- CMS: Medicare Program; Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction Model
- CMS: Secretarial Comments on the CBE's (Battelle Memorial Institute) 2024 Activities: Report to Congress and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
- HHS: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Marketplace Integrity and Affordability
- HRSA Announces Action to Lower Out-of-Pocket Costs for Life-Saving Medications at Health Centers Nationwide
- Public Inspection: HHS: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Marketplace Integrity and Affordability
- Increased Risk of Cyber Threats Against Healthcare and Public Health Sector
- Eight Hospitals Selected for First Cohort of Rural Hospital Stabilization Program
- Announcing the 2030 Census Disclosure Avoidance Research Program
- CMS: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2026 Rates; Requirements for Quality Programs; and Other Policy Changes; Correction
- CMS: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2026 Rates; Requirements for Quality Programs; and Other Policy Changes; Correction
- CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly; Correction
- CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly; Correction
- 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
New Report: Community Impact and Benefit Activities of CAHs, Other Rural, and Urban Hospitals, 2018
The Flex Monitoring Team has released a new report on the community impact and benefit activities of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), rural non-CAHs, and urban hospitals. The report enables State Flex Programs and CAH administrators to compare the community impact and benefit profiles of CAHs nationally to the performance of CAHs in their state.
The report may be found in the link below. Pages 1-5 provide national data with key findings, and pages 6-95 provide state-specific tables. Shortcut links to each state’s tables are at the bottom of page 5.
The report may accessed here or on the Flex Monitoring Team website.
RWJ: Five Principles to Help Communities Recover from COVID-19
As the United States reports over 100,000 deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic, some people-especially people of color, families with low incomes, and other marginalized communities-are suffering disproportionately. They are also the communities whose health could be hardest hit if states rush to reopen without a robust, fair plan.
If your state and local leaders are weighing how best to reopen and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, consider five principles that we believe should be embedded in those decisions.
Read: 5 Principles to Help Communities Recover from COVID-19 >
Covid-19 Crisis Puts Pressure on Farmers’ Mental Health
By Natalie Krebs
Studies have found the rates of mental illness and suicide are higher for farmers. They work long hours, have limited social contact and are at the mercy of factors such as weather. Now the COVID-19 pandemic is creating even greater challenges to their livelihood—and mental health.
Coronavirus Is Coming for Wildland Firefighters. They’re Not Ready.
By Zoya Teirstein
Keeping wildland firefighting crews safe this year will require a significant shift in the way the country fights wildfires. So far, the changes haven’t materialized.
Rural Counties with Covid-19 Cases from Meatpacking Have Infection Rates 5 Times Higher
By Leah Douglas and Tim Marema
A one-of-a-kind data set shows the statistical relationship between meatpacking and the spread of Covid-19 in rural America. Information compiled by the Food & Environment Reporting Network shows how meatpacking counties have some of the highest infection rates in the United States.
USDA Provides State Fact Sheets on Rural Economy and Population
The Economic Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) frequently provides information on population, income, poverty, and food security, among other economic indicators. Data are available for all States, and for metro/non-metro breakouts within states, and links to county-level data are provided where available. The State Fact Sheets were updated May 13, 2020. Statistics on population and employment have been updated with the latest available data (2019).
Two New Requests for Information from the Health Resources and Services Administration
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) are seeking public input and feedback to inform policy consideration related to the establishment of Maternity Care Health Professional Target Areas and scoring criteria for Helath Professional Shortage Areas. Both request for information (RFIs) are due September 18th, and responses should be emailed to RFIComments@HRSA.gov and reference either “Maternity Care Health Professional Target Area RFI” or “Health Professional Shortage Area Scoring Criteria RFI” in the subject line.
House Appropriations Committee ‘Pumps the Breaks’
The House Appropriations Committee (HAC) will likely pursue a less ambitious timeline than previously hinted to pass the Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations bills before the September 30th deadline. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer had outlined a plan to complete bill markups by the end of June, and Politico is reporting, “That timeline has slipped as top Democrats raced to draft this month’s $3 trillion coronavirus relief package, which passed on May 15. And now leaders of the House Appropriations Committee say they won’t move to marking up its bills until Congress can agree on another massive infusion of federal coronavirus relief, which may be weeks down the line.” Thus far, no appropriations bills have been released or considered by committees.
CMS Update: COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Billing
On May 27, 2020, CMS issued updated FAQs. Among other topics, CMS noted that the RHC productivity limits may be waived during the COVID period at the discretion of the MACs (page 31). Based on this FAQ, if an RHC expects to have difficulty meeting the productivity guideline because of COVID, they should proactively consult with their MAC.
Another FAQ notes the treatment of telehealth costs on the cost reports (page 32). This FAQ response is consistent with current cost reporting instructions – as non-reimbursable costs excluded from the all-inclusive rate calculation. Other RHC FAQs are on pages 31-33.
The FAQs are attached and available at the following link.
The FAQs in this document supplement the previously released FAQs: 1135 Waiver FAQs, available at https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/Emergency/Downloads/MedicareFFS-EmergencyQsAs1135Waiver.pdf.
ARC EDA Program for Community COVID-19 Recovery Now Available
Acting Assistant Secretary Dana Gartzke and External Affairs Director Joel Frushone, of the Economic Development Agency (EDA) briefed ARC, the Delta Regional Authority and the Northern Border Regional Commission on the EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance program, a new grant program developed via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program. This $1.5 billion initiative provides a wide-range of financial assistance to communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. While mostly available via a competitive process, support may also be available to LDDs, universities, revolving loan funds and other entities on a non-competitive basis.
“COVID-19 has accelerated economic changes. Just as you see it in the aftermath of natural disasters, rural, urban, small and large business, local government, all of us have been impacted by this virus and are still being impacted,” said Phil Paradice, Regional Director, EDA Atlanta Regional Office.
In order to be more responsive to businesses that are impacted by COVID-19, EDA leadership added staff in order to ensure applicants receive an initial response within 30 days after submitting a full application. The EDA has also taken steps to waive certain restrictions such as no interest loans, or waiving various leverage requirements, so revolving loan funding can drive needed and necessary capital into small businesses to help them survive.
For more information and resources please visit, www.EDA.gov/coronavirus.