The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has launched Building Bridges to Better Health: A Primary Health Care Challenge. This $1 million national prize challenge will accelerate the development and testing of low-cost, scalable technical assistance solutions. Challenge participants will submit ideas to address barriers to health and health-related social risk factors such as accessing medical, social, housing, educational, or other related services. HRSA will make awards totaling $1 million over three phases between June 2022 and August 2023. The challenge is open to broad public participation including individuals, groups, health care organizations, and other entities.

HRSA encourages participation by visiting Challenge.gov for more information, including submission requirements, eligibility, deadlines, competition rules, judging criteria, prize amounts, and how to submit a proposal.  Phase 1 submissions are due by August 2, 2022.  Read the press release here.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded nearly $15 million in funding for rural communities to address psychostimulant misuse and related overdose deaths. Psychostimulants include methamphetamine and other illegal drugs, such as cocaine and ecstasy, as well as prescription stimulants for conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or depression. This funding helps support the President’s National Drug Control Strategy and deliver on his Unity Agenda priority of beating the overdose epidemic.  Read press release here.

Pennsylvania is preparing to enter into new contracts and that will change some of the Physical Health Plans that are available for those covered by Medical Assistance (MA).

Health plans will be changing which counties they serve, and MA recipients will need to choose a new plan option.

It’s important to note that MA recipients will not lose health coverage.

Some MA recipients will simply need to choose a new plan. New plans will go into effect September 1, 2022.

If a recipient’s health plan is no longer available in their county, then they will need to choose a new plan by August 16, 2022, or one will be automatically assigned to them. If their current plan is available, and they did not choose a new one, nothing will change.

Beginning June 22, MA recipients will be mailed information on how these changes will affect them and what steps they will need to take. Mail will be sent from PA Enrollment Services. For questions about this process, MA recipients can contact PA Enrollment Services directly.

Important Dates

June 22-August 16, 2022: Plan Selection Period

• If an MA recipient’s plan is changing, and they do not select a new plan, one will be chosen for them. They will not lose coverage.
• If a recipient’s plan is NOT changing, they do not need to take any action, and they will stay with their current plan.

September 1, 2022: New Plans Take Effect

The DHS website is a one-stop shop for plan information. Through the site, visitors can see which plans are changing by county, compare plans, and read tips for choosing a health plan.

Your Help is Needed!

You can help DHS spread the word and get up-to-date on these changes with our informational toolkit. This toolkit is designed to provide information to a variety of stakeholders about what to expect from these changes and how to assist MA recipients.  More information on HealthChoices Plan Selection is available on DHS’s website.

Financing Will Help Grocers, Markets and Other Organizations Provide Healthy Food Options to Underserved Communities

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director Bob Morgan announced today that the Department has partnered with Reinvestment Fund to invest $970,000 to improve access to healthy foods in underserved communities in Pennsylvania.

The investments are being made through the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), which helps bring grocery stores and other healthy food retailers to underserved urban and rural communities.

“The Biden-Harris Administration and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack are committed to creating local and regional food systems that benefit all Americans, from farmers and ranchers to small businesses and families who currently have to travel a long way from home to find fresh, healthy food,” Morgan said. “USDA is proud to partner with Reinvestment Fund to ensure that these resources reach the communities where they are needed most, so people can find nutritious food options wherever they live.”

