 15. All new employees will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment beginning on October 15, according to a release.
Officials called it “a necessary step to protect the health of our patients and their colleagues.”
The COVID-19 vaccine requirement includes all new employees, faculty, medical staff, residents, fellows, temporary workers, trainees, volunteers, students, and temporary staff, regardless of employer.
An exemption process is available for employees who have a documented and specific medical reason or sincerely held religious belief that preclude them from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
Geisinger claims that about 70 percent of employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
In a statement, Geisinger’s CEO said: “We understand that some employees who have consciously chosen to not get vaccinated may be disappointed by this decision. We hope they will understand that this is a necessary step to protect the health of our patients and their colleagues.”
Officials say they want to focus on educating employees about the benefits of the vaccine first, but those who continue to refuse will be terminated.
USDA On Track to Provide Record-Breaking Support for Rural Working Capital Needs in Fiscal Year 2021
Investments Will Help Create or Save Jobs in Rural Pennsylvania
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson announced that USDA is on track to provide a record level of support for rural working capital and other business capital needs in fiscal year 2021.
The Department has invested $1.2 billion in loan guarantees to help rural businesses in 41 states as well as Guam and the Virgin Islands. These investments – made through the Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program and the Business and Industry CARES Act Program – are expected to create or save more than 12,000 jobs for people in rural areas.
“Under the leadership of President Biden, Vice President Harris and Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, USDA is expanding access to capital to prioritize rural economic development,” Maxson said. “As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and restore the economy, USDA remains committed to helping rural businesses create job opportunities so rural Americans can build back better and stronger than ever before.”
USDA has invested $811 million through the Business and Industry (B&I) Loan Guarantee Program since the start of the current fiscal year. This assistance has helped businesses create or save more than 6,000 jobs in rural areas. In Pennsylvania, this program included investments of more than $9 million with several jobs created and saved.
Investments under the B&I program are 36 percent higher than they were this time last year. Applications have increased by 44 percent. These increases are due in part to a series of program improvements USDA adopted under the new OneRD Guarantee Loan Initiative.
This initiative increased the USDA loan guarantee to 80 percent for investments greater than $5 million. The previous guarantee percentages were 70 percent for loans less than $10 million and 60 percent for loans greater than $10 million. This improvement has made the program more attractive to capital-intensive businesses such as manufacturing companies.
USDA also invested $380 million in rural businesses through the Business and Industry CARES Act Program, which was established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This assistance has helped rural businesses create or save more than 6,000 jobs in rural areas. In Pennsylvania, this CARES program included investments of about $2 million that created four jobs and saved twelve.
To learn more about business investment resources for Pennsylvania’s rural areas, interested parties should contact the Business and Cooperative Programs Director, David Foster, at (717) 237-2181 or David.Foster@usda.gov.
To learn more, visit www.rd.usda.gov/pa.
If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
Oral Symptoms During COVID-19
More than 40 percent of patients with COVID-19 experienced dry mouth, according to a review published in the Journal of Dental Research that looked at the prevalence of oral symptoms associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Taste disorders and oral lesions were also common in infected patients.
Will Primary Care Disappear by 2026?
Primary care is facing “existential threats,” and primary care clinicians are worried, according to the most recent survey from the Larry A. Green Center and the Primary Care Collaborative. Fully 40 percent of respondents say they worry that primary care will be gone in five years, and 21 percent say they expect to leave primary care within three years. Many clinicians see a role for the federal government in changing policy in primary care. Their top request: Protect primary care as a “common good” that is available to anyone regardless of ability to pay.
CMS Revises Guidance on Resuming Normal Medicaid Operations Post-Public Health Emergency
On August 13, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its highly anticipated revisions to previous guidance on the resumption of normal Medicaid operations (or “unwinding”) when the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) expires. Key revisions to previous guidance include:
- Extending the timeframe for completing pending eligibility and enrollment actions to up to 12 months post-PHE
- This does not change previous guidance on resuming timely processing of applications within four months post-PHE.
- Completing an additional redetermination for individuals determined ineligible for Medicaid during the PHE
- This rescinds the option under previous guidance for states to rely on an eligibility action processed within six months of the date of coverage termination post-PHE. In effect, the six-month “lookback” option for an eligibility action is no longer available.
- States must make a full redetermination prior to taking an adverse action with respect to any beneficiary.
- CMS reiterates that 30 days for beneficiary response to state requests to verify eligibility, along with minimum of 10 days of advance notice and fair hearing rights prior to termination or other adverse action, are required.
- States must take steps to transition beneficiaries determined ineligible to other insurance affordability programs.
CMS reminds states of the requirement in previous guidance to adopt one of four risk-based approaches to prioritize completion of pending work. CMS encourages states to revise any existing plans considering the new 12-month timeframe for this work. CMS will require states to consider the promotion of coverage continuity within the state’s chosen risk-based strategy. More guidance will be issued on this topic and to assist states in establishing renewal workloads that will be sustainable into the future.