- 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-Harris Administration Takes Historic Action to Increase Access to Quality Care, and Support to Families and Care Workers
- Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don't Meet Them.
- Rural Jails Turn to Community Health Workers To Help the Newly Released Succeed
- Rural Communities Face Primary Care Physician Shortage
- Miles for Milk: How Student-Run Grocery Store Reshaped Rural Community's Food Access
- Native Americans Have Shorter Life Spans, and It's Not Just Due to Lack of Health Care
- Promotoras Play Essential Role in Connecting Farmworkers with Health Care in Rural NorCal
- Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise
- Using Medicaid to Address Young People's Mental Health Needs in School Settings
- Sunsets, Wildlife and Limited Care: Challenges of Aging in Place in Rural America
- City-Country Mortality Gap Widens amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access
- Tribal Environmental Impact Network
New Video on Collecting Industry and Occupation Data Now Available
NIOSH has released a video to help researchers and public health practitioners collect text descriptions of industry and occupation information when completing surveys, infectious disease case reports, and other health-related data. The video addresses the importance of collecting these data in public health datasets. It also discusses best practices for collecting such data. Watch the video and learn more about industry and occupation data on our website.
Lung Cancer Awareness Month Highlights Opportunities for Research and Prevention
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. It is a time to emphasize better community awareness of this mostly preventable disease that remains a major cause of illness and death. In 2017, data showed 221,121 new cases and 145,849 deaths from lung cancer in the United States. This was the greatest number of deaths caused by any type of cancer.
Lung cancer does not have to take such a massive toll. In 1912, it was described as “one of the rarest forms of cancer.”
Unfortunately, the subsequent widespread adoption of smoking led to an epidemic of lung cancer [1]. CDC notes that even now, 9 out of 10 lung cancers are caused by smoking cigarettes.
Restaurants in Pennsylvania Can Safely Increase Indoor Capacity to 50 Percent with Self-Certification
Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Dennis Davin and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding reminded Pennsylvania restaurant, bar and club owners that they may increase indoor capacity from 25 percent to 50 percent through self-certification, which will increase consumer confidence but will not lead to additional inspections or penalties.
“Contrary to what business owners may have heard, the self-certification process will not create any negative impacts, lead to increased inspections, or pose threats or penalties,” said Sec. Davin. “Rather, this process is a win-win for both restaurants and consumers, as it will inspire consumer confidence and lead to increased patronage and sales.”
As of November 2, nearly 8,300 restaurants—or approximately 32 percent of all restaurants—have self-certified. The self-certification process is still open for restaurants that wish to self-certify. There is no cost to self-certification.
Restaurants can access the online self-certification form on PA.GOV/COVID. Self-certification enables restaurants, private social clubs and food service businesses that serve dine-in, sit down food in a regular, non-event capacity to increase indoor occupancy to 50 percent while adhering to mitigation efforts that will keep employees and customers safe.
The occurrence of regularly scheduled or complaint-based inspections from enforcement agencies will not be affected by certification status. In fact, certifying proves that a business is committed to protecting employees and providing patrons a safe dining experience.
“We encourage all Pennsylvania restaurants to take advantage of this opportunity to both increase capacity and improve visibility of your business,” said Sec. Redding. “Now more than ever, Pennsylvanians want to make educated dining decisions to keep their families safe. Self-certification gives restaurant owners a tool to reassure customers that they are working to keep them, and the staff who serve them, safe.”
The Wolf Administration has released Frequently Asked Questions as a reference for restaurant owners and the public, along with updated restaurant guidance.
Business owners with additional questions about the self-certification program can contact covidselfcert@pa.gov.
Are You Eligible for Assistance Through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2?
Signup for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) began on Sept. 21, 2020 and will continue through Dec. 11, 2020. CFAP 2 provides eligible producers with direct financial assistance due to market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19.
Many more commodities are eligible for CFAP 2 than CFAP 1. Our new, easy-to-use CFAP 2 Eligible Commodities Finder makes finding payment rates specific to your operation simple.
