The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the latest enrollment figures for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). These programs serve as key connectors to care for more millions of Americans.

Medicare

• As of September 2023, 66,472,325 people are enrolled in Medicare. This is an increase of 134,147 since the last report.
• 33,990,369 are enrolled in Original Medicare.
• 32,481,956 are enrolled in Medicare Advantage or other health plans. This includes enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans with and without prescription drug coverage.
• 52,204,330 are enrolled in Medicare Part D. This includes enrollment in stand-alone prescription drug plans as well as Medicare Advantage plans that offer prescription drug coverage.
• Over 12 million individuals are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, so are counted in the enrollment figures for both programs.

Detailed enrollment data can be viewed here: https://data.cms.gov/summary-statistics-on-beneficiary-enrollment/medicare-and-medicaid-reports/medicare-monthly-enrollment . The data now include counts of Part D enrollees receiving the low income subsidy.

Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

• As of September 2023, 88,414,773 people are enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. This is a decrease of 1,593,385 since the last report.
  • 81,408,432 are enrolled in Medicaid
  • 7,006,341 are enrolled in CHIP

For more information on Medicaid/CHIP enrollment, including enrollment trends, visit https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/program-information/medicaid-chip-enrollment-data/medicaid-and-chip-enrollment-trend-snapshot/index.html

Every state across the country is currently resuming their regular processes for renewing individuals’ Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage. CMS’ goal is to help people stay connected to the coverage for which they are eligible. Read more about data related to renewals at www.medicaid.gov/unwinding-data

See the latest coverage totals across all CMS programs at https://www.cms.gov/pillar/expand-access. This information is updated on a monthly basis. Enrollment data for CMS programs are compiled on different timelines owing to the unique nature of each program.

CMS OCCHE will be launching a catalytic program  in January 2024 to support health care providers in taking advantage of the tax credits, grants and other supports made available by the historic Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for projects to address climate change.

The legislation creates unprecedented opportunities for health sector organizations to make investments in clean energy, building efficiency, infrastructure resilience and more. OCCHE’s planned initiative will occur through collaboration with federal partners including the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy and will feature national webinars as well as breakout sessions by provider type to help organizations assess their needs and opportunities.

You can SIGN UP NOW for national sessions (which will begin on January 25th), as well as breakouts for different safety net provider types (which will begin on February 1st), on the program website.

For more details on the initiative, check out the recording from our November 30th information session.

The Coverage to Care initiative is excited to release several new and updated resources to assist with care management.

C2C updated and released Medicare chronic care management (CCM) resources for health care providers and patients to raise awareness of the benefits of CCM for Medicare patients with multiple chronic conditions and provide health care providers with information to implement CCM.

Understanding prescriptions is an important part of managing care. C2C also released a new resource focused on understanding prescriptions and drug coverage. View the Tips for Understanding Your Drug Coverage & Prescriptions resource.

Better Understand Your Drug Coverage & Prescriptions

Learning about drug list rules or restrictions, prescription cost, and prescription labels ensure patients, including those with chronic conditions, continue to feel confident in properly managing their care. View the Tips For Understanding Your Drug Coverage & Prescriptions (available in Spanish, with additional languages to be developed) to learn more about the prescriptions and services available under your drug coverage and how to understand your prescriptions once you have them.

Explore these chronic care management resources

• Read the Tips for Understanding Your Drug Coverage & Prescriptions to learn more about your drug coverage and staying healthy with your medications. (English | Spanish)
• Download the Chronic Care Management at a Glance fact sheet, which outlines the benefits of CCM, responsibilities for CCM providers, payment information, and more. (English | Spanish)
• View the Chronic Care Management Presentation for Health Care Professionals to learn more about CCM and how to start a successful program in your practice. (English | Spanish)
• Share the Chronic Care Management for You and Your Family poster with those you serve, which explains how CCM can help them manage their chronic conditions and outlines the requirements to enroll in CCM services. (English | Spanish)
• Review the Chronic Care Management Toolkit to learn how you can successfully build out CCM services in your practice and to educate patients, colleagues, and communities about the importance of CCM. (Spanish coming soon!)
• Consult the CCM Provider Checklist to help you stay organized when providing CCM to those you serve.
• Help your patients understand how they can benefit from CCM by sharing the Chronic Care Management Video.

To learn more about Coverage to Care, visit https://go.cms.gov/c2c or sign up for our listserv.

Nation & State Population Estimates

The U.S. Census Bureau released today estimates of the total population as of July 1, 2023, at the nation and state levels. Population estimates are calculated using administrative records to estimate components of population change such as births, deaths, and migration.

The nation showed a modest growth of 1.6 million (+0.5%) from 2022 to 2023. During that time, Pennsylvania experienced a slight loss of just over 10,000 (-0.1%) which was in line with the Northeast region overall (-0.1%). Pennsylvania was one of 8 states to lose population during this time. As of July 1, 2023, Pennsylvania continued to rank 5^th highest among states based on total population.

View the full release HERE and access the data HERE.

A newly formed Congressional caucus hopes to help rural hospitals stay open and increase the rural health workforce.

Earlier this year, U.S. Representatives Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) and Diane Harshbarger (R-Tennessee) formed the Congressional Rural Health Caucus with 47 members from both sides of the aisle. The group’s goal, the representatives said, is to help inform members of Congress about rural health issues and allow them to hear directly from patients, healthcare providers and health advocates about rural healthcare challenges.

The caucus is seeking to ensure fair and adequate reimbursement rates for Medicare and Medicaid. Two of its members have already proposed legislation to address that.

