Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) may contact their Medicare Administrative Contractor to request lump sum payments for administering COVID-19 vaccines in advance of cost report settlement. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will pay RHCs and FQHCs for COVID-19 vaccines and administration at 100% reasonable cost similar to how influenza and pneumonia vaccines are paid.
The Opioid Epidemic: A Geography in Two Phases
The Economic Research Service (ERS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture details their research into contributing factors for geographic differences, with a focus on the widespread introduction of prescription drugs in rural and urban areas.
GAO Report on Federal Response to the Pandemic
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) researches Federal government operations and reports fact-based, non-partisan information. Over the last year, the GAO made 44 specific recommendations for an effective federal response to COVID-19 and provides and update on progress in this report. Information specific to rural areas, such as distributions from the Provider Relief Fund and special funding for telehealth, is detailed throughout.
We Can Do This: COVID-19 Public Education Campaign
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced a national effort to help community partners promote COVID-19 vaccine confidence. The campaign includes educational materials targeted to specific audiences and seeks volunteers for the COVID-19 Community Corps.
Straight Talk About Rural Septic Systems
By Donna Kallner
Instagram has a “#septicsystem” hashtag with 15.4K posts. Okay, they’re not as glamorous as pictures of heritage breed chickens. But they remind us of a rural reality: We have to manage our own waste.
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New Infections Climb by 9% in Rural Counties While Number of Deaths Declines
By Tim Murphy and Tim Marema
Kentucky added 33 rural counties to the red-zone list last week. Michigan remains a trouble-spot in both rural and urban areas.
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What the American Rescue Plan Means for Child Poverty in Rural America
By Olivia Weeks
President Biden’s Covid-19 relief package is poised to bring a historic reduction in poverty rates, with nonmetro counties among the biggest beneficiaries.
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FCC Announces COVID-19 Telehealth Program Second Round of Funding
The FCC has announced a second round of funding under the COVID-19 Telehealth Program. An additional $250 million was made available under the recently enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This amount is larger than the original appropriation amount associated with the authorization of the Program in the 2019 CARES Act.
See a discussion of the new funding round here.
Note that in the Appropriations Act Congress required the FCC to target COVID-19 impact areas in a more systematic manner. The FCC has responded in two ways. It has established a set of funding priorities. See Pages 18 et seq of this document and see this document: FCC Telehealth Evaluation Metrics
Note the emphasis on health safety net facilities including CAHs. Additional emphasis on COVID-19 Hotspots and Sustained Hotspots. These are defined on this slide: CDC Hotspot Definition
The FCC will also be holding all applications for a single review rather than assessing applications as they are received. This should provide an equitable review for applicants with fewer resources unable to rapidly prepare a submission. The application window will be announced by the end of April 2021 with a likely deadline date in June 2021.
Children Need to Catch Up on Recommended Vaccines for School
The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases recently issued a letter, Help Kids’ Safe Return to School – Get Caught Up on Recommended Vaccines. It asks for help getting children caught up on routine vaccines missed over the last year due to COVID-19. It categorizes specific catch-up efforts that can be undertaken by healthcare systems and healthcare providers, healthcare provider organizations, schools, and state and local government agencies. Other resources of interest on the topic include:
- CDC’s Catch-up Immunization Schedule for Persons Aged 4 Months–18 Years Who Start Late or Who Are More than 1 Month Behind, United States, 2021 gateway page
- IAC’s Repository of Resources for Maintaining Immunization During the COVID-19 Pandemic gateway page
The Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) has also revised its one-page reference table Administering Vaccines: Dose, Route, Site, and Needle Size by adding the COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson).
Pennsylvania Extends License Renewal Deadline for State Board of Medicine
Due to licensees having difficulty meeting the March 31 deadline, Gov. Tom Wolf has granted the Department of State’s request for an additional 30 days to renew for all licensees under the Board of Medicine. This applies to a license that was set to expire on Dec. 31, 2020, that has not yet been renewed. The deadline is now April 30, 2021. Renewal fees were waived by the Board of Medicine due to a funding surplus, but all licensees are required to complete their renewal to retain their license. This will be the final extension for these licensees under the State Board of Medicine. Read more about the license renewal deadline extension.