Rural Health Information Hub Latest News

New Report: Local Food in Appalachia

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The Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) new report, “Agriculture and Local Food Economies in the Appalachian Region,” examines the impact and potential of Appalachia’s food systems.

Based largely on U.S. Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture data, the report is filled with recommendations and success strategies that can help communities cultivate thriving food economies.  The research also includes overviews and case studies that will prove useful to Appalachian stakeholders interested in developing their own local food systems.

Learn more about opportunities to strengthen Appalachian food economies by clicking here.

Celebrating the Contributions of Pennsylvanians Living with Autism

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Commonwealth citizens living with Autism Spectrum Disorder are important to our communities.

April is Autism Acceptance Month, and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is recognizing services offered to individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. However, this is not only important during April. Every day we celebrate individuals who are breaking barriers and contributing to their communities, excelling in employment, and promoting self-advocacy. All individuals living with autism or intellectual disabilities should have autonomy, choice, and opportunities to live everyday lives.

Autism in PA

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?

ASD is a complex, lifelong developmental condition that typically appears during early childhood and can impact a person’s social skills, communication, relationships, and self-regulation. Autism is experienced differently for everyone and to varying degrees. It is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is often referred to as a “spectrum condition.”

In 2021, the CDC reported that approximately 1 in 44 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with ASD. Currently, more than 180,000 Pennsylvanians are living with autism.

What are the characteristics of ASD?

How is ASD diagnosed?

A medical professional who may have experience with Autism — including pediatricians, neurologists, psychiatrists, and psychologists — may be able to make an assessment. The evaluation itself can vary depending on the professional administering it, the age of the person being assessed, the severity of his or her needs, and local available resources. A medical assessment for Autism typically includes:

  • A medical history of the mother’s pregnancy
  • Developmental milestones
  • Sensory challenges
  • Medical illnesses, including ear infections and seizures
  • Any family history of developmental disorders
  • Any family history of genetic and metabolic disorders
  • An assessment of cognitive functioning
  • An assessment of language skills
  • An Autism-specific observational test, interview or rating scale

If you have questions or feel you need additional help, try reaching out to a local Autism Society affiliate, an Autism support group, your primary care provider, or possibly another parent with a child or family member with Autism.

Intervention & Support

Treatment

Every individual with autism has unique strengths and challenges, so there is no definitive approach to autism treatment and intervention. Each autism intervention or treatment plan should be tailored to address the person’s specific needs. A person’s treatment plan can include behavioral interventions, other therapies, and medicines.

Support through ASERT

DHS is responding to the increased prevalence of ASD by expanding access to services, while also working to address the need to build the capacity of professionals trained to assist individuals with autism and their families across their lifespan. The state-funded Autism Services, Education, Resources and Training (ASERT) initiative provides support and information to Pennsylvanians with ASD. ASERT also maintains a collaborative that brings together medical centers, centers for autism research and services, universities, and other providers involved in the treatment and care of individuals of all ages with autism and their families to support service providers, individuals with autism spectrum disorder, and their families.

Additional Autism Resources

Preparing for the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: What Partners Need to Know 

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CMS is committed to ensuring access to comprehensive health care coverage by providing partners with guidance and resources as they plan for the eventual end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) and the Medicaid continuous coverage condition established under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Since the beginning of the Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has committed that it will provide states with 60 days of notice before any planned expiration or termination of the PHE to give states as much lead time as possible. In line with that commitment, CMS will be communicating early and often with states and other partners to support planning and coordination of this unwinding process. This communication is a part of that ongoing outreach.

KEY RESOURES

CMS has created a new Unwinding homepage with additional tools and resources.

  • On this page, you can find the new Communications Toolkit and graphics to help partners begin reaching out to Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees so that they are prepared for the upcoming renewal, along with several other unwinding resources.
  • The toolkit and graphics are available in both English and Spanish.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

On March 3, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provided states with additional guidance and tools as they plan for whenever the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) does conclude. When the PHE does eventually end, states will be required, over time, to redetermine eligibility for all people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. The recently released guidance will help states keep consumers connected to coverage by either renewing individuals’ Medicaid or CHIP eligibility or transferring them to other health insurance options.