In Pennsylvania the following projects received investments:

• Edinboro Market Inc. in Oil City, Pa., received a $120,000 grant to support three retail markets in Northwest Pennsylvania. The markets will collaborate to expand and enhance existing informal aggregation and distribution efforts, increasing access to a wide variety of healthy foods for consumers while simultaneously building sales for small farms and food producers in the region. HFFI grant funding will help to address the initial, critical tasks of coordination, refrigeration, and developing routes to best accommodate multiple producers.
• No Dirt Farms LLC in Erie, Pa., received a grant of $175,000 to certify a automated hydroponics farm that is female-owned and operated. NDF is developing The West Side Market on Powell, a year-round indoor market located in west Erie that will renovate a building to create an innovative local market for regional farms and producers. HFFI funding will be used to transform a 5,400 square foot commercial building into an innovative eco-friendly local grocery store.
• Freeman Family Farm & Greenhouse in Pittsburgh, Pa., received a grant of $175,000. The Freeman Family Farm and Greenhouse is a minority owned business located in historically black community in Pittsburgh. HFFI funds will support Freeman Family Farm to build capacity to develop and establish a retail food space on their property to serve the community with fresh food for retail sale.
• Salems Market Centre Ave LLC in Pittsburgh, Pa., received a grant of $200,000. SMCA operates a full-service Halal grocery store that has served the Pittsburgh region for over 40 years. With Support from HFFI, SMCA will renovate the now vacant former Shop ‘N Save in the historic Hill District neighborhood. This project will reactivate a former grocery store that has been vacant since it went out of business in 2019.
• Power Plant Market in Philadelphia, Pa., received a grant of $100,000. The Philadelphia Power Market is a new project in a historically low-income, predominantly African-American residential neighborhood in north Philadelphia, which seeks to have a positive, invigorating impact on the neighborhood as BlPOC vendors and entrepreneurs are given priority and support, and high-quality fresh produce is made affordable and accessible. HFFI funds will support predevelopment costs to contribute to the project’s development.
• Weavers Way Co-op in Philadelphia, Pa., received a grant of $200,000. Weavers Way Co-op is a consumer-owned cooperative in Northwest Philadelphia that is committed to community betterment around food, health and education. HFFI funds will be used to support the opening of a new location of a full-service, community-owned grocery store in the ethnically diverse neighborhood of Germantown in order to better serve the co-op’s membership. In addition, the co-op will provide community engagement and education opportunities on site at its new location.

Read the complete announcement on our website.

There is now $34.2 million available in a fourth round of grant funding from the U.S. Department of Labor for the Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities initiative. WORC helps new and dislocated workers, as well as workers overcoming substance use disorder, access training and career opportunities.

Grants will range from $150,000 up to $1.5 million. Proposals are due in one month on July 8, 2022.

Interested in applying for a grant this year? Join us at next week’s Pre-Application Webinar on June 14th at 12:30 pm ET. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the application process and ask any questions about the grants.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding compensation paid by issuers to agents and brokers who assist consumers with enrollment during a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) or during Open Enrollment

Periods (OEPs). The Biden-Harris Administration has made it a priority to provide those who are uninsured and underinsured with quality, affordable health care coverage and recognizes that agents and brokers play a vital role in helping consumers enroll in coverage that best fits their needs and budget.

CMS has become aware that some issuers in the individual market, who commonly use agents and brokers as part of their marketing and sales distribution channels, have reduced or eliminated commissions and other forms of compensation to agents and brokers for enrollments during an

SEP. Today’s FAQs provide guidance that paying differential compensation to agents and brokers for coverage in the same benefit year based on whether the enrollment is completed during an SEP or during the OEP is prohibited under federal law. These practices violate the guaranteed availability protections afforded to these individuals under the Affordable Care Act.

To read the FAQs visit https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Fact-Sheets-and-FAQs#Health_Market_Reforms.

The Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture and Education today reminded Pennsylvanians to take advantage of the many summer food assistance programs for students and caretakers across the commonwealth. State and local options are available to Pennsylvania families facing food insecurity this summer.

“No matter the time of year, we cannot grow young minds on empty stomachs,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “School feeding programs ensure students have nutritious meals during the school year, but when the school year ends, summer options are available to both children and their caretakers. Food is a necessity we all deserve equal access to, but this is especially true for our youngest and most vulnerable populations.”

