- Biden-Harris Administration Releases National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and First-Ever Federal Action Plan
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Action to Increase Access to Quality Care, and Support to Families and Care Workers
- Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don't Meet Them.
- Rural Jails Turn to Community Health Workers To Help the Newly Released Succeed
- Rural Communities Face Primary Care Physician Shortage
- Miles for Milk: How Student-Run Grocery Store Reshaped Rural Community's Food Access
- Native Americans Have Shorter Life Spans, and It's Not Just Due to Lack of Health Care
- Promotoras Play Essential Role in Connecting Farmworkers with Health Care in Rural NorCal
- Using Medicaid to Address Young People's Mental Health Needs in School Settings
- Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise
- Sunsets, Wildlife and Limited Care: Challenges of Aging in Place in Rural America
- City-Country Mortality Gap Widens amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access
- Tribal Environmental Impact Network
- Minnesota's Rural Ambulance Providers Look to State Capitol for Their Own Lifeline
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Support the Primary Care Workforce
Pennsylvania Issues RFA for Enrollment Assister Program
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) issued a Request For Application (RFA) procurement for an Enrollment Assister Program to provide enrollment, outreach and educational services to Physical HealthChoices and CHIP consumers statewide. The duration of the procurement is for three years with one additional two-year option. The application deadline is April 23, 2024. The current vendor for the program is Maximus.
State Medicaid Rolls Shed 500,000 People after COVID-Inspired Rule Change Ended
One year after the enrollment requirements were reinstated, Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program has dropped about half a million people, going from a record high of 3.7 million participants to 3.2 million as of February, according to state data. Now, state and local officials are examining their efforts to keep people enrolled in health insurance during this transition phase as they make plans to improve the renewal process going forward. State officials said they launched proactive outreach and awareness campaigns to prepare people for the reinstated renewal requirements by sending multiple messages through email, text and postal mail. They wanted to limit the various kinds of challenges people could face when reapplying, officials said, especially for those who had never gone through a renewal process before. Click here to learn more.
GAO Releases Report on Health Centers
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report: “Health Centers: Revenue, Grant Funding, and Methods for Meeting Certain Access-to-Care Requirements” that highlights how Community Health Center revenue increased from $26.3 billion in 2017 to $42.9 billion in 2022. Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released a misleading statement about the report. Their press release emphasizes – in both the title and text – that health center total revenues increased by 60% between 2018 and 2022. The report is accurate, but fails to emphasize the reasons why health center funding has increased, including:
- Medicaid Enrollment Increases. Higher Medicaid enrollment led to higher Medicaid reimbursement. Seven states expanded Medicaid during this time period adding about 2.8 million additional patients.
- Temporary Funding Increases. A significant portion of the increased funding was temporary COVID-19 emergency funding that has now expired.
- Patient Volume Increases. Importantly, health centers are now serving 2 million more patients since 2017, increasing revenue.
- Inflation. The report does not adjust the revenue increases for inflation.
What the report doesn’t discuss is that the Medicaid Unwinding that started in 2023 has led to significant financial challenges for health centers; a recent NACHC survey found an average $600,000 loss per health center as a result of the unwinding. In addition, following expiration of the temporary pandemic funding, high inflation and workforce shortages are leaving health centers financially insecure. NACHC has released a statement providing additional context to media outlets and will provide resources to educate Hill offices about the financial pressure health centers face.
Pennsylvania Governor’s Administration Tackles Provider Credentialing Burden
In response to the high degree of frustration they are hearing from healthcare providers across the continuum, the Shapiro Administration is working with stakeholders to identify strategies to streamline the insurer credentialing process. PA Insurance Department (PID) Commissioner Michael Humphreys and PA Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Val Arkoosh hosted a first meeting of providers, insurers, CAQH, and other stakeholders on Tuesday to discuss the issue and possible approaches to mitigate it. PACHC and several health center credentialing specialists participated. As the work continues, we will keep you informed of progress and opportunity for comment. PACHC is also separately working with PAMCO, the association representing Physical HealthChoices plans, and plan representatives on mitigation of credentialing issues, and particularly the responsiveness and timeliness of their dental and vision subcontractors. Questions or feedback? Please contact Andrea Wandling, Manager Member Relations and Human Resources, PACHC.
Doctors Take on Dental Duties to Reach Low-income and Uninsured Patients
From CBS News
Pediatrician Patricia Braun and her team saw roughly 100 children at a community health clinic on a recent Monday. They gave flu shots and treatments for illnesses like ear infections. But Braun also did something most primary care doctors don’t. She peered inside mouths searching for cavities or she brushed fluoride varnish on their teeth.
“We’re seeing more oral disease than the general population. There is a bigger need,” Braun said of the patients she treats at Bernard F. Gipson Eastside Family Health Center, which is part of Denver Health, the largest safety-net hospital in Colorado, serving low-income, uninsured, and underinsured residents.
Braun is part of a trend across the United States to integrate oral health into medical checkups for children, pregnant women, and others who cannot afford or do not have easy access to dentists. With federal and private funding, these programs have expanded in the past 10 years, but they face socioeconomic barriers, workforce shortages, and the challenge of dealing with the needs of new immigrants.
With a five-year, $6 million federal grant, Braun and her colleagues have helped train 250 primary care providers in oral health in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and Arizona. Similar projects are wrapping up in Illinois, Michigan, Virginia, and New York, funded by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Beyond assessment, education, and preventive care, primary care providers refer patients to on- or off-site dentists, or work with embedded dental hygienists as part of their practice.
Read more.
Apply Now for the Appalachian Leadership Institute
Calling current and future community leaders! Applications for our Appalachian Leadership Institute (ALI) are now open.
This no-cost, nine-month leadership development training opportunity is centered on economic development. During six sessions in communities across the region, participants will learn how to better:
- Identify and implement strategies to strengthen their communities.
- Collaborate with a network of leaders across Appalachia.
- Recognize and utilize unique assets in their communities to build economic development plans.
- Appreciate the diversity and shared experiences of Appalachians.
Anyone living or working in Appalachia’s 423 counties is eligible to apply now. We look forward to building a stronger future for the region together!
Communities Need Safe Drinking Water: A Rural Environmental Justice Case Study
A brief from the Aspen Institute discusses access to clean drinking water in rural, underserved communities and Native nations, and presents case studies of communities working to improve environmental health equity. Features the Environmental Justice Community Action Network (EJCAN) of North Carolina, the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) of the Native Village of Hooper Bay, Alaska, and community leaders in Ivanhoe, North Carolina.
HRSA Releases National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses
HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce provides demographic, training and education, employment, COVID-19 impact, and workforce projection data for registered nurses (RNs) in the U.S.
In Case You Missed It: FORHP Preview
Thank you for attending the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy’s 2024 Preview Webinar on April 3rd. Over 400 participants joined to hear about our anticipated funding opportunities and “hidden gems” – resources and projects that may not be well-known. Here, we’re providing a recording of the hour-long session.
In Case You Missed It: Webinar on Hospital Price Transparency
The Rural Health Information Hub posted a recording of the hour-long webinar from April 5 where experts from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reviewed policy updates on the latest hospital price transparency policies and enforcement actions that were made effective January 1, 2024 and affect all hospitals operating in the United States.