Today, as part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) signed by President Biden, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing that it is again lowering the cost of health insurance and opening more pathways for Americans to obtain affordable and comprehensive health coverage. Starting July 1, 2021, consumers who received or are approved to receive unemployment compensation for any week beginning in 2021 may be able to find even lower cost plans and save extra money on out-of-pocket expenses through HealthCare.gov.

To take advantage of these additional savings, consumers who received or have been approved for unemployment compensation in 2021 need to visit HealthCare.gov to submit a new application or update their existing application to maximize the savings they can get for the rest of 2021. An average of three out of five eligible uninsured Americans can access $0 plans after advance payments of tax credits and an average of four out of five current HealthCare.gov consumers will be able to find a plan for $10 or less per month after advance payments of tax credits. CMS encourages current consumers who have received unemployment income for any week beginning in 2021 to update their application and enrollment between July 1 and August 15 to maximize the savings on their Marketplace coverage for the rest of the year.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is focused on providing relief to millions of families who need to access health insurance coverage because they have been impacted by job losses or underemployment during the pandemic,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “The Administration has made it easier than ever for Americans to enroll in an affordable, comprehensive health insurance plans through HealthCare.gov thanks to the increased financial assistance provided through the American Rescue Plan. We encourage consumers who have received unemployment compensation in 2021 to visit the Marketplace to see if they qualify to save money on their health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs.”

“We are doing everything we can to remove financial barriers to comprehensive health care,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “The American Rescue Plan provides consumers with additional savings and will make coverage even more attainable for those most in need. We welcome people who received unemployment benefits in 2021 to check out their health coverage options on HealthCare.gov on July 1.”

To read the HHS press release, visit: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/06/29/american-rescue-plan-lowers-health-insurance-costs-americans-who-may-have-lost-their-job.html.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today proposed a series of provisions to follow through on President Biden’s commitment to build on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), expand health coverage access and advance health equity. These provisions are the third installment of the payment notice for 2022.

The proposed rule includes a variety of provisions to protect and expand Americans’ access to high-quality, affordable health insurance. This includes proposals to lengthen the annual open enrollment period for 2022 by an additional 30 days, create a new special enrollment period opportunity for certain low-income consumers, and expand the duties of Federally-facilitated Exchange Navigators to offer additional help to consumers enrolling in plans. These actions demonstrate a strong commitment by the Biden-Harris Administration to extend health insurance coverage to more Americans and make it easier and more affordable to get covered.

For more information on the proposed rule review the fact sheet and press release.

To review the proposed rule in its entirety, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2021-13993/patient-protection-and-affordable-care-act-updating-payment-parameters-section-1332-waiver.

A new study by Penn State researchers, who looked at emergency room admissions across the U.S. over a recent five-year period in a novel way, suggests that the agriculture industry is even more dangerous than previously believed.  Full story

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is seeking applications for grants under the Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant program.

The purpose of this program is to provide technical assistance to socially-disadvantaged groups in rural areas. Eligible applicants include cooperatives, groups of cooperatives and cooperative development centers with a majority of its board of directors or governing board comprised of individuals who are members of socially disadvantaged groups. A socially-disadvantaged group is one whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of a group and without regard to their individual qualities.

This program supports Rural Development’s mission to improve the quality of life for rural Americans and commitment to direct agency resources to those who most need them. Grant funds may used only for the benefit of socially-disadvantaged groups in rural areas.

For FY 2021, USDA plans to award up to $3 million in grants. The maximum grant award is $175,000. Grants may be used to develop and operate a Rural Cooperative Development Center that could provide the following technical assistance and other services to rural socially-disadvantaged groups and businesses:

• Conducting feasibility studies
• Developing business plans
• Providing leadership and operational improvement training

Completed applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Aug. 9, 2021. For additional information, see page 32882 of the June 23 Federal Register.

Now more than ever, having a computer at home with high-speed internet is essential to completing basic activities, from distance learning to remote work and job searches. A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia explores the connection between access to broadband and labor force participation across all U.S. metro areas and finds that:

• regional levels of broadband subscription, computer access, and poverty are highly correlated.
• geography matters: Metro areas with low household broadband subscription and computer access were primarily located in the Southeast and Southwest, while high-connectivity regions were concentrated in the Northeast and West Coast.
• across U.S. metros, prime-age workers (people 25–54) with a broadband-enabled computer participate in the labor force at a much higher rate than prime-age workers without such access.

The research suggests that an “Access Policy” that provides a broadband-enabled computer to unserved metro populations could raise prime-age labor force participation rates. These digital inclusion efforts may have the greatest impact if they target regions with higher levels of poverty or economic insecurity, where computer access and broadband subscription rates often trail other regions.

This report is part of a Research in Action Lab. Conducted in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry and Penn State Extension, the lab will prioritize expanding broadband infrastructure to unserved residents, increasing broadband subscription in low- and moderate-income communities, and developing digital literacy among workers. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia will use its expertise in economic research and community outreach to form a coalition of partners to identify innovative solutions to bridge the digital divide.

For more information about the Philadelphia Fed’s Research in Action Labs, please see “Research in Action Labs: Local Solutions to Economic Problems.”

Read the report.