Try it out here.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Announces PA Farm Show Fall Food Fest
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced that Pennsylvanians can get their PA Farm Show food fix at an outdoor Fall Food Fest in November. The fest will take place at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center from November 13-15, 2020.
“While our traditional Pennsylvania Farm Show in January has transitioned to virtual with public health and safety in mind, we know that everyone’s been wondering how they’ll get their favorite Farm Show foods,” said Redding. “The answer is the Fall Food Fest!
“We’re excited to welcome some of your Farm Show fan favorites to the fest – including milkshakes, fried mushrooms, French fries, pulled pork and more – along with some loyal food truck vendors,” added Redding. “We hope Pennsylvanians will come out to support, and taste, Pennsylvania agriculture.”
The Fall Food Fest will take place in the North Lot of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center from Friday, November 13 through Sunday, November 15. Vendors will be open from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily.
While the fest will not include the full offering of the traditional Farm Show food court, many fan favorites will be available from the following vendors:
- PA Dairymen’s Association (Saturday & Sunday only)
- PA Livestock Association
- PA Mushroom Farmers
- PA Potato Growers
- Snyder’s Concessions
- Rachel’s Soft Pretzels (Friday only)
- Forrests Feeds Co.
- German Roasted Nuts
- Uglies Acres
- Hillbilly Jerky
- Whispering Brooke Cheese Haus
- Chocolate Moonshine
- Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association
A full menu of product offerings is available online.
“We’re thrilled to see a new event at the PA Farm Show Complex & Expo Center,” said Visit Hershey & Harrisburg President & CEO Mary Smith. “The facility and its hardworking staff are a crucial component of the region’s local economy and tourism success. We applaud the extraordinary efforts made to safely host the Fall Food Fest in our destination.”
Parking is free for this outdoor event, where food and beverages will be available for purchase to grab-and-go only. Onsite seating will not be available. Masks are required onsite and patrons are asked to be respectful of six-foot social distance while waiting in vendor lines.
The virtual 2021 Pennsylvania Farm Show is scheduled to take place from Saturday, January 9-Saturday, January 16, 2021. Virtual events will be focused on education and awareness for both the general public and the agriculture industry.
In Pennsylvania, COVID-19 is Now a Rural, Urban, and Suburban Problem
The coronavirus first entered Pennsylvania with a vengeance in the Philadelphia region. Much of the rest of the state was spared as hospitalizations and deaths mounted here and farther north.
During the summer, the virus concentrated on Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania, said Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania’s secretary of health.
Now, maps of infections show a new pattern. “It’s everywhere,” Levine said. Just as the virus has taken off in Midwestern and Western states that had previously seen little infection, it is spreading in Pennsylvania’s rural counties, along with smaller cities and the big metropolitan areas. Only a few sparsely populated counties have still seen little of the virus, she said.
Some of the places with the highest incidence rates — cases per 100,000 in population — are counties that usually don’t make much news: Huntingdon, Bradford, Montour, and Lackawanna. Some smaller Southeastern Pennsylvania counties — Lebanon, Schuylkill, and Berks — also have rates well above the state average. Philadelphia and Delaware Counties are also above the state average incidence rate, while nearby Bucks, Chester and Montgomery are below it.
CMS’ New One-Stop Nursing Home Resource Center Assists Providers, Caregivers, Residents
On October 30, CMS launched a new online platform – the Nursing Home Resource Center – to serve as a centralized hub bringing together the latest information, guidance, and data on nursing homes that is important to facilities, frontline providers, residents, and their families, especially as the fight against COVID-19 continues.
The Resource Center consolidates all nursing home information, guidance, and resources into a user-friendly, one-stop-shop that is easily navigable so providers and caregivers can spend less time searching for critical answers and more time caring for residents. Moreover, the new platform contains features specific to residents and their families, ensuring they have the information needed to make empowered decisions about their health care.
With the new page, people can efficiently navigate all facility inspection reports and data – including COVID-19 pandemic and Public Health Emergency (PHE) information. This tool will remain active through and beyond the COVID-19 PHE.
Full text of News Alert.