WHAT PARTNERS CAN DO NOW

Right now, partners can help prepare for the renewal process by educating people with Medicaid and CHIP coverage about the upcoming changes. People with Medicaid & CHIP coverage should:

  1. Update their contact information with their State Medicaid or CHIP program; and
  2. Look out for a letter from their state about completing a renewal form.

KEY MESSAGES FOR PARTNERS TO SHARE

There are three main messages that partners should focus on now when communicating with people that are enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP.

  1. Update your contact information – Make sure [Name of State Medicaid or CHIP program] has your current mailing address, phone number, email, or other contact information. This way, they’ll be able to contact you about your Medicaid or CHIP coverage.
  2. Check your mail – [Name of State Medicaid or CHIP program] will mail you a letter about your Medicaid or CHIP coverage. This letter will also let you know if you need to complete a renewal form to see if you still qualify for Medicaid or CHIP.
  3. Complete your renewal form (if you get one) – Fill out the form and return it to [Name of State Medicaid or CHIP program] right away to help avoid a gap in your Medicaid or CHIP coverage.

Sample social media posts, graphics, and drop-in articles that focus on these key messages can be found in the Communications Toolkit. The Unwinding homepage will continue to be updated as new resources and tools are released.

For more information, please contact us: Partnership@cms.hhs.gov

CMS Announces a New Way for Medicare Beneficiaries to Get Free Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Tests

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The Biden-Harris Administration announced that more than 59 million Americans with Medicare Part B, including those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, now have access to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, authorized, or cleared over-the-counter COVID-19 tests at no cost. People with Medicare can get up to eight tests per calendar month from participating pharmacies and health care providers for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency.

“With today’s announcement, we are expanding access to free over-the-counter COVID-19 testing for people with Medicare Part B, including those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. People with Medicare Part B will now have access to up to eight FDA-approved, authorized or cleared over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per month at no cost. This is all part of our overall strategy to ramp -up access to easy-to-use, at-home tests free of charge,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Since we took office, we have more than tripled the number of sites where people can get COVID-19 tests for free, and we’re also delivering close to 250 million at-home, rapid tests to send for free to Americans who need them. Under the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership, we required state Medicaid programs, insurers and group health plans to make tests free for millions of Americans. With today’s step, we are further expanding health insurance coverage of free over-the-counter tests to Medicare beneficiaries, including our nation’s elderly and people with disabilities.”

This is the first time that Medicare has covered an over-the-counter self-administered test at no cost to beneficiaries. This new initiative enables payment from Medicare directly to participating eligible pharmacies and other health care providers to allow Medicare beneficiaries to receive tests at no cost, in addition to the two sets of four free at-home COVID-19 tests Americans can continue to order from covidtests.gov. National pharmacy chains are participating in this initiative, including: Albertsons Companies, Inc., Costco Pharmacy, CVS, Food Lion, Giant Food, The Giant Company, Hannaford Pharmacies, H-E-B Pharmacy, Hy-Vee Pharmacy, Kroger Family of Pharmacies, Rite Aid Corp., Shop & Stop, Walgreens and Walmart.

“Testing remains a critical tool in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, and we are committed to making sure people with Medicare have the tools they need to stay safe and healthy,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “By launching this initiative, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to demonstrate that we are doing everything possible to make over-the-counter COVID-19 testing free and accessible for millions more Americans.”

Providers and suppliers eligible to participate include certain types of pharmacies and other health care providers who are enrolled in Medicare and able to furnish ambulatory health care services such as preventive vaccines, COVID-19 testing and regular medical visits. To ensure that people with Medicare have access to these tests, Medicare is not requiring participating eligible pharmacies and health care providers go through any new Medicare enrollment processes. If a health care provider currently provides ambulatory health care services such as vaccines, lab tests or other clinic type visits to people with Medicare, then they are eligible to participate in this initiative.

“For the first time in its history, Medicare is paying for an over-the-counter test,” said Deputy Administrator Dr. Meena Seshamani, Director of the Center for Medicare at CMS. “This is because COVID-19 testing is a critical part of our pandemic response. Combined with the free over-the-counter tests available through covidtests.gov, this initiative will significantly increase testing access for Americans most vulnerable to COVID-19 and will provide valuable information for future payment policy supporting accessible, comprehensive, person-centered health care.”