According to 2019 food insecurity data provided by Feeding America, 10.6% of Pennsylvanians — or 1,353,730 people — did not always know where their next meal was coming from. That number included 383,500 children, 14.6% of all children in the state. When school-based meals end with the school year, addressing child food insecurity can become an even greater challenge.

“At the Department of Education, we work tirelessly to ensure that students are healthy and cared for both in and out of the classroom,” said Education Secretary Eric Hagarty. “Fortunately, assistance is available no matter which city or town you call home, and at no cost to you. We encourage Pennsylvanians in need to take advantage of these critical resources throughout the summer months.”

Options for Pennsylvania caretakers and children experiencing food insecurity include:

• The Seamless Summer Option, which provides nutritious meals to children when school is not in session.
• The Summer Food Service Program for children participating in enrichment, recreational, or activity programs over the summer.
• Many food banks have backpack programs available during both the school year and summer months. Food banks and food pantries can be found using this map.
• The WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs which provide vouchers to qualifying individuals to be spent at participating farmers markets in the commonwealth.
• The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, provides benefits to purchase food at grocery stores and supermarkets.
• The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides vouchers to be redeemed at grocery stores for specific food items.
• The Emergency Food Assistance and State Food Purchase programs, which recently expanded assistance eligibility for Pennsylvanians facing food insecurity.

Seniors and seniors taking care of children also may be eligible for the following:

• The Pennsylvania Senior Food Box Program, which provides eligible seniors with a monthly box of food to supplement regular groceries, the box can be delivered by DoorDash in select areas.
• Congregate and home-delivered meals available to Pennsylvanians 60 years of age or older. Meals are directly delivered to eligible individuals’ homes through County Area Agencies on Aging.

Learn more about the Wolf Administration’s commitment to reduce food insecurity in Pennsylvania at agriculture.pa.gov/foodsecurity.

Summer is right around the corner. It’s a time for fun in the sun, vacations and, of course, no school. Whether your kids are home for summer, on the road with you or away at camp, we have some tips to keep your family safe and healthy.

There’s a higher risk of certain injuries occurring during the summer months. Kids are out of school and active, families are traveling and trying new activities, and everyone’s attention is more relaxed — which isn’t always a good thing when it comes to safety.
Being prepared can help reduce safety risks.

Here’s what you need to know so you can be aware of the risks, take precautions, and share some important safety tips with your kids. Together, we can ensure your family is as safe as possible while enjoying the fun and new adventures summertime can bring.

1. Beat the Heat (and Sun)

Preventing heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke and heat exhaustion, is important for people of all ages, but extreme heat poses the greatest risk for people under age 4 and over 65. The best ways to protect yourself from heat include:

• Staying cool  — Find air-conditioning during hot hours and wear cool clothing.
• Stay Hydrated — Drink plenty of liquids, specifically water.
• Stay Informed — Pay attention to heat advisories.

Sunburn is a common summertime injury. Unprotected skin can be burned by the sun’s UV rays in as little as 15 minutes, but can take up to 12 hours for the skin to show the damage. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends staying out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when its UV rays are at their highest level. Sunscreen is recommended for anyone working and playing outside in the summer, even on cloudy days. Be sure to use SPF 15 or higher, and reapply every two hours or after swimming, sweating or toweling off. For extra protection, it is recommended to use hats, sunglasses, and long sleeves.

2. Keep Your Head Above Water

Swimming — one of the most popular activities in the country — is a fun, active, and healthy way to spend summer leisure time. Every year, millions of people visit “recreational water” sites such as swimming pools, water parks, hot tubs, lakes, rivers or oceans. But water safety isn’t just about keeping kids safe in the pool. There are things you might not think about — such as catchment ponds, drainage ditches and runoff areas in your neighborhood — that can be hazards, as well. It’s important for parents to know about how to protect kids, avoid risks, and respond in an emergency.

