- VA Announces Expansion of "Close to Me" Cancer Program as Part of the Cancer Moonshot, Bringing Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Closer to Thousands of Veterans
- Navajo Psychiatrist Bridges Gaps Between Native American Culture and Behavioral Health Care
- Biden-Harris Administration Releases National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and First-Ever Federal Action Plan
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Action to Increase Access to Quality Care, and Support to Families and Care Workers
- Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don't Meet Them.
- Rural Jails Turn to Community Health Workers To Help the Newly Released Succeed
- Rural Communities Face Primary Care Physician Shortage
- Miles for Milk: How Student-Run Grocery Store Reshaped Rural Community's Food Access
- Native Americans Have Shorter Life Spans, and It's Not Just Due to Lack of Health Care
- Promotoras Play Essential Role in Connecting Farmworkers with Health Care in Rural NorCal
- Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise
- Using Medicaid to Address Young People's Mental Health Needs in School Settings
- Sunsets, Wildlife and Limited Care: Challenges of Aging in Place in Rural America
- City-Country Mortality Gap Widens amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access
- Tribal Environmental Impact Network
Despite Decades of Initiatives, Rural Physicians Grow Scarcer
Jan 14, 2020 — Discusses the projected decline in the number of physicians in rural areas, a Montana State University professor attributes the drop to minimal career opportunities for spouses, isolation, and lack of entertainment in rural areas. Describes how policy and recruitment programs have attempted to lure physicians to rural areas, but the need is more prominent as health disparities increase.
Trump Administration Launches Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives
Jan 29, 2020 — The U.S. Department of Justice announced the White House task force on missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Native held its first meeting. Describes how the task force will work with tribal governments, develop protocols, and increase awareness to address the high rates of violence towards Native community members.
Request for Nominations for the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC)
Jan 30, 2020 — The Government Accountability Office is requesting nominations for the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee, which will provide feedback on physician payment models to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary. Nominations are due February 28, 2020.
FCC Launches $20 Billion rural Digital Opportunity Fund to Expand Rural Broadband Development
Jan 30, 2020 — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announces their investment of $20.4 billion to establish the new Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, which will direct funds over the next ten years. The first phase will provide wholly unserved census blocks with fixed broadband, while phase II will focus on the same for partially served.
Executive Order on Combating Human Trafficking and Online Child Exploitation in the United States
Jan 31, 2020 — The President issued an executive order on combating human trafficking and online exploitation of children. Describes the federal government’s commitment to strengthen its responsiveness to human trafficking, prosecute human traffickers, and protect victims of human trafficking and exploitation.
Attracting Rural Residents to Rural Medicine
Feb 3, 2020 — Many rural residents struggle to access healthcare services, often traveling far distances, due to a shortage of providers. Features strategies used by medical schools across the country that encourage young doctors to practice in rural areas.
Rural Health Predictions: Q&A with NRHA President and CEO Alan Morgan
National Rural Health Association CEO Alan Morgan discusses his organization’s work on the national and global stages and shares his rural health predictions for 2020.
USDA/RUS Reconnect Pilot BB Program Loans and Grants
SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter referred to as the Agency, announces its general policy and application procedures for its second round of funding under the broadband pilot program. This pilot program was established pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018. The Agency is announcing the application window for this second round of funding and requesting comments on the program.
Applications: Beginning on January 31, 2020, applications can be submitted through the RUS on-line application portal until 6:00 p.m. Eastern on March 16, 2020.
Policy Updates: Comments Requested: Proposed Changes to 2021 Health Insurance Marketplace
Comments Requested: Proposed Changes to 2021 Health Insurance Marketplace – March 2. Last week, CMS posted its proposed changes to the Notice of Benefits and Payment Parameters and its draft Annual Letter to Issuers, which provide guidance to states and insurers for the administration of the American Health Benefit Exchanges (aka “the Marketplace”) in 2021. Proposals address the cost of prescription drugs, determining eligibility for other public programs, the user fee rate, and the display of quality rating information on State-based Exchanges. Application submission dates and requirements for Essential Community Providers (e.g., Rural Health Clinics, Critical Access Hospitals) are unchanged from 2020. CMS has also extended for one year the policy allowing issuers to continue offering plans that do not meet all Marketplace reforms, if approved by the State.
Research: Variation in Use of Home Healthcare Among Fee-for-Service Medicare Beneficiaries by Rural-Urban Status.
Variation in Use of Home Healthcare Among Fee-for-Service Medicare Beneficiaries by Rural-Urban Status. Despite incentive payments for home health care in rural communities, available data showed a significantly lower percentage of beneficiaries using home health in the most remote rural counties. The brief is the work of the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center.