A list of eligible pharmacies and other health care providers that have committed publicly to participate in this initiative can be found here. Because additional eligible pharmacies and health care providers may also participate, people with Medicare should check with their pharmacy or health care provider to find out whether they are participating.

This initiative adds to existing options for people with Medicare to access COVID-19 testing, including:

  • Requesting free over-the-counter tests for home delivery at gov. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order two sets of four at-home COVID-19 tests.
  • Access to no-cost COVID-19 tests through health care providers at over 20,000 testing sites nationwide. A list of community-based testing sites can be found here.
  • Access to lab-based PCR tests and antigen tests performed by a laboratory when the test is ordered by a physician, non-physician practitioner, pharmacist, or other authorized health care professional at no cost through Medicare.
  • In addition to accessing a COVID-19 laboratory test ordered by a health care professional, people with Medicare can also access one lab-performed test without an order and cost-sharing during the public health emergency.

For more information, please see this fact sheet https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/medicare-covers-over-counter-covid-19-tests

People with Medicare can get additional information by contacting 1-800-MEDICARE and going to: https://www.medicare.gov/medicare-coronavirus. Medicare also maintains several resources to help ensure beneficiaries receive the correct benefits while also avoiding the potential for fraud or scams. More details—particularly on identifying scams due to COVID-19—can be found at https://www.medicare.gov/basics/reporting-medicare-fraud-and-abuse.

Pharmacies and other health care providers interested in participating in this initiative can get more information here: https://www.cms.gov/COVIDOTCtestsProvider

Get CMS news at cms.gov/newsroom, sign up for CMS news via email and follow CMS on Twitter @CMSgov

CMS Provides Resources for National Minority Health Month 

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During April, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) recognizes National Minority Health Month. Officially established by Congress in 2002, this health observance offers an opportunity to build awareness about the health inequities that have historically affected underserved and marginalized communities.

In keeping with Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, our office is working to develop a comprehensive approach to advance equity for all including people of color and those adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequity to ensure those served by CMS can achieve their highest level of health and well-being. This is an effort that has involved furthering and embedding equity work across all CMS programs and continuing to provide resources to encourage advancing health equity for all the populations we serve. From the CMS Innovation Center, to the Medicare program, Medicaid and CHIP programs across the country, the Marketplace team, and more, CMS is committed to advancing health equity across Medicare, the Marketplaces, and Medicaid and CHIP.

This observance exemplifies our goal to help eliminate health disparities while improving the health of all minority populations. Below is a list of the resources offered by CMS OMH in order to help achieve this goal.

Resources

Thousands More People with Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Now Eligible to Access Critical Postpartum Coverage Thanks to the American Rescue Plan

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The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing that as many as 720,000 pregnant and postpartum people across the United States could be guaranteed Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage for a full 12 months after pregnancy thanks to the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Medicaid covers 42 percent of all births in the nation, and this new option for states to extend Medicaid and CHIP coverage marks the Biden-Harris Administration’s latest effort to address the nation’s crisis in pregnancy-related deaths and maternal morbidity by opening the door to postpartum care for hundreds of thousands of people.

In addition to related updates in the 2023 federal budget request, for example, in December 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris hosted the first-ever federal Maternal Health Day of Action, where she announced a call to action to both the public and private sectors to help improve health outcomes for parents and infants in the United States. Today’s announcements are a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued response to that call to action to support safe pregnancies and childbirth, and reduce complications and mortality in the year following birth.

“Having postpartum care can be life-saving and lead to better long-term health outcomes for new parents and newborns,” said Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Thanks to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, we are able to make it easier for states like Louisiana to give thousands more pregnant and postpartum people across the country access to high-quality, affordable coverage for the essential first year after birth. The Biden-Harris Administration has made maternal health and equity a priority, and we are working to ensure every parent has access to the care they and their child deserve.”

Louisiana, the first state CMS is approving to take advantage of this new state plan opportunity under the ARP, today began offering its enhanced coverage to an estimated 14,000 pregnant and postpartum people. CMS is also working with an additional nine states to extend postpartum coverage. In 2021, Illinois, New Jersey, and Virginia were the first states to use Medicaid demonstration authority to provide 12 months of continuous postpartum coverage for all Medicaid and CHIP enrollees. In addition, a number of other states have announced that they are working to extend Medicaid coverage to 12 months after pregnancy, and CMS looks forward to working those states. In order to receive federal funds and to ensure consistency with federal standards, including those set by the ARP, states must go through a formal process run by CMS.

