- GAO Seeks New Members for Tribal and Indigenous Advisory Council
- VA: Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program Funding Opportunity
- Telehealth Study Recruiting Veterans Now
- USDA Delivers Immediate Relief to Farmers, Ranchers and Rural Communities Impacted by Recent Disasters
- Submit Nominations for Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) Committees
- Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation of the Medicare Program (Executive Order 14192) - Request for Information
- Dr. Mehmet Oz Shares Vision for CMS
- CMS Refocuses on its Core Mission and Preserving the State-Federal Medicaid Partnership
- Social Factors Help Explain Worse Cardiovascular Health among Adults in Rural Vs. Urban Communities
- Reducing Barriers to Participation in Population-Based Total Cost of Care (PB-TCOC) Models and Supporting Primary and Specialty Care Transformation: Request for Input
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule
- Rural America Faces Growing Shortage of Eye Surgeons
- Comments Requested on Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit Draft
Clarification on RHC and FQHC Cost Sharing Announced
On July 6, CMS updated MLN Matters Article SE20016 to clarify how Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) can apply the Cost Sharing (CS) modifier to preventive services furnished via telehealth. This update includes:
- Additional claim examples
- New section on the RHC Productivity Standard
COVID-19 Crisis Fire Company and EMS Grant Program Funding Available in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council has announced that COVID-19 Crisis Fire Company and EMS Grant Program funding is now available. Organizations are urged to access the following links to check eligibility and for application details.
https://www.osfc.pa.gov/GrantsandLoans/Pages/COVID-19-Fire-Rescue-EMS-Grant.aspx?fbclid=IwAR0C9oOMttwYWykLir2_qPHMLvsVY4js7awH8grFZbqJds4HiZNAmtZMMa8
Providers Urged to Submit Data by July 20 Deadline for Medicaid and CHIP Relief Funds
HHS recently announced the additional distributions from the Provider Relief Fund to eligible Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) providers that participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs. HHS expects to distribute approximately $15 billion to eligible providers that participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs and have not received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund General Distribution. Eligible providers must submit their data by July 20.
Before applying through the Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal, applicants can watch a webinar about the application process for Medicaid/CHIP providers. An additional webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8 at 4:00 pm EDT, which you can register for here. I also encourage you to review the most recent FAQs on the program and the Medicaid/CHIP targeted distribution here.
More Research Points to Importance of Masks, Mandatory Mask-Wearing Order Remains in Effect
Pennsylvania Governor Wolf’s Administration highlighted recent research studies that further point to the importance of wearing masks to stop the spread of COVID-19.
According to a recent, comprehensive study published in The Lancet and funded by the World Health Organization, which identified 172 observational studies across 16 countries and six continents, face mask use could result in a large reduction in risk of infection from COVID-19, in particular when combined with social distancing.
A study by a team of researchers led by a Texas A&M University professor has found that not wearing a face mask dramatically increases a person’s chances of being infected by the COVID-19 virus. The findings were published in the PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences). According to the study’s findings, “not wearing a face mask dramatically increases a person’s chances of being infected by the COVID-19 virus.”
And a recent modeling study by the Royal Society A notes that wearing masks in public could have a major impact toward reducing the spread of COVID-19. According to the modeling, “Under certain conditions, when lock-down periods are implemented in combination with 100% facemask use, there is vastly less disease spread, secondary and tertiary waves are flattened, and the epidemic is brought under control. The effect occurs even when it is assumed that facemasks are only 50% effective at capturing exhaled virus inoculum with an equal or lower efficiency on inhalation.”
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine signed an order mandating mask-wearing on July 1. It remains in effect. Frequently Asked Questions about the mask-wearing order can be found here.
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls – July
CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended to provide updates, share best practices among peers, and offer attendees an opportunity to ask questions of CMS and other subject matter experts.
Call details are below. Conference lines are limited so we highly encourage you to join via audio webcast, either on your computer or smartphone web browser. You are welcome to share this invitation with your colleagues and professional networks. These calls are not intended for the press.
Calls recordings and transcripts are posted on the CMS podcast page at: https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/OpenDoorForums/PodcastAndTranscripts
CMS COVID-19 Office Hours Calls (Tuesdays at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern)
Office Hour Calls provide an opportunity for hospitals, health systems, and providers to ask questions of agency officials regarding CMS’s temporary actions that empower local hospitals and healthcare systems to:
- Increase Hospital Capacity – CMS Hospitals Without Walls;
- Rapidly Expand the Healthcare Workforce;
- Put Patients Over Paperwork; and
- Further Promote Telehealth in Medicare
This week’s Office Hours:
Tuesday, July 7th at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 3048844
Additional Office Hours:
Tuesday, July 14th at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 2550919
Tuesday, July 21st at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 7477995
Tuesday, July 28th at 5:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 1492795
Weekly COVID-19 Care Site-Specific Calls
CMS hosts weekly calls for certain types of organizations to provide targeted updates on the agency’s latest COVID-19 guidance. One to two leaders in the field also share best practices with their peers. There is an opportunity to ask questions of presenters if time allows.
