- 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
Healthy People 2030 Launch Webcast
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will unveil Healthy People 2030 during a webcast on August 18th at 1 p.m. ET. Healthy People 2030 is a set of science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving health and well-being in the United States. During the webcast, HHS will highlight new goals and objectives and provide an overview of the development process.
APA on Treating Mental Health in Diverse Patient Populations
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) provides background information for treating patients from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to: African-American, Appalachian, Native American, and refugee/forced displacement. Find more information here.
NCSL on the Role of Pharmacists in Rural Areas
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) explains how pharmacists can increase access to care, especially expanding access to care, especially in areas facing primary care provider shortages. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization provides a state-by-state breakdown of policies allowing pharmacists to participate in the care of patients. The NCSL is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration through a cooperative agreement with the National Organization of State and Local Health Officials.
National Rural Health Resource Center COVID-19 Collection
With support from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, the National Rural Health Resource Center serves as a national rural health knowledge center, providing technical assistance, information, tools and resources. This collection will be updated regularly with information from national and federal sources. The Center also provides a guide for COVID-19 Funding Sources Impacting Rural Providers.
Executive Order on Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access
On August 3, the President issued an Executive Order that seeks to improve health care in rural areas by expanding access to telehealth. Within 30 days of the order, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) will launch a new payment model and develop strategies for improving the physical and communications health care infrastructure available in rural areas. HHS will submit a report with existing and upcoming initiatives to reduce regulatory burden on providers, improve maternity morbidity and mortality, and improve mental health care. Within 60 days of the order, HHS will review specified temporary measures put in place during the public health emergency (PHE) and propose a regulation to extend these measures, as appropriate, beyond the duration of the PHE
Comments Requested: Proposed Updates to the CY2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule – October 5
This week, CMS released proposed updates to how physician and other service providers are reimbursed by Medicare. In addition to several technical updates to how payment rates are set, CMS is proposing to add several telehealth services to their current list as well as to the list under the COVID-19 public health emergency; to allow direct supervision to be provided using real-time, interactive audio and video technology; and to make permanent the public health emergency waiver allowing nurse practitioners (NPs), clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), physician assistants (PAs), and certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) to supervise the performance of diagnostic tests. CMS is also proposing revisions to simplify coding and billing requirements for Evaluation and Management (E/M) visits including office/outpatient visits.
Comments Requested: Proposed Changes to Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System – October 5
On August 4, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released proposed changes to the outpatient prospective payment system and the ambulatory payment system for the 2021 calendar year. Proposals that may be of interest to rural providers include changes to how drugs acquired under the 340B program are reimbursed and updates to how the Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings can be calculated to include Critical Access Hospitals.
NIH Phase 3 Clinical Trial of Investigational Vaccine for COVID-19 Begins
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is seeking volunteers for a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a vaccine developed to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The trial, which will be conducted at U.S. clinical research sites, is expected to enroll approximately 30,000 adult volunteers who do not have COVID-19. Get more information from a Q&A about the phase 3 trial. You can also watch a 30-minute interview with a volunteer from the phase 1 clinical trial, who is joined by NIH Director Francis Collins and Dr. Anthony Fauci. (Note: the video has some tech difficulties in the beginning).
New Reports from Rural Health Advisory Committee
The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services convenes twice each year for close examination of issues by a panel of more than 20 experts. The most recent recommendations to the Secretary of HHS come from its March 2020 meeting in Atlanta. They are: HIV Prevention and Treatment Challenges in Rural America, and Maternal and Obstetric Care Challenges in Rural America. Read more about publications here.
FDA List of Dangerous Hand Sanitizers Grows to More than 100 Brands
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded its list of dangerous hand sanitizers. The more than 100 brands on the list contain methanol, which “can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested.” Since June, several such products have been recalled by manufacturers and pulled from store shelves. Read more.