- 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
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Prospective Payment System and Consolidated Billing for Skilled Nursing Facilities; Updates to the Quality Reporting Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2026
- Public Inspection: CMS: Medicare Program: Fiscal Year 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements
- CMS: Request for Information; Health Technology Ecosystem
- VA: Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program Funding Opportunity
- State: 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: J-1 Visa Waiver Recommendation Application
- Public Inspection: CMS: Request for Information: Health Technology Ecosystem
- HHS: Request for Information (RFI): Ensuring Lawful Regulation and Unleashing Innovation To Make American Healthy Again
- VA: Solicitation of Nominations for the Appointment to the Advisory Committee on Tribal and Indian Affairs
- GAO Seeks New Members for Tribal and Indigenous Advisory Council
- VA: Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program Funding Opportunity
- Telehealth Study Recruiting Veterans Now
- USDA Delivers Immediate Relief to Farmers, Ranchers and Rural Communities Impacted by Recent Disasters
- Submit Nominations for Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) Committees
CARES Act Supports Online Resource for Professional Licensure
The website for the Multi-Discipline Licensure Resource Project was created to support pandemic response through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the FORHP-supported Licensure Portability Program. Created by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, the site provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing in each state for psychologists, occupational therapists, physical assistants, and social workers.
New Information on RMOMS Program
A pilot federal grant program introduced in the 2019, Rural Maternal and Obstetric Management Strategies (RMOMS) will run until August 2023 to improve maternal care in rural communities. New information added to the website lists the three rural networks funded last year and provides more detailed information about the grantees and their activities.
Rural Health Care Surge Readiness
Rural communities face unique health care challenges in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Healthcare Resilience Working Group has developed a collection of essential resources, tools, and trainings that can help health care workers and organizations – including EMS or 9-1-1, inpatient or hospital care, ambulatory care, and long-term care – prepare for and respond to COVID-19. New and updated resources are added regularly like the PPE Preservation Planning Guide and Telemedicine Hack training.
Access the one-stop shop for rural health care.
Key Policy Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Care for People with Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAM) recently published, “Key Policy Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Care for People with Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: Proceedings of a Workshop.” This HRSA-supported report is a product of NAM’s Forum on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders and describes the presentations and discussions held in October 2019 during the inaugural workshop.
Read the report.
Pennsylvania Rate of Uninsured Children Rises to 4.6 Percent
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Nov. 16, that the rate of uninsured children in Pennsylvania rose to 4.6 percent in 2019, representing about 128,000 individuals, according to Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. The highest uninsured rates were in rural counties, according to the report. Read more.
How Pfizer Plans to Distribute Its Vaccine
Pfizer announced that early analysis showed that their COVID-19 vaccine candidate was more than 90 percent effective. Now Pfizer, government agencies and the public health community are focused on how to make millions of doses of the vaccine and distribute them to the hospitals, clinics and pharmacies where people will receive two separate injections. If the FDA approves the vaccine in the coming weeks, as expected, Pfizer could in theory vaccinate millions of Americans by the end of the year. However, as the New York Times notes, this process hinges on the cooperation of multiple federal, state and local agencies, as well as providers and other stakeholders. The full New York Times article is available here.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Outpatient Care
In their fifth report on outpatient health care service utilization during the pandemic, the Commonwealth Fund tracked outpatient visit trends through Oct. 10. The report notes that while utilization has rebounded significantly from earlier in the pandemic, providers continue to face challenges keeping patients and clinicians safe while also maintaining revenue. The report provides charts illustrating that overall visit counts per week have fully rebounded. In total, weekly visit counts now slightly exceed pre-pandemic levels. However, there is considerable variation by patient age, geographic area, clinical specialty and insurance coverage. The full report is available here.
Study Adds New COVID-19 Symptoms
Researchers analyzed nearly 12,000 visits by adult patients to emergency departments at five New York City hospitals. They found COVID-19 in 57.5 percent of patients who went to the hospital because of weakness, falls or altered mental status; 55.5 percent of those who came in because their blood sugar was out of control; and 51.4 percent of patients whose chief complaint was a gastrointestinal problem. Read more.
FDA Approves First COVID-19 Home Test
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first COVID-19 diagnostic test for self-testing at home and that provides rapid results. The Lucira COVID-19 All-In-One Test Kit is a molecular (real-time loop mediated amplification reaction) single use test that is intended to detect the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. It is approved for self-collected nasal swab samples in individuals age 14 and older who are suspected of COVID-19 by their health care provider. It is also authorized for use in point-of-care (POC) settings (e.g., doctor’s offices, hospitals, urgent care centers and emergency rooms) for all ages but samples must be collected by a healthcare provider when the test is used at the POC to test individuals younger than 14 years old. The test is currently authorized for prescription use only. Read more here.
Vaccine Administration Interim Final Rule Published
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued an interim final rule establishing vaccine-related coverage provisions for Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP and private insurance. The new interim final rule, published Nov. 6 in the Federal Register, states that providers can receive free vaccines from the federal government but will be prohibited from charging consumers for the administration. Under Medicare there would be no cost-sharing for COVID-19 vaccines. For individuals without health coverage, providers can be reimbursed through HRSA’s COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement Program. NACHC believes vaccine administration requirements could present costs to health centers and that state Maintenance of Effort requirements could adversely impact FQHC reimbursements and will be submitting comments. NACHC has written this memo in response to the rule. CMS issued toolkits aimed at State Medicaid Agencies, providers who will administer the vaccine and health insurance plans. The deadline for comments on the rule is Jan. 4, 2021.