- 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
PHDHP Site Expansion Finalized in Pennsylvania
The Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner (PHDHP) site expansion to medical settings in Pennsylvania has been published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and is effective upon this final-form rulemaking publication January 16, 2021. Please access this link for further information.
DentaQuest Partnership Releases New Oral Health Report
The DentaQuest Partnership released a report, “Public Health Dental Providers Embrace COVID-19-Related Changes.” This new report outlines how dental public health providers are taking strategic action in response to COVID-19. The report also discusses how some dental providers are preparing for long-term changes expected beyond the pandemic.
Pennsylvania Oral Health 2019 Charitable Work Tracking Survey: There’s Still Time!
PCOH is tracking the amount of free and charitable dental services provided in Pennsylvania. We are still collecting information on services provided in the calendar year 2019. Every year, thousands of dollars are spent in providing free dental care to those in need of dental services. In 2018, PCOH was able to collect data from 21 different organizations offering free services to 10,300 patients. The data collected show that over 40,400 procedures were performed free-of-charge in 2018 for a total estimated value of $5.8 million. Please help us by filling out this form to provide information about your program’s numbers in 2019. It should take 15-30 minutes to complete the questions; no questions are required, but your response will be most helpful if you can answer questions that you have numbers for.
Community Catalyst Explores Oral Health and COVID-19
Community Catalyst’s Health Policy Hub published a blog this week, “COVID-19 Tooth Loss and Oral Health Complications Underscore Importance of Maintaining, Expanding Coverage.” The blog explores possible connections between oral health and COVID-19 as well as the pandemic’s effect
on dental delivery services.
New Resources from ASTDD and DentaQuest
The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) and the DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement developed a new research brief and infographic focused on access to oral health in schools. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how school-based oral health (SBOH) programs deliver dental care for children. In order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep children safe, schools have gone to virtual learning or modified schedules. This has significantly impacted SBOH programs and the ability to gain access to children who have the highest need for oral health services and thus, has required SBOH programs to reassess how they will reach these children.
Click here to read the brief.
Click here to view the infographic.
Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A Resource Guide
The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center at Georgetown University recently published the third edition of “Oral Health Care During Pregnancy: A Resource Guide.” This guide was created to help promote oral health and prevent oral disease in pregnant women, as well as to help pregnant women achieve the best possible oral health for themselves and their infants. It features links to materials on surveillance, policy, practice guidance, practice tools, professional education and training, program development, and public education.
Opportunity for Pennsylvania High Schoolers: AHEC SEARCH Academy
The Pennsylvania Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) is hosting a new program for high school students, “PA AHEC Students Exploring And Researching Careers in Healthcare (SEARCH) Academy.” The program includes a series of virtual sessions with health professionals from across the state and hands-on activities. PCOH is excited to host the dentistry session on February 9th at 6:30 p.m. Please share this information with any high school students you know interested in dental careers. Interested students should apply ASAP to get materials prior to the session.
COVID Impacts on Rural Dental Care System
Access to oral health care has become a growing concern over the past decade, and the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on all aspects of the oral health care system. Patients, dental providers, educators, and regulators are being asked to rapidly adjust to the COVID-19 crisis with almost no roadmap. To provide some guidance, the Oral Health Workforce Research Center has developed a new section of their website dedicated to sharing information on immediate impacts to the dental care system as a result of COVID-19, including care delivery, financing, regulation, and education.
COVID-19 Resource: Impacts on the Dental Care System
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of the oral health care system. The Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) has developed a new section on their website dedicated to sharing information on immediate impacts to the dental care system as a result of COVID-19. The four key domains of the website include care delivery, financing, regulation, and education.
New Resource: COVID-19 Impacts on the Dental Care System
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on all aspects of the oral health care system. The Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) has developed a new section of their website dedicated to sharing information on immediate impacts to the dental care system as a result of COVID-19. The four key domains are care delivery, financing, regulation, and education.