Home Health Agencies: CY 2021 Payment and Policy Changes and Home Infusion Therapy Benefit
On October 29, CMS issued a final rule that finalizes routine updates to the home health payment rates for Calendar Year (CY) 2021 in accordance with existing statutory and regulatory requirements. This rule also finalizes the regulatory changes related to the use of telecommunications technology in providing care under the Medicare home health benefit.
CMS estimates that Medicare payments to Home Health Agencies (HHAs) in CY 2021 will increase in the aggregate by 1.9 percent, or $390 million, based on the finalized policies. This increase reflects the effects of the 2.0 percent home health payment update percentage ($410 million increase) and a 0.1 percent decrease in payments due to reductions in the rural add-on percentages mandated by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 for CY 2021 ($20 million decrease). This rule also updates the home health wage index including the adoption of revised Office of Management and Budget statistical area delineations and limiting any decreases in a geographic area’s wage index value to no more than 5 percent in CY 2021.
This final rule also:
- Finalizes Medicare enrollment policies for qualified home infusion therapy suppliers
- Updates the home infusion therapy services payment rates for CY 2021
- Finalizes a policy excluding home infusion therapy services from home health services as required by law
- Finalizes policies under the Home Health Value Based Purchasing Model published in the interim final rule with comment period, as required by law
For More Information:
- Final rule
- Home Health Prospective Payment System website
- HHA Center webpage
- Home Health Patient-Driven Groupings Model webpage
- Home Infusion Therapy Services website
- Full text of Fact Sheet
ESRD PPS: CY 2021 Payment Policies and Rates
On November 2, CMS issued a final rule that updates payment policies and rates under the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Prospective Payment System (PPS) for renal dialysis services furnished to beneficiaries enrolled in Original Medicare on or after January 1, 2021. This rule also updates the Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) dialysis payment rate for renal dialysis services furnished by ESRD facilities to individuals with AKI and finalizes changes to the ESRD Quality Incentive Program.
The final CY 2021 ESRD PPS base rate is $253.13, which represents an increase of $13.80 to the current base rate of $239.33. This amount reflects the application of the updated wage index budget-neutrality adjustment factor (.999485), the addition to the base rate of $9.93 to include calcimimetics, and a productivity-adjusted market basket increase, as required by section 1881(b)(14)(F)(i)(I) of the Act (1.6 percent), equaling $253.13 (($239.33 x .999485) + $9.93 x 1.016 = $253.13).
CMS finalized the following:
- Update to the ESRD PPS wage index to adopt the 2018 Office of Management and Budget delineations with a transition period
- Changes to the eligibility criteria and determination process for the Transitional add-on Payment adjustment for New and Innovative Equipment and Supplies (TPNIES)
- Expansion of the TPNIES to include new and innovative capital-related assets that are home dialysis machines
- Change to the low-volume payment adjustment eligibility criteria and attestation requirement to account for the COVID-19 public health emergency
For More Information:
- Final rule
- Press release
- Full text of fact sheet
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls
CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts.
Call details are below. Conference lines are limited so we highly encourage you to join via audio webcast, either on your computer or smartphone web browser. You are welcome to share this invitation with your colleagues and professional networks. These calls are not intended for the press.
Calls recordings and transcripts are posted on the CMS podcast page at: https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/OpenDoorForums/PodcastAndTranscripts
CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Calls (twice a month on Tuesday at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern)
Office Hour Calls provide an opportunity for hospitals, health systems, and providers to ask questions of agency officials regarding CMS’s temporary actions that empower local hospitals and healthcare systems to:
- Increase Hospital Capacity – CMS Hospitals Without Walls;
- Rapidly Expand the Healthcare Workforce;
- Put Patients Over Paperwork; and
- Further Promote Telehealth in Medicare
Next Office Hours:
Tuesday, November 3rd at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 2394789
Audio Webcast link: https://engage.vevent.com/rt/cms2/index.jsp?seid=2612
For the most current information including call schedule changes, please click here
To keep up with the important work the White House Task Force is doing in response to COVID-19 click here: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=36fa2226-6aae0b0d-36fa1319-0cc47a6d17cc-2d06c219f858d641&u=http://www.coronavirus.gov/. For information specific to CMS, please visit the Current Emergencies Website.