“This is an historic step for states to partner with us to provide life-saving coverage for postpartum people—and meaningfully address the maternal health crisis. For too long, families have been left behind by a health care system that breaks connections to care when they are needed most,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “Everyone deserves an opportunity to attain and maintain health. The American Rescue Plan created a pathway to connect pregnant people to vital health coverage through that first critical year after birth, and I urge every state to adopt this option to extend lifesaving postpartum coverage.”

Under existing requirements, many Medicaid and CHIP enrollees receive coverage through the end of the month in which their 60-day postpartum period ends. Maintaining Medicaid and CHIP coverage for a full year provides access to critical health care services during the first year after pregnancy, which can help to address persistent health disparities. One-third of maternal deaths occur between one week to a year after the end of pregnancy, and rates of maternal mortality are up to five times higher among Black and American Indian/Alaska Native people than their white peers.

Beginning April 1, 2022, the ARP’s new state plan option offers state Medicaid and CHIP agencies an opportunity to provide 12 months of continuous postpartum coverage. States choosing to extend postpartum coverage must elect this option in both Medicaid and their separate CHIP programs, if applicable, and submit required state plan amendments to CMS. The new ARP state plan option is currently limited to a five-year period that ends on March 31, 2027.

States like Louisiana that adopt the new extended postpartum coverage must provide coverage to all eligible individuals who were enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP while they were pregnant. This extended coverage period will last from the day the pregnancy ends through the end of the month in which their 12-month postpartum period ends.

The postpartum coverage option extends to current beneficiaries who are enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP while pregnant but are no longer pregnant when the state implements the ARP option, if the individual is within their 12-month postpartum period when their state implements the option. It also applies to individuals who were pregnant at some point during the three months prior to applying for Medicaid, if they met the eligibility requirements at that time.

Advancing this state plan option comes at a critical time for pregnant individuals and families, many of whom are relying on continued Medicaid and CHIP coverage for the ongoing care they need during the postpartum period. Continuity of coverage can help postpartum people manage chronic conditions, like hypertension and diabetes, that last well beyond the first 60 days postpartum, as well as provide access to behavioral health and other mental health care services.

Other states interested in learning about extending postpartum coverage through the ARP can contact their CMS state lead or consult the state health official letter CMS issued in December 2021.

As US Nears 1 Million COVID Deaths, One Hard-Hit Pennsylvania County Grapples With Unthinkable Loss

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The United States is nearing 1 million deaths from COVID — an almost incomprehensible number of lives lost that few thought possible when the pandemic began. Pennsylvania’s Mifflin County offers a snapshot into how one hard-hit community, with over 300 dead, is coping.

Connie Houtz didn’t think  would be that bad.

She’d seen many people in this rural hamlet in central Pennsylvania get infected yet recover within a few days. She did not get vaccinated because she worried about how a new vaccine, developed in record time, might affect her heart condition.

Last October, her youngest son, 45-year-old Eric Delamarter, developed a chest cold. He put off going to the doctor because he had customers waiting at his shop where he repaired cars, she said. When he finally went to the emergency room at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, he was diagnosed with pneumonia and COVID.

Within a few days, Houtz’s oldest son, 50-year-old Toby Delamarter, had also been admitted to the hospital with the virus and shortness of breath.

Less than two weeks later, both of her sons were dead. Neither had been vaccinated.

“Even though it does not seem fair and does not seem right, down the road we will find a reason for why things happen,” said Houtz, 71, as she sat at her kitchen table.

Eric and Toby Delamarter are two of the roughly 300 people who have died of COVID in Mifflin County, where cows grazing in pastures and Amish horse and buggies are frequent sights. The county 60 miles northwest of Harrisburg leans heavily Republican — 77% of votes cast in 2020 were for Donald Trump — and the former president’s downplaying of covid-19 found fertile ground there.

