Certified Community Health Workers (CCHW) are required to complete 30 hours of continuing education relevant to community health, including three hours in ethics every two years. The recertification schedule is every two years from the initial certification date or most recent recertification date. The PA Community Health Worker Collaborative, in conjunction with PA Area Health Education Center, has resources and courses available.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services expects the average Medicare Part D premium to decrease to $31.50 in 2023 or about 1.8% from the 2022 rate of $32.08. The Medicare Part D program helps people pay for both brand-name and generic prescription drugs. Medicare Open Enrollment is from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2022, for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2023. Patients and consumers seeking assistance with enrollment in Medicare or Part D plans can contact the PA Medicare Education and Decision Insight (PA MEDI) program administered through a local Area Agency on Aging.

Democrats are on the cusp of making the most significant changes to Medicare in more than a decade, which could bring lower drug prices and out-of-pocket costs for some of the program’s 64 million enrollees. After months of negotiation, Senate Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. If the Senate-passed bill clears the House—as it is expected to do—beginning this fall, drug companies that raise prices higher than inflation will be penalized. See a summary of other provisions of the Act of interest to Community Health Centers and the table below courtesy of KFF for more information on provisions of the legislation. Of note, Democrats tried to attach an amendment establishing a $35 insulin cap to the bill, but Republicans voted it down, eliminating it from the package. The package now moves to the House, where members will vote as early as Friday on advancing the bill to President Biden’s desk.

President Biden released a proclamation recognizing National Health Center Week, highlighting the work of health centers, and reiterating his commitment to working with Congress to double the size of the program. “Health centers are central to many of my administration’s priorities,” President Joe Biden said last week when proclaiming August 7-13 as National Health Center Week. “From reducing the cancer death rate by ensuring equitable access to cancer screenings and preventive care to helping Americans live healthier lives through new digital health technologies—we will ensure that health centers are equipped for the future of health care.” Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf also issued a proclamation recognizing National Health Center Week and the tremendous value of health centers. Based on 2021 UDS data, for the first time, health centers across the nation crossed the 30 million thresholds in the number of unique patients served—a 40% increase over the past decade! To honor NHCW, celebrate the difference you are making in the communities you serve, and increase awareness, health centers across the state and nation celebrated their patients, staff, and impact with wonderful community events.

On July 27, 2022, the Pennsylvania Rural Health Association held a webinar on access to care solutions in rural Pennsylvania through high-quality, community-based support, as part of its Special Topics in Rural Health 2022 Webinar Series hosted by Rep. Kathy Rapp (R-PA 65th District) and Sen. Michele Brooks (R-PA 50th District). Eric Kiehl, Director of Policy and Partnership at the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers; Laura Spadaro, Vice President of Primary Care and Public Health Policy at The Wright Center; and Sara Rupp, Marketing Director at Primary Health Network, gave an excellent presentation on person-centered care provided by Federally Qualified Health Centers in rural areas of the state.

See below for the links to the presentation and recording.

Presentation:  Community-Based Care in Rural Pennsylvania

Recording:  Community-based Care in Rural Pennsylvania

The Georgia Health Policy Center includes consideration for and examples of rural health systems that have collaborated to develop sustainable financing.

The final Medicare Inpatient Hospital Payment Rules for the fiscal year 2023 will be effective October 1, 2022. This rule, published on August 1, 2022, establishes Medicare fee-for-service payment rates and policies for inpatient hospitals and long-term care hospitals. New policies include increased flexibilities for rural hospitals to participate in residency training through rural track programs and steps to advance health equity and maternal health outcomes.

 The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services recently published a policy brief on behavioral health and primary care integration in rural health facilities. Using the experiences of providers in rural counties of Arizona, the Committee made ten recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary. The brief centers on reducing rates of mental illness and suicide in rural communities by making policy recommendations related to access, workforce recruitment and retention, broadband, and reimbursement. To learn more about the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, please visit HRSA.gov.