• Pool Safety — PA Department of Health
• Water Safety — Kids Health
• Drowning Facts — CDC
• Drowning is Preventable: Tips for Safety In and Around Water — Pool Safely
• Make a Splash: Swallowing Water in Inactive Waters Can Make You Sick — CDC
• Diarrhea and Swimming — CDC

3. Look Before You Lock

Never leave a child, older adult, or pet in a car unattended — not for a few minutes, not with the window cracked, not in the shade. Never. Leaving loved ones alone in a car can lead to serious injury or death from heatstroke. It takes only minutes for a vehicle to heat up and become deadly. Young children are particularly at risk, as their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s. A change in a schedule, being overly tired or distracted, or even a new pattern of behavior can cause a caring parent or caregiver to put a child at risk. Find more information in the links below to keep your loved ones safe:

• Where’s Baby? Look Before You Lock — PA Promise for Children
• Child Heatstroke Prevention — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• www.wheresbaby.org
• Kids are Dying in Hot Cars — National Security Council (NSC)

4. Beware of Bugs

Ticks

Tick populations are at an all-time high, raising the risk of dangerous diseases such as Lyme Disease and other tick-carried conditions. Pennsylvania has led the nation in the number of Lyme Disease cases diagnosed over the past decade. As more people head outdoors, that means an increased likelihood of encounters with ticks, as well as other insects. Taking the proper precautions can keep you safe from bites and illnesses.

Mosquitos

• Mosquito-bourne Diseases — PA Department of Health
• Mosquitos — CDC
• Avoid Bug Bites — CDC
• Reduce the Threat of Zika Virus and Other Mosquito-borne Illnesses — NSC
• Find the Repellent that’s Right for You — Environment Protection Agency (EPA)

5. Catch Up on Immunizations

Watch a video from Sesame Street featuring Elmo and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy as they explain how vaccines work, and why they’re so important for children’s health.

Routine childhood vaccinations are safe and keep your children healthy and strong — like eating vegetables and brushing their teeth. Whether your child is behind on a vaccine, missing a dose or completely unvaccinated, now is the time get your child caught up on childhood vaccinations! It’s easy to get back on track. Simply call your child’s healthcare provider to schedule an appointment as soon as possible.

• Now is the Time to Catch-Up On Routine Vaccines! — PA Promise for Children
• 2022 Recommended Immunizations for Children from Birth Through 6 Years Old — CDC
• Catch-up Immunization Schedule for Children and Adolescents Who Start Late or Who Are More than 1 Month Behind — CDC
• www.vaccinateyourfamily.org

6. Lock up Your Firearms

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises that the safest home for a child is one without guns. The most effective way to prevent unintentional gun injuries, suicide and homicide to children and adolescents, research shows, is the absence of guns from homes and communities. But statistics show that roughly a third of U.S. homes with children have guns. If you decide to keep guns in the home, be aware that many studies show that teaching kids about gun safety, or to not touch a firearm if they find one, is not enough. You can reduce the chances of children being injured, however, by following important safety rules like those in the video below:

Watch a video from the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) about firearms safety and how to properly store and secure your firearms.

Telehealth stakeholders are urging HHS to designate at least $28 million for its Telehealth Resource Centers program to provide a financial boost to the centers that provided technical support for providers and health care entities that rapidly established telehealth programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program has received the same level of funding since 2006 even though demand for technical assistance from TRCs increased drastically during the pandemic.

Currently, each center receives $325,000 annually, according to a letter spearheaded by the Alliance for Connected Care and other telehealth stakeholders. An allotment of $28 million to the TRCs program would ensure that each regional and national TRCs can receive at least $2 million. The stakeholders also want Congress to restore the statutory requirement that TRCS be nonprofits — a requirement that lawmakers unexpectedly removed as part of the CARES Act.

TRCs, which are under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), offer telehealth assistance to public and private stakeholders. There are 14 TRCs, which include national resource centers that focus on technology and policy, and regional centers that provide technical assistance to states. The various TRCs work together to provide assistance to consumers, rural health clinics, hospital systems, individual providers and others.