Home Health and Hospice (twice a month on Tuesday at 3:00 PM Eastern)
Tuesday, July 7th at 3:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 9480618
Tuesday, July 21st at 3:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 6080197
Nursing Homes (twice a month on Wednesday at 4:30 PM Eastern)
Wednesday, July 8th at 4:30 – 5:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 2997138
Wednesday, July 22nd at 4:30 – 5:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 1143564
Dialysis Organizations (twice a month on Wednesday at 5:30 PM Eastern)
Wednesday, July 8th at 5:30 – 6:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 8481378
Wednesday, July 22nd at 5:30 – 6:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 7692208
Nurses (twice a month on Thursdays at 3:00 PM Eastern)
Thursday, July 9th at 3:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 9386539
Thursday, July 23rd at 3:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Passcode: 7971869
Lessons from the Front Lines: COVID-19 (twice a month on Fridays at 12:30 – 2:00 PM Eastern)
Lessons from the Front Lines calls are a joint effort between CMS Administrator Seema Verma, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, MD, and the White House Coronavirus Task Force. Physicians and other clinicians are invited to share their experience, ideas, strategies, and insights with one another related to their COVID-19 response. There is an opportunity to ask questions of presenters.
Next Lessons from the Front Lines:
Friday, July 17th at 12:30 – 2:00 PM Eastern
Toll Free Attendee Dial-In: 833-614-0820; Access Code: 3096434
To keep up with the important work the White House Task Force is doing in response to COVID-19 click here: https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=50c582c2-0c908b12-50c5b3fd-0cc47a6a52de-d2b3787f2fc1a6db&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=1c9266c7-40c76fd4-1c9257f8-0cc47adb5650-f1f55d7f990cafab&u=https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=36fa2226-6aae0b0d-36fa1319-0cc47a6d17cc-2d06c219f858d641&u=http://www.coronavirus.gov/.
For information specific to CMS, please visit the Current Emergencies Website.
2020 Census Rural Count Adapts to Covid-19
By Donna Kallner
Making sure rural areas are counted accurately is a challenge in the best of times. In 2020, the U.S.Census Bureau’s operations have had to adapt.
Analysis: How Covid-19 in Prisons and Jails Threatens the Surrounding Community
By Michael Ollove
Rural counties with prisons have seen some of the highest coronavirus infection rates in the United States. Protecting the incarcerated population is also an important step toward protecting the health of nearby communities.
HHS Releases Millions for RHCs Left Out of Initial Provider Relief Fund Distribution
On June 25, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services released more than $50 Million dollars in Relief Fund payments to Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) that were left out of the original May 1 RHC distribution. This money is in addition to the more than $500 Million distributed to all other RHCs in early May.
“We are pleased that our advocacy efforts on behalf of these RHCs has paid off,” said Bill Finerfrock, Executive Director of the National Association of Rural Health Clinics.
On April 22nd, the Secretary Alex Azar announced that the Department of Health and Human Services was reserving $10 Billion of the $100 Billion authorized by Congress for Provider Relief Payments, for Rural Health Clinics and Rural Hospitals. True to their word, a few weeks later, thousands of RHCs received money from the COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund.
It quickly became apparent that due to unknown problems with the way CMS maintained the official list of RHCs and the formula used by HHS to determine RHC eligibility for payments, many RHCs that should have been eligible did not receive any money from this fund. Immediately upon learning of this oversight, NARHC reached out to HHS Leadership to make them aware of the problem and express our desire that HHS correct this oversight.
For the past 6 weeks, NARHC has been working with HHS leadership and senior staff at the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to identify the RHCs that were left out of the original distribution and secure the funds necessary to make Provider Relief Payments to these RHCs.
Each RHC in this 500+ group received, on average, slightly more than $103,000. Payments were distributed to RHCs that have an electronic banking relationship with CMS. RHCs that do not have an electronic banking relationship with HHS should be receiving a check in the mail within 7 – 10 days (depending on mail service). RHCs owned by hospitals in “urban” areas should check with their parent hospital entity to verify that this payment was received.
NARHC would like to thank the leadership at HHS and in particular, the staff at the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), who worked diligently with NARHC to identify those RHCs that were overlooked.
New Brief: Identifying Vulnerable Rural Populations During COVID-19: The CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index
The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) has released a new Issue Brief: Identifying Vulnerable Rural Populations During COVID-19: The CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index
Social vulnerability refers to a community’s capacity to prepare for and respond to the stress of hazardous events — including natural disasters and pandemics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created a multifactor Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) which can be used to identify vulnerable rural populations at greatest risk of impact by hazardous events. The SVI is calculated at two levels — one set of variables for all US counties and a second set for all US census tracts — and updated bi-annually.
The SVI can be useful in planning efforts to prevent and respond to COVID-19 infections in local communities. The NOSORH COVID-19 Data Tool includes the latest SVI data displayed in a visual format. Overlaying the SVI data layers with other available layers aids in the identification of high need areas, assisting in delivery of resources where they are most needed.
Pennsylvania Health Department Releases Revised Guidelines for EMS
The Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services Council has distributed two guidelines for EMS providers on PPE and the Department of Health’s Universal Face Coverings Orders. Both documents can be accessed below.