Funding will Help Provide Rural Health Care, Emergency Response Services and Long-Term Disaster Recovery

 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson announced that USDA is investing $185 million to equip, rebuild, and modernize essential services in rural areas of 32 states. The investments will benefit 3 million rural residents. In Pennsylvania, USDA is investing a total of $955,730 in 16 projects through the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program.

“The Biden-Harris Administration has made investing in infrastructure improvements a priority,” Maxson said. “These loans and grants will help rural communities invest in facilities and services that are vital to all communities, such as schools, libraries, hospitals and health clinics. They also will help rural communities continue to beat the COVID-19 pandemic as America builds back better and stronger.”

USDA Acting State Director for Rural Development in Pennsylvania Jeremy Wilson said, “These loans and grants help emphasize the fact that USDA is not just here to help farmers and agricultural producers, but the communities where they live.”

Below are descriptions of the projects:

• Kingston Borough is receiving a $26,500 grant to purchase radios and accessories for their emergency services. This purchase is needed to allow the borough to be compliant with the upgraded system in Lycoming County. Without the new equipment, the borough would not be able to communicate with regional emergency services.
• Kline Township is receiving a $27,100 grant to purchase a patrol vehicle and equipment for the township’s police department. The township currently uses a 2013 patrol vehicle that is in poor condition, frequently breaks down and needs repair, resulting in loss of services to the community.
• Benezette Township is receiving a $30,700 grant to purchase a pickup truck for environmental operations and street maintenance. The new truck is needed because the township’s current trucks have plows and spreaders, which don’t allow the maintenance department to address issues such as fallen trees, road repairs and other tasks.
• Grand Canyon Airport Authority is receiving a $5,100 grant to purchase a self-serve fueling terminal at the Grand Canyon Airport in Wellsboro. The terminal will allow 24/7 fuel access to customers and is essential for a small airport, which cannot sustain 24-hour operations. The 20-year old existing system is incompatible with current and emerging technology and the existing manufacturer is no longer providing software, replacement parts or technical support.
• Keating Township is receiving a $50,000 loan and $27,400 grant to purchase a dump truck with a snowplow and cinder spreader that will be housed at the township office located in Potter County. The township’s current street maintenance vehicle has numerous mechanical problems that have been costly to repair. A new truck is needed to provide reliable maintenance to the blacktop and gravel roads throughout the township.
• Montgomery Borough is receiving a $25,600 grant to purchase a mini excavator. This equipment is needed because the borough’s current backhoe is 15 years old and needs repairs. The excavator will allow the borough to provide maintenance to small spaces the backhoe cannot access. With the new equipment in use, the borough will be able to repair its current equipment without any delays in service.
• Friendship Fire Company is receiving a $330,500 loan and $50,000 grant to purchase a fire truck that will be housed in Port Royal. The fire company currently owns a fire and rescue truck that is too costly to maintain.
• Youngsville Borough is receiving a $21,200 loan and $25,700 grant to purchase a new patrol vehicle. The borough’s police department currently owns two patrol vehicles; however, one has had significant mechanical issues resulting from a crash in 2019. The new vehicle will allow the police department to provide a more reliable service to the community.
• Dean Township is receiving a $16,300 loan and $50,000 grant to replace the roof of the township’s facility located in Cambria County. The roof has an active leak and additional damage is expected to be found during the replacement.
• Citizens Ambulance Services Inc. is receiving a $50,000 grant to purchase 16 stretcher mounting systems, 17 stretcher conversion kits and 22 battery kits for a fleet of 16 ambulances located in Indiana, Pa. The equipment is needed to follow the federal specifications that require any ambulance manufactured after July 1, 2015, to be equipped with the new loading systems. Citizens Ambulance Services Inc. has not purchased new ambulances since that date and have purchased used units with 30,000 to 155,000 miles and refurbished them.
• Springfield Township is receiving a $43,330 loan to purchase a new maintenance truck. This truck is needed because the township’s current vehicle is 14 years old and nearing the end of its useful life. The new truck will enable the township to plow snow and haul tools and materials to job sites.
• Selinsgrove Borough is receiving a $50,000 grant to purchase a new patrol car and leaf loader. The new patrol vehicle will allow the police department to service the borough and provide a safer environment for the community, while the new leaf loader will allow the borough to maintain the roadways.
• Avenues, located in Pottsville, is receiving a $17,000 grant to replace the facility’s original boiler. The new boiler is situated within the existing area of the old boiler on the existing slab. The existing facility is the applicant’s point of service site. The facility’s boiler was approximately 48 years old. Avenues provides human services to individuals with developmental and acquired disabilities.
• Mount Union Borough is receiving a $12,800 loan and $40,000 grant to purchase a new pickup truck. The vehicle will be used by the Water and Sewer Department to provide maintenance on the reservoir and wells in the area. The existing pickup is too costly to maintain.
• Fulton County Library is receiving a $18,800 grant for facility renovations. The project includes repainting interior walls and trim, repainting exterior walls with the stucco and block being primed and redone. The security system will be upgraded, and four additional cameras will be added.
• East Pittsburgh Borough is receiving a $37,700 grant to purchase a new skid steer loader. The borough does not own a skid steer and instead rents equipment from neighboring municipalities. The new equipment will allow the borough to perform routine maintenance on roads and public areas.

More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.

To learn more about Community Facilities Program funding opportunities, contact a USDA Rural Development state office. Also see the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants (PDF, 669 KB) for a detailed overview of the application process.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.