Mifflin has one of the highest COVID death rates among U.S. counties with at least 40,000 people, according to government data compiled by Johns Hopkins University — 591 deaths per 100,000 residents as of mid-March, compared with 298 deaths nationally.

The United States is nearing 1 million deaths from COVID — a number that few thought possible when the pandemic began.

In March 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that based on modeling of the pace of the coronavirus’s spread in the U.S. at that time, “between 100,000 and 200,000” people may die from COVID.

Reaching a million deaths seemed even more improbable when safe and effective vaccines came onto the market in December 2020. More than 60% of the 977,000 deaths have occurred since then.

Mifflin County offers a snapshot into how one hard-hit community moved from skepticism about the scientific reality of the COVID virus, and then about the vaccine, to coping with unbearable loss and processing the trauma. Roughly 8 in 10 deaths nationwide from April to December 2021 were among the unvaccinated, according to the latest analysis of data from 23 states and New York City and Seattle by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read more.

HHS to Provide $110 Million to Strengthen Safety Net for Seniors and People with Disabilities

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Funding opens door for more than 20 states/territories to participate in Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person program, which has contributed billions to help seniors and people with disabilities safely transition from institutional care to independence in their homes and communities

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will offer more than $110 million to expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS) through Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person (MFP) program. First authorized in 2005, MFP has provided states with $4.06 billion to support people who choose to transition out of institutions and back into their homes and communities. The new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) makes individual awards of up to $5 million available for more than 20 states and territories not currently participating in MFP. These funds will support initial planning and implementation to get the state/territory programs off the ground, which would ensure more people with Medicaid can receive high-quality, cost-effective, person-centered services in a setting they choose.

“Everyone deserves the opportunity to live at home, in their communities, and with their loved ones,” said Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. “This funding will bring dignity and peace of mind to even more seniors and people with disabilities across the country. We will continue expanding these programs to ensure all Americans have equitable access to the high-quality health care they deserve—no matter where they live.”

“Our health care system works best when it meets us where we are and helps us get to where we want to be,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “With this new funding opportunity, we’re expanding a program with a proven track record of helping seniors and people with disabilities transition safely from institutional care to their own homes and communities. Letting ‘money follow the person’ is key to those successes, and to the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to affordable, accessible, person-centered care.”

HCBS is a critical component of the Medicaid program and the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to help older adults and individuals with disabilities live safely and independently in their homes and communities. The MFP program has been a critical tool, now with the potential to do more in a broader array of states and territories thanks to this latest NOFO.

To help additional states and territories implement MFP, these awards will support the early planning phase to get an MFP program off the ground. This includes:

  • Establishing partnerships with community stakeholders, including those representing diverse and underserved populations, Tribal entities and governments, key state and local agencies (such as state and local public housing authorities), and community-based organizations;
  • Conducting system assessments to better understand how HCBS support local residents;
  • Developing programs for the types of community transitions MFP supports;
  • Establishing or enhancing Medicaid HCBS quality improvement programs;
  • Recruiting HCBS providers as well as expert providers for transition coordination and technical assistance; and
  • Conducting a range of planning activities deemed necessary by the award recipients and approved by CMS.

State Medicaid agencies not currently participating in the MFP demonstration may apply through the NOFO no later than May 31, 2022. To access the NOFO, visit Grants.gov or here https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=334196

For states already participating in MFP, CMS also announced that the agency is increasing the reimbursement rate for MFP “supplemental services.” These services will now be 100% federally funded with no state share. Further, CMS is expanding the definition of supplemental services to include additional services that can support an individual’s transition from an institution to the community, including short-term housing and food assistance. These changes will help further address critical barriers to community living for eligible individuals, as well as increase community transition rates and the effectiveness of the MFP demonstration overall. For more information on current and previous grantees, visit Medicaid.gov. CMS will provide additional information on these changes to MFP grantees.

HRSA Recognizes Key Anniversaries and Works to Increase Health Care Access

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In March, HRSA announced the winners of the Promoting Pediatric Primary Prevention Challenge, $66.5 million to support community-based vaccine outreach efforts, more than $560 million in pandemic relief payments to health care providers, funding to increase virtual care quality and access, and new funding to support primary care residency programs.