In mid-November, U.S. Representatives Carol Miller (R-West Virginia) and Terri Sewell (D-Alabama) introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at giving rural hospitals better financial stability. The Assistance for Rural Community Hospitals (ARCH) Act (H.R. 6430), would extend both the Medicare-dependent hospital program and the Medicare low-volume hospital payments program for five years.

The legislation also requires the U.S. General Accountability Office to report on rural hospital classifications to ensure that those designations are bolstering rural health care.

But Representative Miller, a caucus member, said the bill’s goal was to cut federal spending in other areas and redirect it to rural healthcare through Medicare.

“It’s just what we have to do — get rid of whatever wasteful spending that we can, and make sure that we have the money that can go into the rural areas because rural health care is very important to me,” Miller said.

Read more.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Pennsylvania State Director Bob Morgan today announced that Rural Development is investing $4.7 million in seven organizations to help people in rural Pennsylvania access remote education and health care resources.

“Education and health care are vital pillars to sustaining and improving the quality of life in our rural communities,” Morgan said. “The USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine program allows rural Pennsylvanians the capital necessary to ensure their students, teachers, patients, and health care professionals have the technology necessary to stay connected virtually.”

Rural Development’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants help fund real-time, interactive distance learning and telemedicine services in rural and tribal areas to increase access to education, training and health care resources that are otherwise limited or unavailable. This effort is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal that every American has access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet. Digital equity is an important component of that mission. For instance, the DLT program gives students the opportunity to participate in classes virtually. DLT funds can also help connect rural people virtually to medical professionals without leaving their home.

In total, Rural Development is investing $4,742,260 to seven projects in Pennsylvania through its DLT grant program to the following organizations:

Geisinger Clinic in Montour County – $948,741

This Rural Development investment will be used to equip one hub site and two end-user sites throughout Montour and Northumberland counties in central Pennsylvania with innovative virtual care telemedicine devices. Medical professionals at Geisinger Justin Drive in Montour County, Pennsylvania will deliver virtual nursing care to two locations benefitting 21,551 individuals.

Cen-Clear Child Services Inc. in Blair County – $150,863

This Rural Development investment will be used to equip one hub site and seven end-user sites throughout Centre, Huntingdon, Clearfield, Blair, Elk, and Mifflin counties in central Pennsylvania with interactive telehealth equipment. Medical professionals at Cen-Clear Child Services Inc. will deliver mental health care/psychiatric services and substance/opioid use disorder treatments with medication-assisted treatments to seven locations benefitting 7,435 individuals.

Conemaugh Township Area School District in Somerset County – $939,512

This Rural Development investment will be used to connect 11 hub sites and one end-user site throughout Somerset, Cambria, Blair and Allegheny counties in western Pennsylvania with telehealth and distance learning equipment. Instructors at Penn Highlands Community College, University of Pittsburgh Johnstown, Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center and other area colleges and museums will deliver distance learning in the form of dual enrollment courses, foreign language instruction, virtual field trips, and educational experiences benefitting 483 students.

Forest Hills School District in Cambria County – $549,589

This Rural Development investment will be used to equip 11 hub sites and two end-user sites throughout Cambria, Dauphin, and Blair counties in central Pennsylvania with telecommunications equipment. Instructors at Forest Hills School District will deliver instructional content to 13 locations benefitting 1,707 students.

Port Allegany School District in McKean County – $599,382

This Rural Development investment will be used to equip two hub sites and two end-user sites throughout McKean, Warren, and Potter counties with video conferencing equipment. In addition to the mental health care services, instructors at the University of Pittsburg – Bradford and Northern Pennsylvania Regional College will provide STEM education through coding classes benefiting the same individuals. Counselors at the University of Pittsburg – Bradford and Northern Pennsylvania Regional College will deliver mental health care to two locations benefitting 507 individuals.

Punxsutawney Area Hospital Inc. in Jefferson County – $838,749

This Rural Development investment will be used to equip six hub site and one end-user site in Jefferson County in west central Pennsylvania with audio and video telemedicine technology. Medical professionals at Punxsutawney Area Hospital, Behavioral Health Services, IRMC/ PAH Specialty Services, Indiana Regional Medical Center in Jefferson County and Tyrone Penn Highlands will deliver mental health care including substance and opioid use disorder treatment, specialty consultations, in real time to pne location benefitting 5,962 individuals.

The Harrisburg Area Community College Foundation in Dauphin County – $715,424

This Rural Development investment will be used to equip three hub sites and one hub end-user site throughout Adams, Dauphin, Lancaster, and York counties in southeastern Pennsylvania with interactive teleconferencing equipment. Instructors at Harrisburg Area Community College in Dauphin, Lancaster, and York counties will deliver Biology, Business, Criminal Justice, English, Healthcare Management, Mathematics, Mechatronics, Medical Assisting, Nursing, and Psychology courses to three locations benefiting 7,620 students.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/pa.

To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates in Pennsylvania, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) has posted the COVID-19 ARPA Multi-Purpose Community Facilities Program (Facilities) guidelines for review. The Facilities Program will offer $45 million in competitive grants to community anchor institutions and units of local government for community projects to construct, acquire, or improve facilities that are, or will be open to the public and will directly enable work, education, and health monitoring at the respective facility. You can review all guideline details to include eligibility and project criteria on the website.

Guidelines will be available for review from 12.12.23 – 1.10.24. The Program will be open and begin to receive applications beginning 1.11.24 and will close 4.9.24 at 11:59 PM.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announced the Center for Transition to Adult Health Care for Youth with Disabilities, a national resource center funded by ACL’s Administration on Disabilities (AoD), has launched a new website to help young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) direct their own transition to the adult health care system. The website includes resources for youth/young adults, parents/caregivers, and clinicians/ direct service providers.

Click here to launch the website.