In March 2024, a summit was held in Clifton, Texas, bringing together leaders from six innovative and sustainable rural maternity programs. Insights from this summit are available in two reports.  The first shares case studies of the six participating rural maternity programs; the second describes strategies used by the programs’ leaders.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently sent a report to Congress on agency-wide activities and outcomes of programs addressing the maternal health crisis. The report includes trends on maternal health outcomes, drivers contributing to the crisis, HHS actions to address drivers, and a measurement framework to assess progress. The report also addresses the lack of access to maternal health care in rural areas and highlights programs aimed at increasing the rural maternal health workforce.

The 2024 National Telehealth Conference Summary Report offers a summary of the 2024 Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) National Telehealth Conference by conference session. The report covers increasing access to tele-behavioral healthcare through interstate licensure, expanding access to telehealth services for underserved and low-income communities, and federal efforts for telehealth policy and innovation.

The Biden Administration issued a final rule allowing an estimated 100,000 previously uninsured participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to access coverage through Health Insurance Marketplaces and the Basic Health Program beginning Nov. 1, 2024. The lawsuit argues that the rule violates a 1996 welfare reform law and the ACA and encourages more immigrants to come to the US illegally. The DACA program was launched in 2012 under former President Barack Obama and offers deportation relief and work permits to “Dreamer” immigrants who were illegally brought to the U.S. as children or overstayed a visa. Previously, DACA recipients were prohibited from enrolling in the Marketplace plans but could receive health insurance through an employer, buy private insurance or in some places access programs funded by states and cities. Pennsylvania has almost 5,000 DACA recipients.

Millions of Americans struggle with behavioral health issues, with over 80% perceiving a dramatic increase in mental health concerns over the past five years alone. The crisis is particularly acute among the 88 million individuals covered by Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), who face higher rates of mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD) compared to the privately insured. In a new op-ed published by Medical Economics, Primary Care Collaborative President and CEO Ann Greiner and Community Catalyst Co-Interim President Brandon Wilson explain how Medicaid and CHIP can help address these crises by promoting behavioral health integration in primary care. Integrating behavioral health care and addiction treatment into primary care enables patients to address both physical and mental health needs in one location, facilitates early detection, and may encourage more individuals to seek professional help. Key recommendations include removing cost-sharing barriers, expanding coverage and rates for integrated care models, and providing clearer guidance on payment and care models. These steps are essential for addressing the growing behavioral health crisis and ensuring that all communities have access to comprehensive care.

The CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to notify health care providers, public health authorities, and the public about current increases in human parvovirus B19 activity in the U.S. Parvovirus B19 is a seasonal respiratory virus that is transmitted through respiratory droplets by people with symptomatic or asymptomatic infection. In the first quarter of 2024, public health authorities in 14 European countries observed unusually high numbers of cases of parvovirus B19. Recently, CDC has received reports indicating increased parvovirus B19 activity in the U.S. Data include increased test positivity for parvovirus B19 in clinical specimens and pooled plasma from a large commercial laboratory, and reports of clusters of parvovirus B19-associated complications among pregnant people and people with sickle cell disease. See the full Health Advisory for more information, including recommendations for health care providers.

Last week the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the 2023 Progress Report on the Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan 2021-2025. This progress report showcases federal advancements made during fiscal year 2023 towards eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat in the United States by 2030. While significant strides have been made, there is much more to be done. Read the 2023 Viral Hepatitis Progress Report to understand progress made and identify areas for improvement. Looking ahead, HHS will begin developing the next iteration of the Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan for 2026-2030.

A Texas Federal judge issued a decision blocking the FTC’s proposed ban on non-compete agreements, which was set to go into effect on Sept. 4, 2024. As previously reported, the Texas Federal Court had issued a preliminary injunction limiting the enforceability of the FTC’s non-compete ban for the individual plaintiff in that lawsuit only. The judge has now expanded that ruling nationally – preventing the FTC non-compete ban from going into effect. The court found that the FTC improperly exceeded its authority by creating a new rule banning non-compete agreements. The court found that the “sweeping” rule is a “categorical ban” that is impermissible, holding: “In sum, the Court concludes that the FTC lacks statutory authority to promulgate the Non-Compete Rule, and that the Rule is arbitrary and capricious. Thus, the FTC’s promulgation of the Rule is an unlawful agency action.” This will not impact the new Pennsylvania state law on non-competes within health care.

An investment of over $4 million in Industry Partnership grant funding to strengthen workforce development projects has been made by the Shapiro Administration. Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Nancy Walker announced the investment on Monday. Along with strengthening the state’s workforce, the investment is designed to boost industry partnerships across Pennsylvania by encouraging businesses to collaborate across sectors to recruit, train, and retain workers in high-demand fields like IT, robotics, healthcare, and agriculture. Local workforce development boards, non-profit and non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, educational and post-secondary educational organizations, labor organizations, business associations, and economic development entities are all eligible applicants.