U.S. Census Bureau Updates

Census Bureau Highlight: Household Pulse Survey

The U.S. Census Bureau, in collaboration with multiple federal agencies, is in a unique position to produce data on the social and economic effects of coronavirus on American households. The Household Pulse Survey was designed to deploy quickly and efficiently, collecting data to measure household experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. It has evolved to include content on other emergent social and economic issues facing households. Data will be disseminated in near real-time to inform federal and state action. You can access the most recent Household Pulse Survey data tables here.

Census Bureau Updates

Census Bureau Releases Schedule for Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Statistics and American Community Survey (ACS) Estimates

  • On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, Income, Poverty and Health Insurance statistics from the Current Population Survey (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) will be released.
  • On Thursday September 14, 2023, 2022 ACS 1-year estimates will be released, which will include statistics on numerous demographic, social, economic and housing characteristics
  • Click here for more details and to view the complete release schedule.

Census Bureau to Establish 2030 Census Advisory Committee

The Census Bureau invites the public to nominate panel members representing stakeholder organizations, groups, interests and viewpoints to the 2030 Census Advisory Committee. This opportunity is another way the Census Bureau is engaging with diverse voices as it prepares for the next decennial census and seeks external perspectives on its plans to address census undercounts, communicate with different communities and collect census information in an easy and efficient way. Click here to learn more.

Census Bureau Releases 2022 Census of Governments: Organization Data

The U.S. Census Bureau released the official count of state and local governments. Data are presented by characteristics such as government type, state, population size groups, and function. The data also provide detailed characteristics of school systems, that include independent school districts and dependent school systems. You can learn more about the Census of Governments in this recent podcast and access the data here.

Availability of Here You Can Find Research on Dialysis Facilities and Primary Care Safety Net Providers in Minoritized Racial/Ethnic Group Areas

Two briefs from the Rural and Minority Health Research Center document disparities in geographic access to health services for areas containing a high proportion of minoritized racial/ethnic group residents. The term “minoritized” refers to groups that have been historically marginalized by society and government institutions.

Here You Can Read About the August Grants in Motion: Training the Rural Public Health Workforce

 The Rural Health Information Hub’s quarterly highlight of FORHP-funded projects is the Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network Program (RPHWTN).  The goal of the RPHWTN program is to expand public health capacity in rural and tribal areas with job development, training, and placement through four training tracks: 1) community health support, 2) community paramedicine, 3) health information technology and/or telehealth technical support, and 4) case management and/or respiratory therapy.

3RNET System for Provider Recruitment is Celebrating 10 Years this August!

  The organization originally formed as the National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network helps rural practices expand their reach for posting job vacancies. This online event features Provider Retention & Information System Management (PRISM) that collects and shares real-time data to enhance clinician recruitment and retention. PRISM is a collaboration of State Primary Care Offices, Offices of Rural Health, Area Health Education Centers, and other organizations that have partnered to collect data to identify and document outcomes to enhance the retention of clinicians.  Through its design, this collaborative approach builds shared interest, cooperation, and group wisdom in best practices to promote retention among the states. Registration is required for this online event. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at 3:00 pm ET.

Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Events: Save the Dates!

The Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center at the Pennsylvania Association for Community Health Centers has set the dates for its fall career events. Registration information will be available soon.

Fall Frontline Career Events will take place at three Harrisburg Area Community College campuses from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The cost is $50 per event.  Contact Gillian Brooks for more information.

Dates and locations are:

  • September 18, Lancaster
  • October 23, Gettysburg
  • November 6, York

Career Networking Events are targeted at physicians, dentists, and other providers. They will run from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. The cost is $100 for one event, $175 for two events, and $75 for any additional events. Contact Al Williams for more information.

Dates and locations are:

  • October 18, Hershey
  • November 1, Erie
  • November 2, Pittsburgh
  • November 9, Scranton

New ADA Guidelines Released for Treating Dental Pain in Kids

New guidelines concerning treating short-team dental pain in children were released by the American Dental Association (ADA) after being developed by the ADA Science & Research Institute in Chicago, the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Children having short-term dental pain from extractions or toothache should not be prescribed opioids but rather manage those aches with over-the-counter ibuprofen and/or acetaminophen.

The guidelines align with U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommendations from 2017, which advised against the use of codeine and tramadol in children under age 12.

Click here for more information.

