- 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
Pennsylvania Health Secretary Calls for Declaration of Public Health Emergency
Pennsylvania’s secretary of health is asking state lawmakers to declare a public health emergency as she announced that Pennsylvania had recorded its first death from a vaping-related lung disease.
Dr. Rachel Levine said the state has nine confirmed cases of the lung ailment, 12 more probable cases and more than 60 they are still investigating. She urged Pennsylvanians to not vape, saying little is known about the illness except that it can be fatal.
Levine said she and Gov. Tom Wolf would like lawmakers to pass legislation declaring a public health emergency, which she said would allow her department to take specific action to keep this public health crisis from becoming an epidemic.
Without going into specifics, she said if legislation were approved for an emergency declaration, she and Wolf would have the ability make “targeted” changes to existing regulations. Nate Wardle, state health department press secretary, said her authority would be temporary.
Pennsylvania reported its first instances of vaping-associated lung disease to the federal Centers for Disease Control in September. Levine said she couldn’t provide details about the age, race or gender of the person who did. She did say that the cases that have reported appear evenly spread around the state.
Experts have said the lung disease resembles chemical exposure injuries. Pinpointing the culprit in vaping-associated lung disease isn’t simple. “We don’t know the chemicals in these products,” Levine said. “Whether they are bought commercially or bought on the street illegally.” Even the federal Centers for Disease Control, which is investigating vaping-associated lung disease, doesn’t know what’s causing the illness, Levine said.
“The fact that we have seen a death in addition to patients with very serious lung disease underscores the importance that people be aware of the symptoms associated with this illness,” Levine said. “The signs and symptoms of potential lung injury associated with vaping include cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, fatigue, fever, or weight loss.”
The common factor among those who are reporting the same symptoms is that they have used a vaping device. Many of the cases involve people who vape using illegal cartridges, some with THC.
“The investigation into these cases in Pennsylvania and nationally is very complex,” said Levine. “And, it is evolving and changing every day. Unfortunately, right now, we still cannot say definitively what is making people sick. And whether it is related to the products being used, or the delivery of those products.”
Levine said she urged anyone who is vaping to stop, and anyone who is part of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program to discuss with their physician or dispensary if vaping their medicine may be harmful to their health.
Updated Oct 04, 2019; Posted Oct 04, 2019
2020’s Biggest Patient-safety Concerns
ECRI Institute this week released its annual list of the 10 biggest patient-safety concerns in 2020, with misuse of surgical staplers ranking No. 1. Marcus Schabacker, president and CEO of ECRI, said, “Injuries and deaths from the misuse of surgical staplers” were found to be “substantial and preventable.” (Source: HealthLeaders Media, 10/8)
Understanding Social Determinants of Health
The Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation has released a blog on Social Determinants of Health: A required Curriculum. The blog discusses the importance of understanding all the social factors that can affect a patient’s health and how medical professionals need to understand the conditions in their communities if they are going to help their patients live their healthiest lives. This blog can be applied to all health professionals.
New Online Resource Addresses Oral Health Needs
The American Academy of Pediatrics has published the “Oral Health Prevention Primer,” an online resource for pediatricians and providers who want to do more to address the oral health needs of children. The resource will help providers working with children understand the roles of various oral health allies, how they can collaborate, ways to provide oral health services, and how to advocate to achieve optimal oral health for their community with the goal of preventing dental disease before it starts.
Increasing Access to Healthy Food & Exercise in Public Housing
The National Center for Health in Public Housing (NCHPH) released a new publication, Increasing Access to Healthy Food and Exercise in Public Housing Communities, that addresses the existing challenges of living in communities with poor access to healthy foods and safe places to exercise. It includes examples of Public Health Housing Primary Care Grantee strategies and programs that have increased access to healthy food, exercise and weight control.
Sam’s Club Piloting Health Care Packages in Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh’s NPR news station reports that starting in early October, Sam’s Club members in Pennsylvania as well as Michigan and North Carolina will be able to buy one of four bundles of healthcare services ranging in annual fees from $50 for individuals to $240 for a family of up to six members. Each bundle offers savings on dental services with a network of providers through the health insurer Humana as well as unlimited telehealth for $1 per visit through a Seattle-based company called 98point6.The bundles also offer discounted vision exams and optical products, and free prescriptions on certain generic medications. The number of free generics range from 5 to 20 of the most popular medications, depending on what the member chooses. Customers will be introduced to a new form of care from 98point6 where patients can be diagnosed and treated without talking to or seeing the doctor. Patients who click on the 98point6 app first tell their symptoms to a chatbot or automated assistant that uses artificial intelligence. The information then get passed along to a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. Video and phone conversations will also be available when needed. Read more.
