- 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
- Reducing Barriers to Participation in Population-Based Total Cost of Care (PB-TCOC) Models and Supporting Primary and Specialty Care Transformation: Request for Input
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule
- Rural America Faces Growing Shortage of Eye Surgeons
- NRHA Continues Partnership to Advance Rural Oral Health
- Comments Requested on Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit Draft
- Q&A: What Are the Challenges and Opportunities of Small-Town Philanthropy?
USDA Announces Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CCFWR) Pilot Project Funding
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the availability of $900,000 for local governments to host a Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CCFWR) pilot project for fiscal year (FY) 2020. The cooperative agreements will support projects that develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans. The agreements are offered through USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production..
CMS Special Bulletin: May 12, 2020
CMS Releases Additional Waivers for Hospitals and Other Facilities
CMS continues to release waivers for the health care community that provide the flexibilities needed to take care of patients during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). CMS recently provided additional blanket waivers for the duration of the PHE that:
- Expand hospitals’ ability to offer long-term care services (“swing beds”)
- Waive distance requirements, market share, and bed requirements for Sole Community Hospitals
- Waive certain eligibility requirements for Medicare-Dependent, Small Rural Hospitals (MDHs)
- Update specific life safety code requirements for hospitals, hospice, and long-term care facilities
For more information, see Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers.
Price Transparency: Requirement to Post Cash Prices Online for COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes a number of provisions to provide relief to the public from issues caused by the pandemic, including price transparency for COVID -19 testing. Section 3202(b) of the CARES Act requires providers of diagnostic tests for COVID-19 to post the cash price for a COVID-19 diagnostic test on their website from March 27 through the end of the public health emergency. For more information, see the FAQs.
Drug Use by State: 2020’s Problem Areas – WalletHub Study
With the stress of social distancing leading to drug use relapses or overdoses, and SAMHSA’s National Prevention Week in full swing, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on the States with the Biggest Drug Problems in 2020, as well as accompanying videos, to highlight the areas that stand to be most affected.
This study compares the 50 states and the District in terms of 22 key metrics, ranging from arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescriptions and employee drug testing laws. You can find some highlights below.
|
States with the Biggest Drug Problems |
|
| 1. Missouri | 11. Vermont |
| 2. West Virginia | 12. Delaware |
| 3. Michigan | 13. Oregon |
| 4. District of Columbia | 14. Connecticut |
| 5. New Hampshire | 15. Massachusetts |
| 6. New Mexico | 16. Rhode Island |
| 7. Colorado | 17. Kentucky |
| 8. Arkansas | 18. Arizona |
| 9. Nevada | 19. Tennessee |
| 10. Indiana | 20. Montana |
Key Stats:
- Alabama has 98 retail opioid pain reliever prescriptions per 100 residents, leading the nation. On the other end of the spectrum, there are 25 for every 100 District of Columbia residents.
- West Virginia has 51.50 drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents. That is 7.5 times more than in South Dakota, which has the fewest at 6.90 per 100,000 residents.
- Vermont has the highest share of teens who used illicit drugs in the past month, at 13.92 percent. That is 2.3 times higher than in Utah, which has the lowest at 6.02 percent.
- Vermont has the highest share of adults who used illicit drugs in the past month, at 20.82 percent. That is 2.7 times higher than in Utah, which has the lowest at 7.80 percent.
To view the full report and learn about drug abuse in your state, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/drug-use-by-state/35150/
Letter From CMS Administrator to Nursing Home Workers
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma penned a letter to nursing home management and staff. Administrator Verma shared her gratitude for the unwavering dedication and commitment of nursing home management and staff in keeping residents safe and for continuing to compassionately care for those who rely on them during this unprecedented time. The letter also provides links to previously shared infection control resources.
Click here to access the letter. Dear Nursing Home Worker.5-4-20
States with the Most Vulnerable Populations to Coronavirus – WalletHub Study
With nearly 75 percent of patients hospitalized for coronavirus being at least 50 years old, and around 90 percent having pre-existing conditions, it’s important for states with larger vulnerable populations to have greater protective measures. Vulnerability isn’t just health-related, though, as many people are harmed by the economic effects of the pandemic. To show where the biggest concentrations of “at-risk” people live, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on the States with the Most Vulnerable Populations to Coronavirus, as well as accompanying videos.
To identify which states have the highest concentration of vulnerable people, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 28 key metrics in 3 overall categories: medical vulnerability, housing vulnerability and financial vulnerability. Our data set ranges from the share of the population aged 65 and older to the share of the homeless population that is unsheltered and the share of the entire population living in poverty. Below, you can see highlights from the report, along with a WalletHub Q&A.
|
States with Most Vulnerable Populations |
States with Least Vulnerable Populations |
| 1. West Virginia | 42. Wisconsin |
| 2. Louisiana | 43.Wyoming |
| 3. Mississippi | 44. Connecticut |
| 4. Arkansas | 45. Iowa |
| 5. Alabama | 46. Montana |
| 6. Kentucky | 47. Vermont |
| 7. Florida | 48. Massachusetts |
| 8. Tennessee | 49. Minnesota |
| 9. South Carolina | 50. Colorado |
| 10. Georgia | 51. Utah |
Key Stats
- Florida has the highest share of the population 65 years and older, 19.70 percent, which is 1.9 times higher than in Utah, the lowest at 10.50 percent.
