- CMS: Medicare Program; Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction Model
- CMS: Secretarial Comments on the CBE's (Battelle Memorial Institute) 2024 Activities: Report to Congress and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
- HHS: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Marketplace Integrity and Affordability
- HRSA Announces Action to Lower Out-of-Pocket Costs for Life-Saving Medications at Health Centers Nationwide
- Public Inspection: HHS: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Marketplace Integrity and Affordability
- Increased Risk of Cyber Threats Against Healthcare and Public Health Sector
- Eight Hospitals Selected for First Cohort of Rural Hospital Stabilization Program
- Announcing the 2030 Census Disclosure Avoidance Research Program
- CMS: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2026 Rates; Requirements for Quality Programs; and Other Policy Changes; Correction
- CMS: Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System and Policy Changes and Fiscal Year 2026 Rates; Requirements for Quality Programs; and Other Policy Changes; Correction
- CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly; Correction
- CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly; Correction
- CMS: Medicare Program; Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
- CMS: Medicare Program; FY 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
Re-imagining Rural Health: The CMS Innovation Center “Hackathon” Series
In August of this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Medicare and Medication Innovation (“Innovation Center”) borrowed an idea-generating concept from the tech industry to come up with actionable steps for tough challenges in rural health care. A new report describes what CMS learned from three sessions – Bozeman, MT; Dallas, TX; and Wilson, NC – and how they might use this input for current and future programs. The Innovation Center at CMS was created to develop and test alternative payment models that improve quality while reducing costs in Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) – public health insurance programs that play a critical role in providing coverage in rural areas where people are more likely to face challenges accessing health care.
CMS: Rural Urban Disparities in Health Care in Medicare
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health presents summary information on the quality of health care received by people with Medicare nationwide, highlighting (1) rural-urban differences in health care experiences and clinical care, (2) how rural-urban differences in health care experiences and clinical care vary by race and ethnicity, and (3) historical trends in quality of care for rural and urban residents.
HRSA’s National Rural Health Day 2024 Agenda
Take part in a dynamic series of events to celebrate National Rural Health Day on November 21. This year’s theme is “Advancing Maternal Health in Rural Communities” as we highlight how federal agencies, rural health care providers and state and community-based organizations work to enhance maternal health services through workforce training, hospital technical assistance, telehealth initiatives, and flexible and innovative care coordination. Visit HRSA’s National Rural Health Day Agenda page to view the full schedule of events and join discussions with rural researchers, federal and community leaders, and health professionals dedicated to making a difference for rural mothers and families.
For Some Pennsylvanians, Health Insurance Marketplace Premiums Could Nearly Quadruple in 2026
Enhanced subsidies that make coverage affordable expire in 2025, which means premiums would rise an average 81% from this year if consumers remain in the same plan, said Devon Trolley, executive director of the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority, which oversees the state’s Pennie health insurance marketplace. Read more.
Best Practice Guide Available: Telehealth for Diabetes Management
More than one in every ten people in America have diabetes. This National Diabetes Month, learn how you can provide diabetes management care using telehealth. Read the Best Practice Guide.
Equitable Pain Management and Addiction Treatment Blog Available
Communication between patients and care teams about medical, behavioral health (including substance use), and social service needs is essential to ensuring equitable, quality care and cultivating trusting relationships. For patients who speak English less than “very well,” also known as Limited English Proficiency or LEP, the inability to communicate effectively and confidently with care teams is a significant barrier and undermines the ability to build trust in providers and the health system as a whole. In the area of pain management and substance use disorder treatment, these disparities are exacerbated by the lack of language-appropriate care, leading to untreated or undertreated conditions. Read the full blog post.
Pennsylvania Navigate Website Assists in Finding Food, Housing, Childcare
In January 2024, the commonwealth launched PA Navigate, a new website that connects residents to community organizations, government agencies and health care providers for access to resources for basic needs, such as food, housing, and childcare. Read more. In efforts to educate the community, a PA Navigate flyer was developed if you would like to share within your community.
DHHS Releases Two Studies on Rural/Urban Health Care Disparities
The first study, conducted by the RAND Corporation, highlights a range of indicators where rural residents fall below national measures. The study looks at consumer assessment data for both Medicaid FFS and Medicare Advantage populations and clinical measures for Medicare Advantage populations only. This is a limiting factor – it would be useful to have some indication of clinical inadequacies in all rural Medicare populations:
The second study examines a range of different health care access indicators in rural/urban America. Indicators include insurance coverage measures and assorted health service availability measures.
Healthcare’s Most Dangerous Workplaces
From Becker’s Hospital Review
In 2023, private industry employers reported 2.6 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses, down 8.4% from 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Nov. 8.
Nonfatal recordable workplace injuries and illnesses include cases with days away from work, job restriction or transfer, along with other recordable cases.
In 2023, total recordable injuries and illnesses decreased in the healthcare and social assistance sector to 562,500 cases, down from 665,300 in 2022. The rate of nonfatal injury or illness per 100 full-time workers was 3.6 last year, down from 4.5 the previous year.
If illnesses are removed, the healthcare and social services sector recorded 471,600 nonfatal injuries in 2023. This is up from 443,800 the previous year and higher than any other sector. By comparison, 334,700 nonfatal injuries were recorded in retail trade and 326,400 in manufacturing.
Some of the healthcare subsectors with the highest rates of nonfatal injury or illness per 100 full-time workers are:
- Ambulance services — 7.4
- Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) — 6.9
- Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly — 6.5
- Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals — 6.3
- General medical and surgical hospitals — 5.1
Healthcare workers face physical demands and safety challenges in their jobs, including the potential to sustain injuries linked to violence. Various groups and organizations have taken steps to help ensure a safer work environment. For example, the American Hospital Association and the FBI recently partnered to mitigate targeted violence in healthcare settings.
New Webinar Available! Access to Maternity Care in Rural U.S. Communities
Leadership of the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center Maternity Care Team provided a timely update on critical issues impacting maternal health in rural U.S. communities. The presentation described disparities in maternal health outcomes for rural populations, the growing scarcity of obstetric care, and the far-reaching consequences of obstetric unit closures. Additionally, the presentation delved into the reasons behind these closures and examined policy solutions aimed at improving access to maternal health care and advancing health equity.
Presenters:
Katy B. Kozhimannil, PhD, MPA, is a Distinguished McKnight Professor, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and Co-Director of the University’s Rural Health Research Center. Her research contributes evidence for clinical and policy strategies advancing racial, gender, and geographic equity.
Julia D. Interrante, PhD, MPH, is a research fellow and statistical lead at the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center. Her work examines the impact of health policy on reproductive and maternal health care access and health outcomes.
The webinar can be accessed here.
Additional Resources of Interest