October is Health Literacy Month
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department partnered with the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers and other organizations to produce a total of 10 health insurance literacy videos that help consumers understand why and when to buy insurance, as well as how to select a plan and read an explanation of benefits (EOB). See below for links to the resources that are available.
- Why Buy Health Insurance?
- Part of staying healthy is receiving essential and routine preventive services
- When to Buy Health Insurance
- Marketplace open enrollment runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15
- Health Care Costs You Should Know
- How to distinguish between a premium, co-pay, deductible, co-insurance, etc.
- Provider Networks
- Know the difference between in-network and out-of-network
- How to Choose a Health Insurance Plan
- The type of insurance impacts the way doctors and providers can be accessed
- Prescription Drug Coverage
- If a specific prescription is needed, be sure to check it is covered under a plan
- You Bought Health Insurance, Now What?
- Look for a welcome packet from the insurance company
- Insurance Cards Are Important
- Be sure to always carry the provided card from the insurance company
- What If I Get Sick?
- Know the difference between primary care, urgent care and emergency care
- What Is an EOB?
- “This is NOT a bill”
Pennsylvania Governor’s Administration Distributes Nearly 7,000 Free Naloxone Kits
Pennsylvania Governor Wolf’s administration announced it handed out 6,774 kits of free naloxone as part of September opioid overdose prevention events. The kits were made available at 95 locations across the state. Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said more than 4,400 people died from a drug overdose in Pennsylvania in 2018. Issued by Levine in 2018 and most recently updated in July, a standing order prescription is available to any Pennsylvanian to get naloxone at a pharmacy for anyone who may need it. According to the PA Department of Health, more than 25,000 people have been revived with naloxone by police officers and EMS providers in the commonwealth since Nov. 2014. The FY 2019-20 state budget included a $1.5 million increase in funding for first responders, who have access to free naloxone and are permitted to administer it as part of their treatment of someone who has overdosed.
Opportunity Zones in Appalachia
Qualified Opportunity Zones are economically-distressed communities where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. This can help bring new investments into previously under-capitalized areas. Localities qualify as Opportunity Zones if they have been nominated for that designation by the state, and that nomination has been certified by the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury via his delegation of authority to the Internal Revenue Service. As Appalachia is home to 737 Opportunity Zones, or 8.5 percent of the country’s total, ARC is actively working with communities to leverage Opportunity Zone designations, and ARC’s Federal Co-Chair serves on President Trump’s White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council to better coordinate Federal resources to these areas.
Two of Appalachia’s designated Opportunity Zones are along the Oostanaula River in Rome, Georgia. In these neighborhoods, the City of Rome is performing needed water infrastructure upgrades using ARC support. This will help the Rome Downtown Development Authority, the Rome-Floyd Chamber of Commerce, and surrounding property and business owners make the area shovel-ready for major development, attract capital, and create jobs.
In Kentucky, there are Opportunity Zones tracts in every one of the state’s 54 Appalachian counties. The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development (KCED) has stood up kyoz.org, a dedicated dashboard for potential Opportunity Zone investors. With ARC assistance, KCED will expand this resource to engage marketing, site and project development, project financing, and other professionals to work closely with local leaders to identify and cultivate additional Opportunity Zone investment prospects to help communities better leverage Opportunity Zone investment incentives.
Appalachian Leadership Institute Announces Inaugural Class
During the week of September 26, 2019, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) announced 40 Fellows as members of the inaugural class of the Appalachian Leadership Institute. These Fellows include public policy, community development, education, investment, and other professionals who live and/or work in every one of the Region’s 13 states. As a Fellow, each will participate in an extensive nine-month program focusing on skill-building seminars, best practice reviews, field visits, mentoring, and networking anchored by six multi-day seminars around the region. The first session will take place in Morehead, Kentucky, October 21–24, 2019, with a capstone graduation to be held in Washington, DC in July, 2020.
“I congratulate the participants in this inaugural class of the Appalachian Leadership Institute for being selected through a very competitive process. Our hope is that this program will help them further develop their abilities in the areas of leadership and problem solving, allowing them to help bring advancement, growth, and greater prosperity to their communities,” said ARC Federal Co-Chairman Tim Thomas. “Leadership is the essential foundation on which all of our collective efforts to enhance the Region rest. I am excited by the future opportunities our Region will create, and am confident that these individuals will discover and capitalize on them.”
Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellows were chosen via a competitive application process. ARC received 180 applications for the 2019–2020 Appalachian Leadership Institute class, resulting in an acceptance rate of 22 percent. Applications for the 2020–2021 class will open in March, 2020.