In March, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services devoted to improving health outcomes in underserved communities, promoting health equity, and supporting the health workforce, took the following actions:

Statement of HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson on President Biden’s National Mental Health Strategy
HRSA is working to implement President Biden’s national mental health strategy by taking action to dramatically expand the supply, diversity, and cultural competence of the mental health and substance use disorder workforce. As part of this strategy, HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson visited Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio to discuss the importance of mental health services, alongside Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine.

New HHS Study in JAMA Pediatrics Shows Significant Increases in Children Diagnosed with Mental Health Conditions from 2016 to 2020
A new HHS study, conducted by HRSA, finds significant increases in the number of children diagnosed with mental health conditions. The findings highlight the critical importance of HRSA’s work to support children’s mental health and well-being through expanding access to mental health services and growing the mental health workforce.

Fact Sheet: American Rescue Plan One Year Anniversary
HRSA marked the first anniversary of the American Rescue Plan by highlighting American Rescue Plan-funded efforts to support COVID-19 vaccination, testing, treatment, and masks for underserved populations and rural communities across the country; keep the doors of health centers open as they led the fight against the pandemic; provide direct resources to rural clinics and hospitals to help rural communities respond to COVID; make record numbers of scholarships and loan repayment awards to clinicians; and expand support for families and children’s essential needs.

HHS Recognizes One-Year Anniversary of Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program to Advance Equity in Pandemic Response
HRSA recognized the one-year anniversary of the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program. To date, health centers have administered more than 20 million vaccines in underserved communities across the country through the HRSA program and partnerships with states.

HHS Distributing an Additional $413 Million in Provider Relief Fund Payments to Health Care Providers Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic
HRSA made more than $413 million in Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments to more than 3,600 providers across the country. These funds help health care providers prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus.

Statement of HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson on the Affordable Care Act Anniversary
HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson recognized the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act and highlighted the sea change the law represented for HRSA’s ability to provide equitable access to high-quality health care. In honor of the anniversary, Deputy Administrator Diana Espinosa participated in a celebration hosted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

ICYMI: HRSA Promotes Access to Gender Affirming Care and Treatment in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
HRSA released a letter encouraging Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program service providers to leverage their existing infrastructure to provide access to gender affirming care and treatment services to transgender and gender diverse individuals with HIV.

A Conversation with HHS Women Leaders to Celebrate Women’s History Month
To honor Women’s History Month, HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson joined women leaders across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for a conversation that highlighted HHS’ commitment to advancing the health and well-being of all women.

See News & Announcements on HRSA.gov.

Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (ACO REACH) Model Overview for Safety-Net Providers

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The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center) recently released a Request for Applications (RFA) to solicit a cohort of participants for the Accountable Care Organization Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (ACO REACH) Model. 

CMS is hosting three (3) webinars intended for Safety-Net Providers interested in learning more about the ACO REACH model and how to participate in Performance Year (PY) 2023.  This target audience includes, but is not limited to, Rural Health Centers, Community Health Centers (CHCs) also known as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) Method II, and Sole Community Hospitals (SCH). These webinars will be presented via Zoom and will occur on the following the dates/times: 

  • Wednesday, April 6th at 10:30 -11:30 am EST (9:30 CST; 8:30 MST, 7:30 PST) 
  • Thursday, April 7th at 10:00 – 11:00 am EST (9:00 CST; 8:00 MST, 7:00 PST)  
  • Thursday, April 7th at 4:30 – 5:30 pm EST (3:30 CST; 2:30 MST, 1:30 PST) 

Please register in advance to attend the webinar at https://cms.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_y8fynDtKTSWmqcnQ7FHgTg 

ACO REACH is a redesign of the Global and Professional Direct Contracting (GPDC) Model in response to stakeholder feedback, participant experience, including a commitment to advancing health equity. Its new name better reflects the purpose of the model: to improve the quality of care for people with Medicare through better care coordination, reaching and connecting health care providers and beneficiaries, including those beneficiaries who are underserved. 

Details on the ACO REACH model, as well as eligibility requirements can be found in the Request for Applications (RFA). Interested stakeholders should submit their application via web portal by April 22, 2022 at 11:59 PM EDT. 

Also, please monitor the ACO REACH website for future announcements and contact the model’s helpdesk at ACOREACH@cms.hhs.gov with any questions.