- 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
- Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation of the Medicare Program (Executive Order 14192) - Request for Information
- Dr. Mehmet Oz Shares Vision for CMS
- CMS Refocuses on its Core Mission and Preserving the State-Federal Medicaid Partnership
- Social Factors Help Explain Worse Cardiovascular Health among Adults in Rural Vs. Urban Communities
NACO: Considerations for Counties in COVID-19 Vaccination Plans
The National Association of Counties (NACO) describes steps identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for vaccine distribution, explains the county role for each of these, and provides a list of resources. Find more information here.
Guidance on Hospital COVID-19 Data Reporting and Enforcement
This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the requirements and enforcement process for all Medicare and Medicaid hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to report COVID-19 data. Hospitals and CAHs must report daily to the federal government or to their state if they receive a written release from the state. Failure to do so will result in a series of enforcements actions over several weeks that could result in termination of the Medicare provider agreement. Separate guidance provides the definitions of the data elements for hospitals and in-hospital labs.
Comments Requested: Proposed DATA 2000 Training Payment Application – December 7
HRSA will soon be able to reimburse Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) for the average training costs of eligible physicians and practitioners to obtain Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) waivers. These waivers allow eligible physicians to treat opioid dependency in settings other than opioid treatment programs (OTPs). FQHCs and RHCs are encouraged to provide comments on whether the proposed application collects necessary and useful information, if HRSA accurately estimated the burden of completing the application, and how the application could be improved. Find more information here.
Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Meaningful Use Hardship Exception Applications – November 30
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires that all CAHs use 2015 Edition certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) to meet the requirements of the Promoting Interoperability Programs. If a CAH can provide proof that meeting this requirement results in a significant hardship, they can apply for a hardship exception, which is valid for only one payment adjustment year. CAHs that do not meet the requirement and do not get a hardship exception will have a downward payment adjustment. Find more information here.
A Comparison of Rural and Urban Specialty Hospitals
This study from the North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center addresses three types of specialty hospitals: long-term acute care hospitals, inpatient psychiatric facilities, and inpatient rehabilitation facilities. The research compares urban and rural specialty hospitals by percent of inpatient days for rural residents and for Medicare beneficiaries, among other factors, and also looks at operating expenses, Medicaid days, and profitability.
RWJF: National Trends and Demographics in Suicide Deaths
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) reports on the trend of increasing suicide rates in the United States. Data details compare rates by age, race, gender, and urbanization from the years 2000 to 2018; a companion brief includes state-level trends.
Sleeve Up to Fight Flu
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a new social media campaign, “#SleeveUp to #FightFlu.” encouraging everyone aged 6 months and older to get the flu vaccine. Widespread vaccination will help reduce the strain on health care systems responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC’s preliminary estimates for the 2019-2020 flu season include up to 740,000 hospitalizations and up to 62,000 deaths. Read more here.
CDC: Rates of Alcohol Induced Deaths Among Adults in Urban and Rural Areas
A new data brief from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, among adults aged 25 and older, deaths caused by alcohol were stable from 2000 to 2006, but then increased 43 percent between 2006 and 2018. During that same time, death rates increased for men and women at all levels of urbanization. For women in rural areas, the death rate was among the lowest in 2000; by 2018, rates for women in noncore areas had more than doubled.
FCC Extends Purchasing Deadline for COVID-19 Telehealth Program
The Federal Communications Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau has extended the deadline for recipients of COVID-19 Telehealth Program funding to purchase eligible telehealth devices and implement services to December 31. Read more here.
HHS Announces Phase 3 of Provider Relief Funds
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has allocated $20 billion for a Phase 3 CARES Act Provider Relief Funds (PRF) distribution. Behavioral health care providers and new providers that began practicing in the first quarter of 2020 may submit applications for payment between October 5 and November 6. Providers who previously received, rejected, or accepted a General Distribution PRF payment of two percent of annual revenue from patient care may also apply for this round of funding. Find more information here.