We’re excited to share that our new Rural Desk is up and running. Meet our team. On Oct. 25, we will launch a monthly newsletter featuring KHN stories from across the country that dive into the health issues and policies impacting people who live in America’s rural reaches.

From the Centre Daily Times

People who live in rural Pennsylvania face unique barriers to health care, broadband, and economic opportunities.

About 3.4 million people, or roughly 26% of Pennsylvania’s residents, live in the commonwealth’s 48 rural counties, according to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a state agency.

Pennsylvania’s governor has the authority to address a wide range of rural issues. On Nov. 8, voters here will choose from among five candidates for governor including frontrunners Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano of Franklin County.

Both major candidates offer different approaches to revitalizing rural Pennsylvania. Spotlight PA breaks down where they stand on several major issues including health care, broadband, workforce development, and agriculture.

Read the full article here.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced that the department is accepting applications for grants to help improve water treatment and waste disposal systems for rural people living in manufactured homes by providing technical assistance and training.

The applications are being accepted under the Water and Waste Disposal Technical Assistance and Training Grants program. This program is one of the many ways USDA promotes a healthy community and environment with funding that makes sure people, children and families have clean water and safe sewer systems that prevent runoff and pollution.

This program is designed to help qualified, private nonprofit organizations provide technical assistance and training to benefit people living in manufactured homes. It will help identify and evaluate solutions to water and waste problems, while helping communities prepare applications for water and waste disposal loans and grants. It also aims to improve the management, operation, maintenance and sustainability of water and waste facilities serving manufactured homes in rural areas and address contamination of drinking and surface water supplies.

The funding being announced today sets aside $1 million for applications that support improved sustainability of water and waste services related to manufactured homes.

All information on applying is available in the application guide on the program webpage. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET on Nov. 13, 2022.

USDA is offering priority points to projects that advance key priorities under the Biden-Harris Administration to help communities create more and better market opportunities, advance equity and combat climate change. These extra points will increase the likelihood of funding. For more information, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.

Additional information is available on Grants.gov.

If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive behavior used by one person to gain power and control over another in an intimate or familial relationship. 

Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, age, education level, socio-economic status, ethnicity, religion, or ability. There is no typical case of domestic violence. Domestic violence survivors are our neighbors, our co-workers, or our family members. Most people who experience domestic violence are women — 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence — although men experience domestic violence, too.

In Pennsylvania alone, 112 people died in domestic violence incidents last year.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This month provides an opportunity to remember victims of domestic violence, raise awareness of what domestic violence is, how to recognize it, and what we can all do to collectively prevent it.

Where to Get Help

National Domestic Violence Hotline
    • Call: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY: 1-800-787-3224
    • Text: “START” to 88788
    • A live online chat is also available

Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV)
    • Call: 1-800-932-4632 (PA); 1-800-537-2238 (National)
    • Find your local domestic violence center
Among the services provided to domestic violence survivors are: crisis intervention; counseling; accompaniment to police, medical, and court facilities; and temporary emergency shelter for survivors and their dependent children. Prevention and educational programs are provided to lessen the risk of domestic violence in the community at large.

Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR)
    • Call: (888) 772-PCAR
• Find your local Sexual Assault Center
PCAR is a nonprofit organization working at the state and national levels to prevent sexual violence. Founded in 1975, PCAR continues to use its voice to challenge public attitudes, raise public awareness, and effect critical changes in public policy, protocols, and responses to sexual violence. To provide quality services to victims/survivors of sexual violence and their significant others, PCAR works in concert with its statewide network of 48 sexual violence centers serving all 67 counties. The centers also work to create public awareness and prevention education within their communities.

National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)
    • Call: 877-739-3895
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is the leading nonprofit in providing information and tools to prevent and respond to sexual violence. NSVRC translates research and trends into best practices that help individuals, communities and service providers achieve real and lasting change.

Pennsylvania Office of Victim Services
    • Find Victim Service Programs near you

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Resources

Adult Protective Services (APS)
    • Call: 1-800-490-8505
APS was enacted to protect adults between the ages of 18 and 59 with a physical or mental disability that limits one or more major life activities. The program is meant to detect, prevent, reduce and eliminate abuse, neglect, exploitation, and abandonment. A report can be made 24/7 on behalf of the adult whether they live in their home or in a care facility such as a nursing facility, group home, hospital, etc.

ChildLine
    • Call: 1-800-932-0313
Available 24/7 to receive referrals of suspected child abuse and general child well-being concerns. Each report is handled by a trained specialist who determines the most appropriate course of action.

A Guide To Victim’s Assistance
Learn about the resources available to victims and survivors after abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, or other crimes such as domestic violence, sexual assault, simple and aggravated assault, harassment, theft, and homicide.

Additional Domestic Violence Resources

• Proclamation on National Domestic Violence Awareness and
  Prevention Month, 2022 — White House
• National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)
• Domestic Violence Awareness Project

In the United States, 54% of nurses and physicians, 60% of medical students and residents, and 61% of pharmacists have symptoms of burnout. Burnout is a long-standing issue and a fundamental barrier to professional well-being. It was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Health workers who find joy, fulfillment, and meaning in their work can engage on a deeper level with their patients, who are at the heart of health care. Thus, a thriving workforce is essential for delivering safe, high-quality, patient-centered care.

