- How HHS SUD Confidentiality Regulations Will Impact Rural Providers
- VA Announces Expansion of "Close to Me" Cancer Program as Part of the Cancer Moonshot, Bringing Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Closer to Thousands of Veterans
- Navajo Psychiatrist Bridges Gaps Between Native American Culture and Behavioral Health Care
- 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
- Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise
- Using Medicaid to Address Young People's Mental Health Needs in School Settings
- 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
Unlike Previous Stimulus Package, Relief Funding Will Reach Every U.S. County
By Olivia Weeks
The American Rescue Plan will distribute more than $130 billion to local governments. Included in that total is nearly $9 billion for rural county governments, plus additional funds for the cities located in those counties.
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Signing of the American Rescue Plan
The Biden-Harris Administration announced the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) will help to reduce health care costs, expand access to coverage, and ensure nearly everyone who buys their own individual or family health insurance through a Marketplace can receive a tax credit to reduce their premiums. The ARP not only provides the resources for America to beat this pandemic, but it also expands access to health insurance coverage, lowers costs, and ensures that health care truly is a right for all Americans.
The fact sheets cover more details on the provisions to be implemented April 1. Look for more communication from CMS over the next week for training sessions that will provide more information.
To read the CMS fact sheet, visit: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/american-rescue-plan-and-marketplace
To read the HHS fact sheet, visit: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/03/12/fact-sheet-american-rescue-plan-reduces-health-care-costs-expands-access-insurance-coverage.html
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@POTUS signed the American Rescue Plan, which expands access to health care and financial assistance, and lowers premiums. Read the full announcement here: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/03/12/fact-sheet-american-rescue-plan-reduces-health-care-costs-expands-access-insurance-coverage.html
Commentary: To Invest in Infrastructure, Invest in People
By Tom Barkin, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond argues that in order to fully benefit from infrastructure investments we need to address our nation’s workforce shortage.
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New Covid Infections and Deaths Decline by 20% in Rural Counties
By Tim Murphy and Tim Marema
New infections have dropped by 80 percent since their peak in mid-January. The number of deaths per week has fallen by 60 percent in the past two months.
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Groups Organize Effort to Delay OMB’s Redefinition of ‘Nonmetropolitan’
By Tim Marema
The Aspen Institute and Brookings Institution say the Office and Management and Budget should pause to learn what the full impact of the change will be and to look at other issues.
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Sources of Insurance Coverage in Nonmetropolitan Areas: The Role of Public and Private Insurance Since 2009
This brief from the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis uses the American Community Survey five-estimates to compare types of health insurance coverage for the nonelderly in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Share Your Thoughts and Opinions on Health – Respond by March 15
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is seeking English-speaking people living in rural areas to participate in virtual discussions about health. The purpose of these discussions is to obtain consumer feedback on newly developed health materials. HRSA is open to speaking with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Sessions will be held in March and May via Zoom and will last approximately 90 minutes. All who participate will receive monetary token of appreciation. If you or someone you know may be interested, please have them contact Heidi.Palacios@
ONC Reports on Interoperability of Electronic Health Records
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published a data brief examining rates of interoperability by hospital size, type, method of interoperability, and suburban-urban status.
CRS on Broadband Provisions passed by Congress
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) provides objective policy and legal analysis to committees and members of the U.S. House and Senate. This report provides information on each federal program included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, designed to increase broadband availability for underserved areas of the United States.
ERS on COVID-19 and Rural America
The Economic Research Service (ERS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture analyzes county-level data on the prevalence of COVID-19 and local employment rates. A second report takes a closer look at the impact on counties where meatpacking accounts for more than 20 percent of employment.