- California has the highest share of the homeless population that is unsheltered, 71.68 percent, which is 33.3 times higher than in North Dakota, the lowest at 2.15 percent.
- Texas has the highest share of the population that is uninsured, 17.40 percent, which is 6.2 times higher than in Massachusetts, the lowest at 2.80 percent.
- Wyoming has the highest share of households in poverty not receiving food stamps, 76.16 percent, which is 1.7 times higher than in Rhode Island, the lowest at 44.21 percent.
- North Carolina has the lowest unemployment recipiency rate, 9.32 percent, which is 6.1 times lower than in New Jersey, the highest at 57.17 percent.
To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-the-most-vulnerable-populations-to-coronavirus/73821/
U.S. Chief Dental Officer Releases Newsletter
The Chief Dental Officer for the U.S. Public Health Service recently released the latest issue of the USPHS Chief Dental Officer Newsletter. This issue has further information on COVID-19 as it relates to dentistry, as well as women’s health and oral health in recognition of National Women’s Health Week next week.
Information for Dental Patients During COVID-19
The Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) created “Information for Dental Patients During COVID-19.” The resourceful document highlights information that dental patients should be aware of prior, during, and after dental appointments. The list is not intended to be comprehensive and is subject to change. Dental providers should expect questions from patients.
May 8, 2020: REVISED Guidance on COVID-19 for Dental Health Care Personnel in Pennsylvania
May 8, 2020
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (Department) is revising healthcare community guidance to reflect Governor Wolf’s strategic phased reopening plan, particularly related to performing non-urgent procedures. There is still no data available to assess the risk of COVID-19 transmission during dental procedures; however, there is a better understanding of which procedures have increased risk of transmission and how to utilize Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to reduce the risk. Therefore, the Governor and the Secretary of Health have revised their business closure orders issued on March 19, 2020, as subsequently amended, to remove the prohibition on “elective,” i.e., non-urgent and non-emergent, dental procedures.
All providers licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry should adhere to the following operating protocols state-wide.
Each dental provider should apply their clinical judgment along with their knowledge of the incidences of COVID-19 cases in their area, the needs of their patients and staff, and the availability of necessary supplies to assess whether to re-engage in the provision of non-urgent and non-emergent dental care. For example, if a clinician determines that lack of treatment will result in irreversible damage to a patient, the clinician should pursue treatment with the appropriate level of PPE per Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and CDC Interim Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response guidance relative to PPE. Providers should routinely consult the CDC guidance when providing care, noting that recommendations and guidance could change frequently.
Providers may perform non-aerosolizing, non-urgent and non-emergent care only if proper PPE, per OSHA guidance, is available for all dental care practitioners, including dental hygienists. Procedures that create a visible spray that contain large particle droplets of water should not be performed because they are considered aerosol generating; however, as a last resort when clinically necessary, aerosol generating procedures are allowed, only if proper PPE, per OSHA guidance, is available for all dental care practitioners including dental hygienists, since not all patients who have COVID-19 are symptomatic, i.e., they could be asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. The Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency are not currently prioritizing dental practices for PPE distribution, so proper PPE must be secured by the practice.
If infection control protocols outlined by the CDC and OSHA cannot be followed, the procedure should not be done.
All patients should be screened for symptoms of COVID-19, such as temperature over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, cough or other symptoms, before arriving at the practice, social distancing should be maintained while in the practice, and patients should wash or sanitize hands frequently and wear a mask when not undergoing treatment. Tele-dentistry should continue to be employed when possible as patients might be able to be treated virtually with antibiotics and pain medication. Please remember to continue to use proper opioid guidelines in the dental practice, per clinical judgment.
PATIENTS SUSPECTED OF CONFIRMED TO HAVE COVID-19
The Department is aware that many dental practices will not be able meet the stringent infection prevention and control requirements for treating patients suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19. If emergency dental care is medically necessary for a patient who has, or is suspected of having, COVID-19, airborne precautions (an isolation room with negative pressure relative to the surrounding area and use of an N95 filtering disposable respirator for persons entering the room) should be followed. In these cases, dental treatment should be provided in a hospital or other facility that can treat the patient using the appropriate precautions.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Check the CDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Health websites regularly for updates.
- Visit the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry website for valuable information regarding unemployment compensation for DHCP staff.
- In order to stay up-to-date with this and other public health issues, please sign up for the Pennsylvania Health Alert Network (PA-HAN) at https://han.pa.gov
Access the press release here: Guidance on COVID-19 for Dental Health Care Personnel in Pennsylvania
New Website Launched: Telehealth.HHS.gov
The U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently launched a new telehealth website for patients and providers. The patient information explains telehealth, such as what to expect during a visit, what kinds of care may be available, and how to access telehealth options. The provider information offers help with preparing patients for telehealth, telehealth workflow, policy changes due to COVID-19, billing and reimbursement.
DOL Temporarily Extends COBRA Deadlines During the COVID-19 Crisis
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a new rule that temporarily extends the period in which eligible employees can elect COBRA health insurance coverage. The ruling also extends the deadline for eligible employees to begin making COBRA premium payments and it extends the time for plan participants to file benefit claims or appeal denied claims. On May 4, the DOL and IRS jointly published Extension of Certain Timeframes for Employee Benefit Plans, Participants, and Beneficiaries Affected by the COVID-19 Outbreak. The DOL also posted a new set of COVID-19 FAQ’s for Participants and Beneficiaries to help both employees and employers navigate the new rule.