The National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being is intended to inspire collective action that focuses on changes needed across the health system and at the organizational level to improve the well-being of the health workforce. As a nation, we must redesign how health is delivered so that human connection is strengthened, health equity is achieved, and trust is restored. The National Plan’s vision is that patients are cared for by a health workforce that is thriving in an environment that fosters their well-being as they improve population health, enhance the care experience, reduce costs, and advance health equity; therefore, achieving the “quintuple aim.”  Access the Plan here:  National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being

Together, we can create a health system in which care is delivered joyfully and with meaning, by a committed team of all who work to advance health, in partnership with engaged patients and communities.

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, enrollees will have lower costs for insulin and free ACIP-recommended vaccines starting in 2023.  People with Medicare should review their coverage and drug and health plan options through December 7, 2022 on Medicare.gov

Medicare Open Enrollment begins tomorrow — Saturday, October 15 — and will remain open through December 7, 2022. Medicare’s Open Enrollment period gives people with Medicare the opportunity to make changes to their health plan or prescription drug plan, pick a Medicare Advantage plan, or return to Original Medicare (also referred to as Medicare Part A and Part B). Medicare plans can change their offerings and costs every year, and individuals’ health needs can change from year-to-year, too. Now is the time for people with Medicare to review their coverage options and make a choice that best meets their health care needs.

The Biden-Harris Administration has made expanding access to health insurance and lowering health care costs for America’s families a top priority. Just last month the Biden-Harris Administration announced that people with Medicare will see lower average premiums for Medicare Part B, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans in 2023.

This year, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act that President Biden signed into law in August, Medicare enrollees will also see lower costs for insulin and vaccines beginning in 2023. Starting in 2023, all people with Medicare who take insulin covered by their prescription drug plan or through a traditional pump covered under Original Medicare will pay no more than $35 in cost-sharing for a month’s supply of each covered insulin product. People with Medicare also will not pay a deductible with respect to each covered insulin product. Additionally, people with Medicare drug coverage will pay nothing out-of-pocket for adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) — including the shingles vaccine and Tetanus-Diphtheria-Whooping Cough vaccine. More information on the Inflation Reduction Act and these changes is available at https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/inflation-reduction-act-lowers-health-care-costs-millions-americans.

“This year, more than ever, it is vital that people with Medicare review and compare their options to find the coverage that best meets their needs,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, we are lowering the cost of insulin and vaccines for the more than 64 million people with Medicare. The Biden-Harris Administration is unwavering in our commitment to strengthening Medicare, and we will keep doing all we can to lower costs and improve benefits.”

“We are committed to providing comprehensive and easily accessible information to support people with Medicare in their decision making,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “Medicare.gov makes it easier than ever to compare coverage options and shop for plans. People can do a side-by-side comparison of plan coverage, costs, and quality ratings to help them more easily see the differences between plans.”

Since 2021, CMS has introduced a number of enhancements to Medicare.gov to optimize customer experience and create a more welcoming and user-friendly experience. Improvements include a redesigned Medicare.gov home page, the addition of pricing details to the Medigap policy comparison, streamlined landing and summary on the Medicare Plan Finder, and a redesigned “Talk to Someone” section to find additional help and contacts. All of these enhancements improve the overall experience, making it easier to navigate and access information to compare and select health and drug coverage and find providers.

The Medicare Open Enrollment period occurs every year from October 15 through December 7, with coverage changes taking effect January 1.

Things to Consider When Shopping for Medicare Coverage       

• There are two main ways to get your Medicare coverage — Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage (Medicare-approved plans from private companies). There are differences between the two that are important to understand when choosing your coverage.
• If you are selecting a Medicare Advantage plan, check with your health care providers to confirm they are in a plan’s network.
• If you are selecting a Medicare prescription drug plan, check if your prescriptions are included on a plan’s formulary.
• Remember that a low monthly premium may not always be the best overall value to meet your specific needs.
• Review a plan’s estimated total costs to you, including deductible and other out-of-pocket costs.
• If you take insulin, there is a new out-of-pocket cap on a month’s supply of each insulin product when covered by a prescription drug plan or under Original Medicare. Talk to someone for help comparing plans by calling 1-800-MEDICARE

Medicare is Here to Help

Here are four ways you can compare plans and look at savings options:

1. Go to Medicare.gov to learn the difference between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and do side-by-side comparisons of costs and coverage for Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans.
2. Call 1-800-MEDICARE. Help is available 24 hours a day, including weekends.
3. Access personalized health insurance counseling at no cost, available from State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Visit shiphelp.org or call 1-800-MEDICARE for each SHIP’s phone number. Many SHIPs also offer virtual counseling.
4. Check eligibility for Medicare Savings Programs. If you have limited income and resources, you could qualify for Medicare Saving Programs run by your state Medicaid program. These programs could help save you money on health and prescription drug costs and/or could reduce your Part B premium from $165 to $0. For more information, contact your state Medicaid program or call 1-800-MEDICARE and ask about Medicare Savings Programs.

For more information, visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. Help is available 24 hours a day, including weekends.