- 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
Institute Looks at Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment in Pennsylvania
Continuing its analysis on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Pennsylvania, the Institute of State and Regional Affairs (ISRA) at Penn State Harrisburg has released a report comparing the economic impact of the pandemic on business sectors in Pennsylvania. The report — which is one tool that may be used to inform decision-making by local officials — found that unemployment claims grew at an alarming rate from the week of March 21 through the week of April 11, totaling nearly 1.7 million cases, and that cases may continue to grow past 2 million.
“As the commonwealth reopens, statewide leaders have many factors to consider. It is important that tools being used to support decision-making related to economic impacts pay attention to the job sectors that were hardest hit,” said Philip Sirinides, director of ISRA.
Using employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s definition of essential businesses paired with data on establishments, employment, and unemployment claims, the new report assesses the economic impact of the pandemic in Pennsylvania. The report found that at least 1.2 million employees worked in industries impacted by business establishment closures.
APHA and NAM: COVID-19 Conversations
The American Public Health Association (APHA) and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) hosted a webinar series over the last seven weeks with experts from the fields of public health, infectious disease, risk communication, and crisis standards of care. The recordings of past sessions are available here.
CMS Issues Final Rule for the 2021 Annual Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters
On May 7, 2020, CMS released the final annual Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters and Letter to Issuers for the 2021 benefit year. This final rule and Letter set forth payment parameters and instructions to insurers participating in the Health Insurance Exchanges or “Marketplaces”. Among the changes for 2021 are counting drug manufactures coupon toward the annual limitation on cost sharing and promoting the adoption of Value-based Insurance Designs (VBID). CMS also announced a one-week extension of the Qualified Health Plan (QHP) certification and rate review timelines to help issuers and states to better collect and assess data around the effects of COVID-19 and thereby establish more accurate premium rates. Find more information on the notice here. Generally, more information on rural health insurance issues is available from the RHIhub.
Comments Requested: Proposed Updates for FY2021 Medicare Inpatient and Long-term Care Hospital Payments – July 10
On May 11, 2020, CMS released proposed policies and payment updates for acute care and long-term care hospitals for the 2021 Federal fiscal year. In recognition of the significant impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency, CMS has limited annual rulemaking required by statute to focus primarily on essential policies. Of note to rural hospitals, CMS has decided to delay a proposed update to the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating methodology in recognition of the significant impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency. CMS noted its intention to return to this topic in future rulemaking. CMS is also proposing to expand the definition of displaced resident under the Graduate Medical Education policy to provide greater flexibility. Find more information here.
Most Rural Hospitals Have Little Cash Going into COVID
Days cash on hand is an estimate of the number of days an organization could operate if no cash were collected or received. Many rural hospitals have a history of low cash levels and other short-term assets and are therefore ill-prepared for the loss of revenue during the pandemic. Read more here.
Rural Response to Coronavirus Disease 2019
The Rural Health Information Hub has created a guide to help you learn about activities underway to address COVID-19. Find more information here.
Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties
The RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis provides up-to-date data and maps on rural and urban confirmed cases throughout the United States. An animated map shows the progression of cases beginning January 21. Find more reports here.
CDC COVID-19 Updates
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides daily updates and guidance. New the week of May 14: Guidance for Certifying Deaths Due to Coronavirus was the subject of a recent webinar for clinicians, part of ongoing Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA). Read more updates here.
COVID-19 FAQs and Funding for HRSA Programs
Find all funding and frequently asked questions for programs administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) here.
Federal Office of Rural Health Policy FAQs for COVID-19
A set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) from HRSA grantees and stakeholders, updated regularly. Find more information here.