Pennsylvania Human Services Agency Accepting Comments for Medical Assistance Program Fee Schedule Revisions

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services issued Medical Assistance Program Fee Schedule Revisions; 2023 Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System Updates; Fee Adjustments; Prior Authorization Requirements update in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. These changes are effective for dates of service on and after September 5th, 2023. The revisions include an update for topical fluoride varnish service and silver diamine fluoride application. Written comments can be sent to the Department of Human Services, Office of Medical Assistance Programs, c/o Regulations Coordinator, P.O. Box 2675, Harrisburg, PA 17120 or RA-PWMAProgComments@ pa.gov. Comments received within 30 days will be reviewed and considered for any subsequent
revisions to the MA Program Fee Schedule.

Click here to view the bulletin.

HHS Selects the First Drugs for Medicare Drug Price Negotiation

For the first time, Medicare will be able to negotiate prices directly with drug companies, lowering prices on some of the costliest prescription drugs.

For the first time, thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act – the historic law lowering health care costs – Medicare is able to negotiate the prices of prescription drugs. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced the first 10 drugs covered under Medicare Part D selected for negotiation. The negotiations with participating drug companies will occur in 2023 and 2024, and any negotiated prices will become effective beginning in 2026. Medicare enrollees taking the 10 drugs covered under Part D selected for negotiation paid a total of $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs in 2022 for these drugs.

The Biden-Harris Administration has made lowering prescription drug costs and improving access to innovative therapies a key priority. Alongside other provisions in the new law that increase the affordability of health care and prescription drugs, allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices will strengthen the program’s ability to serve people with Medicare now and for generations to come. The negotiation process will consider the selected drug’s clinical benefit, the extent to which it fulfills an unmet medical need, and its impact on people who rely on Medicare, among other considerations, such as costs associated with research and development as well as production and distribution for selected drugs. As a result of negotiations, people with Medicare will have access to innovative, life-saving treatments at lower costs to Medicare.

The selected drug list for the first round of negotiation is:

  • Eliquis
  • Jardiance
  • Xarelto
  • Januvia
  • Farxiga
  • Entresto
  • Enbrel
  • Imbruvica
  • Stelara
  • Fiasp; Fiasp FlexTouch; Fiasp PenFill; NovoLog; NovoLog FlexPen; NovoLog PenFill

These selected drugs accounted for $50.5 billion in total Part D gross covered prescription drug costs, or about 20%, of total Part D gross covered prescription drug costs between June 1, 2022 and May 31, 2023, which is the time period used to determine which drugs were eligible for negotiation. CMS will publish any agreed-upon negotiated prices for the selected drugs by September 1, 2024; those prices will come into effect starting January 1, 2026. In future years, CMS will select for negotiation up to 15 more drugs covered under Part D for 2027, up to 15 more drugs for 2028 (including drugs covered under Part B and Part D), and up to 20 more drugs for each year after that, as outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act.

View a fact sheet from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at: https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/aspe-ira-drug-negotiation-fact-sheet.

View a CMS fact sheet on the drugs selected for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program at: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/fact-sheet-medicare-selected-drug-negotiation-list-ipay-2026.pdf – PDF.

More information on the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program is available at https://www.cms.gov/inflation-reduction-act-and-medicare/medicare-drug-price-negotiation.

Research Spotlight: New Study Shows Students’ Experiences Varied during the COVID-19 Pandemic  

Researchers from the University of California released a paper this month examining the disparate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on school students. The pandemic exacerbated longstanding educational inequities in student academic performance and mental health outcomes based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

Data from students across the United States during the 2020-21 school year shows:

  • Pre-existing achievement gaps in reading and math widened notability for students of color and those from high-poverty school districts.
  • Absenteeism and grade retention increased at higher rates for Black and Hispanic students, who were more likely to attend schools negatively impacted by the transition to remote learning.
  • School closures were more typical in underserved communities, and low-income families had limited access to traditional in-person instruction and high-quality remote learning experiences.
  • The pandemic led to widespread increases in fear, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and behavioral issues for students of all ages, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
  • School engagement rates were highest among students from households with higher incomes and parental education levels.

Black and Hispanic students were more likely than White students to feel very or extremely worried about the pandemic. They reported disproportionately high rates of COVID-related stress despite their caregivers being less likely than white caregivers to report concerns about their children’s mental health in the wake of school closures.