The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded $15 million in planning grants to 20 states to support expanding community-based mobile crisis intervention services for Medicaid beneficiaries. By connecting people who are experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis to a behavioral health specialist or critical treatment, these services—which will be provided by funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP)— and will be available 24 hours per day, every day of the year, can help save lives. Importantly, these services can also help to reduce the reliance on law enforcement when people are experiencing a behavioral health crisis and, in turn, may help to prevent the unnecessary incarceration of people with serious mental illness or substance use disorders.

The planning grants—funded by the ARP—provide financial resources for state Medicaid agencies to assess community needs and develop programs to bring crisis intervention services directly to individuals who are experiencing a substance use-related or mental health crisis outside a hospital or facility setting. These grants will help states integrate community-based mobile crisis intervention services into their Medicaid programs, a critical component of establishing a sustainable and public health-focused crisis support network.

“The pandemic has taken a serious toll on the mental health of Americans, especially in underserved communities,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Through these awards, the Biden-Harris Administration is making a bold investment to highlight the importance of behavioral health and ensure states can provide vital services to those hardest hit by the pandemic. This funding from the American Rescue Plan will expand access to crisis care for everyone—and reach people where they are.”

“With these grants, CMS is taking strides to connect individuals in crisis with the high-quality, expert care they need. Providing behavioral health care experts as alternatives to police is an example of how we can better help communities deliver on the behavioral health needs of all its residents,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.

The planning grants provide funding to develop, prepare for, and implement qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services under the Medicaid program. Grant funds can be used to support states’ assessments of their current services; strengthen capacity and information systems; ensure that services can be accessed 24 hours a day, every day of the year; provide behavioral health care training for multi-disciplinary teams; or seek technical assistance to develop State Plan Amendments (SPAs), demonstration applications, and waiver program requests under the Medicaid program.

On April 1, 2022, thanks to the ARP, all states will be eligible for a temporarily enhanced matching rate for implementing a qualified community-based mobile crisis intervention option in their Medicaid programs.

The period of performance for this grant will be from September 30, 2021, through September 29, 2022.

To view the list of CMS Award Recipients, please visit: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/benefits/behavioral-health-services/state-planning-grants-for-qualifying-community-based-mobile-crisis-intervention-services/index.html.

The number of states in which at least 35% of residents are obese has nearly doubled since 2018 – and disparities persist – according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Up from nine states in 2018 and 12 in 2019, the 2020 Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps show that 16 states now have an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware (new this year), Indiana, Iowa (new this year), Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio (new this year), Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (new this year), and West Virginia.

Disparities in obesity persist

Adult obesity prevalence by race, ethnicity, and location is based on self-reported height and weight data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Combined data from 2018-2020 show notable racial and ethnic disparities. Among states and territories with sufficient data^*:

• 0 states had an obesity prevalence at or above 35% among non-Hispanic Asian residents. However, some studies have indicated that the health risks associated with obesity may occur at a lower body mass index (BMI) for some people of Asian descent.
• 7 states had an obesity prevalence at or above 35% among non-Hispanic White residents.
• 22 states had an obesity prevalence at or above 35% among Hispanic residents.
• 35 states and the District of Columbia had an obesity prevalence at or above 35% among non-Hispanic Black residents.

Adults with obesity are at increased risk for many other serious health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and poorer mental health. Individuals should talk regularly with their healthcare provider about their body mass index, family history of chronic disease, current lifestyle, and health risks.

To change the current course of obesity will take a sustained, comprehensive effort from all parts of society. We will need to acknowledge existing health disparities and health inequities and address the social determinants of health such as poverty and lack of health care access if we are to ensure health equity. These maps help by showing where we need to focus efforts to prevent obesity and to support individuals with this disease.

Community-level data on adult obesity prevalence is available at the CDC’s PLACES website.

New Funding Opportunity Available!

Primary Care Training and Enhancement – Physician Assistant Rural Training (PCTE-PAR) Program: HRSA-22-044

The application deadline is December 9, 2021

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released this new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcement to develop and implement longitudinal clinical rotations for physician assistant students in primary care in rural areas.

The program will also support the training and development of preceptors in rural areas. This experience will provide Physician Assistant (PA) students the opportunity for longitudinal primary care clinical training experiences for a minimum of 8 weeks in rural areas. The program aims to meet the health workforce goal of increasing the distribution of primary care practitioners who are ready to practice in and lead the transformation of health care systems aimed at improving access, quality of care, and cost effectiveness in rural areas.

Up to 7 grantees will receive a total of approximately $2.1 million to support the clinical rotations for physician assistant students in primary care in rural areas.

Visit Grants.gov to apply.

Have questions?

Join the technical assistance webinar:

Date: September 21, 2021 Time: 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET

This webinar will provide information about the NOFO application and requirements.

For dial-in only:

• Phone Number: 833 568 8864
• Meeting ID: 161 965 7462
• Passcode: 77870792

Visit HRSA.gov for more information.

USDA unveiled a resource guide as part of National Preparedness Month to help rural communities seeking disaster resiliency and recovery assistance.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will award up to $20 million to entities in four states to improve health care in rural areas, the agency announced today.

The funding will be awarded through the Community Transformation Track under the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model. The CHART Model is intended to address disparities in health equity by improving access to quality health care and the sustainability of the health care system in rural communities. These funds will help test whether providing upfront funding, an innovative value-based payment, and operational flexibility can maintain or improve care quality and lower costs.

More than 57 million people live in rural communities across the United States. Rural residents tend to be older with more complicated health needs than their urban counterparts. In addition, rural communities often face challenges with access to care, financial viability, and the lack of infrastructure investments in some rural areas can negatively impact people’s health. Within rural areas, Black, Latino, and other communities of color experience greater access barriers and disparities in health outcomes. Rural residents may also have limited access to high-speed internet, hindering their ability to leverage online health care information and to participate in remote or telehealth visits with their health care practitioners.

CMS is awarding up to $5 million in cooperative agreement funding to each of the following entities:

• University of Alabama Birmingham
• State of South Dakota Department of Social Services
• Texas Health and Human Services Commission
• Washington State Healthcare Authority

CMS is excited that these four award recipients combined represent approximately 300,000 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries in their rural communities, including rural beneficiaries in Tribal communities. Additionally, each rural community will incorporate Medicaid participation with their respective state Medicaid agencies.

For more information, see the CHART Model webpage or contact the model team at CHARTModel@cms.hhs.gov.