On October 11, 2019, two District Courts issued nationwide preliminary injunctions to stop the Trump Administration’s public charge rule, which would have taken effect Oct. 15, 2019.  This proposal was opposed by NACHC, PACHC and many other organizations that expressed concern about the proposal’s impact on immigrant families and refugees. An article further explaining the ruling can be found here. A Kaiser Family Foundation study showed Community Health Centers   reported that immigrant patients have declined to enroll in or renew Medicaid coverage out of fear of becoming a public charge, even those patients who are not covered by this rule.

The Pennsylvania Department of State this announced a brand new public facing Licensure Processing Guide. The guide breaks down the licensing process into three phases and provides the average length of time each phase will take as of the previous quarter. It also offers recommendations for how to shorten processing times. Additionally, new to the department’s website are two short videos, “How to Apply for a Professional License” and “What Happens to My Application.” The first boards featured in the Licensure Processing Guide are the Cosmetology, Nursing and Osteopathic Medicine Boards. More licensing boards will be built and additional licenses will be added to existing boards on a rolling basis, with the Medical, Real Estate and Engineering Boards in process now.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has announced that it will collect unwanted vaping devices during its National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which is scheduled to take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow at collections sites throughout the United States. The announcement comes as updated CDC data shows the number of cases of a lung illness officials believe is linked to e-cigarette use and vaping has reached 1,604. (Sources: NPR’s “Shots,” 10/25; CNN, 10/24)

Cleveland Clinic this week released its annual list of the top 10 medical innovations the health system predicts will “transform health care” in 2020. The list includes a dual-acting osteoporosis drug, an oral immunotherapy to reduce the effect of peanut allergies, and more. (Source: Becker’s Health IT & CIO Report, 10/24)

Governor Tom Wolf this month announced that Pennsylvania has been awarded a $1.3 million grant to increase access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by expanding state-based call centers.

Continue reading “Pennsylvania is Expanding In-State Lifeline Call Centers” →

The Republican Study Committee (RSC), which is comprised of conservative House lawmakers, this week released a framework to reform the U.S. health care system by eliminating parts of the Affordable Care Act and providing states with more regulatory authority. RSC members have said the proposal is designed to be an alternative to so-called “Medicare-for-All” and other single-payer proposals being touted by Democrats. (Source: The Hill, 10/22)

This annual report from the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) is the most current guide of Medicaid provider manuals, state laws, and regulations for telehealth in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Key findings this year include reimbursement for some form of live video in all states and DC, and 22 states with reimbursement for remote patient monitoring.  The report includes an interactive map of policies as well as an at-a-glance infographic.  Click here to access the guide.

Data that a think-tank published this week shows where the challenges are greatest, along with some of the underlying factors that can make it difficult for people to afford food. Read full article »

On October 17, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy & Commerce Committee passed an updated version of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s drug pricing legislation (H.R. 3). According to Politico, “The committee also approved on voice votes bills that would direct expected savings from the government drug price negotiations required by the legislation to new dental, vision and hearing benefits for seniors in Medicare as well as new financial support for low-income Medicare beneficiaries.” It is not likely this legislation will pass the Senate, but our team believes that these voice votes demonstrate that there is traction behind addressing the lack of oral health coverage in the Medicare program. The House Ways & Means Committee is set to mark up this package next week, so stay tuned

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has updated all automatically designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (Auto-HPSAs) scores. All Auto-HPSA organizations have the opportunity to submit rescore requests via the online Auto-HPSA portal. The deadline to guarantee that your rescore requests are processed before 2020 NHSC Loan Repayment Program (LRP) application cycle is November 1, 2019. You can find the Rural Health Voices Blog post on this subject here.