Effective with dates of service on and after April 1, 2025, the Department of Human Services utilizes an alternate payment methodology (APM) for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) that agree to accept it to make a supplemental payment at the medical assistance (MA) Program Fee Schedule rate for either a LARC device and its insertion, or the removal of a LARC device, in addition to payment for an encounter. The full bulletin is available for more information on how to opt-in to the APM and detailed billing instructions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) notified state health departments that they were cancelling several types of public health grants, effective the previous day. The CDC cancelled around $11 billion in grants directed toward COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and initiatives to bridge health disparities, while SAMHSA cancelled around $1 billion in grants focused on mental health services.

The Trump Administration is withholding millions of dollars allocated for family planning services from more than a dozen organizations. Enacted in 1970, the federal family planning program known as Title X makes millions of dollars available to clinics that provide health care services like birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing for people from low-income households. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told Time Magazine in an email that the department is withholding Title X funds from 16 organizations “pending an evaluation of possible violations of their grant terms, including based on Federal civil rights laws and the President’s Executive Order 14218, ‘Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,’” which Trump signed on Feb. 19. The Executive Order declares that undocumented immigrants are prohibited “from obtaining most taxpayer-funded benefits.” Source: Time Magazine

HRSA announced the grant opportunity for the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Program, which was scheduled to start on May 1, will now start on August 1. Successful grant applicants will be notified in July.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have released a pair of documents that describe DEI practices they may consider “illegal” and “discriminatory”:

·    The one-pager is entitled “What to Do if You Experience Discrimination Related to DEI at Work”, and outlines types of activities that the EEOC and DOJ consider discriminatory. As with many documents from the new Administration, it encourages people within an organization to report perceived violations to the government.

·        The FAQ document elaborates on the topics in the one-pager. FAQ #7 is particularly important: “When is a DEI initiative, policy, program, or practice unlawful under Title VII?”

The Senate confirmed Dr. Oz as the new Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in a party line 53-45 vote. In a letter earlier this week to Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), Dr. Oz affirmed his opposition to abortion and gender-affirming care for trans people, including for minors, leading to his confirmation.

A coalition of states sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stop the termination of $11 billion in grant funding to public health departments and programs, including COVID Funding. Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania joined 20 other states and Washington, D.C. in filing a lawsuit Tuesday against the Trump administration. The suit comes about a week after state and local agencies were notified about funding cuts to services that support mental health care, substance use treatment, infectious disease monitoring and more. Thursday night a federal judge in Rhode Island granted the request from Democratic state officials to temporarily prevent President Donald Trump’s administration from cutting state health grants.

Last week, the Pennsylvania House Insurance Committee, chaired by state Rep. Perry Warren, D-Bucks, reported out of committee four significant bills that safeguard health insurance in Pennsylvania in the event the federal government repeals protections of the Affordable Care Act. HB 404, 535, 618, and 755. The legislation seeks to ensure that consumers can maintain health insurance coverage to age 26, safeguarding health care protections by blocking coverage limits, prohibiting denial of health insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions, and maintaining access to preventative health care protections.

The National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network (3RNET) has released a new resource that rural health centers can use in their recruitment efforts. This guide is a basic overview of the benefits of working in a healthcare profession in a rural community and can be used to help with messaging to candidates or as a supplement to other materials your health center distributes. Check out this resource on 3RNET today.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the new Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties. Click here for information to rural definition eligibility for rural grants.