Although there was a bipartisan effort by Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Dan Meuser (R-PA) to add $5 million to the baseline appropriation for TRCs in the fiscal 2022 budget, the increase did not make it into the final budget. HRSA did not ask for an increase in its fiscal 2023 budget request.

TRCs experienced an 800% increase in demand for telehealth assistance across the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the letter. Throughout the pandemic, TRCs were the only entities that were able to immediately provide technical assistance as health care providers requested help in developing telehealth programs. Federal and state officials also relied on TRCs to consult on telehealth use and implementation as the centers were the only entities with in-depth knowledge around technology.

Mei Kwong, executive director of the Center for Connected Health Policy, told Inside Telehealth that TRCs are not only expected to assist the general public, but also help HRSA grantees.

“With the increased interest in telehealth, there has been an explosion of newly funded telehealth programs, some who may need technical assistance from the TRCs,” Kwong said. “So the workload on the TRCs has increased significantly, but yet there’s been no funding increase in over a decade.”

TRCs are historically underfunded, with each center receiving $325,000 annually. Although each center received $828,000 under the CARES Act in March 2020, that funding has since expired. The support provided to TRCs has not been sufficient to meet the nation’s significantly increased demand for telehealth assistance.

“Lack of sufficient funding is creating a strain on TRCs’ ability to keep wages in line with inflation and many are losing experienced staff to the private sector,” the letter reads.

Experienced staff have been leaving TRCs as demand for telehealth support increases with no comparable boost in funding, the stakeholders say. It is unclear how TRCs will be able to function if increased funding is not allocated, according to the letter.

The letter also calls for restoration of the statutory requirement that TRCS be nonprofits. The nonprofit status is significant because TRCs need to be unbiased purveyors of telehealth technical assistance, according to Kwong.

Since TRCs assist organizations in their creation of a telehealth program, the centers must remain neutral when giving advice to entities about which technologies they need or should buy. If TRCs were for-profit entities, it would be easier to steer those who seek help from the centers to specific vendors or providers.

“As the telehealth policy resource center, I’m often contacted by federal and state policymakers,” Kwong said. “They need to be able to trust that any information I provide to them isn’t influenced financially by any specific group. The non-profit language helps ensure the neutrality of the information we give.”

https://insidehealthpolicy.com/inside-telehealth-daily-news/stakeholders-hhs-boost-hrsa-telehealth-resource-centers%E2%80%99-funding

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) shared our vision to make equitable, high-quality, affordable, data-informed care for mental health and substance use challenges available to the people served by our programs, as outlined in Health Affairs.

CMS recently released a Behavioral Health Strategy that demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to support the Strategy to Address Our National Mental Health Crisis and underscores the importance of access, equity, quality, and effective data integration in preventing and treating mental health conditions, substance use disorders and acute and chronic pain.

The CMS Behavioral Health Strategy consists of five bold and interrelated goals:

• Strengthen equity and quality in behavioral health care;
• Improve access to substance use disorders prevention, treatment and recovery services;
• Ensure effective pain treatment and management;
• Improve access to and quality of mental health care and services; and
• Utilize data to inform effective actions and measure impact on behavioral health.

The CMS Behavioral Health Strategy seeks to remove barriers to care and services, and to adopt a data-informed approach to evaluate our behavioral health programs and policies. The Strategy will strive to support a person’s whole emotional and mental well-being and promotes person-centered behavioral health care.

This is part of HHS’ ongoing efforts to support President Joe Biden’s whole-of-government strategy to transform mental health services for all Americans—a key part of the President’s Unity Agenda that is reflected in the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget. Following the President’s State of the Union in March, Secretary Becerra kicked off the HHS National Tour to Strengthen Mental Health to address the mental health challenges that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, including substance use, youth mental health, and suicide.

For additional details on the Strategy, please visit the CMS Behavioral Health Strategy page.