The Rural and Minority Health Research Center released a new brief that examines the trend of hospital closures between 2005 and 2018 across definitions of rurality. Social, economic, and health structure trends at the county level across the contiguous United States were the study’s focus. Rural counties with hospital closures that occurred between 2005 and 2018 experienced greater negative economic, health, and social outcomes than did micropolitan counties.
Click here to access the brief.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will award up to $20 million to entities in four states to improve health care in rural areas, the agency announced today.
The funding will be awarded through the Community Transformation Track under the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model. The CHART Model is intended to address disparities in health equity by improving access to quality health care and the sustainability of the health care system in rural communities. These funds will help test whether providing upfront funding, an innovative value-based payment, and operational flexibility can maintain or improve care quality and lower costs.
More than 57 million people live in rural communities across the United States. Rural residents tend to be older with more complicated health needs than their urban counterparts. In addition, rural communities often face challenges with access to care, financial viability, and the lack of infrastructure investments in some rural areas can negatively impact people’s health. Within rural areas, Black, Latino, and other communities of color experience greater access barriers and disparities in health outcomes. Rural residents may also have limited access to high-speed internet, hindering their ability to leverage online health care information and to participate in remote or telehealth visits with their health care practitioners.
CMS is awarding up to $5 million in cooperative agreement funding to each of the following entities:
CMS is excited that these four award recipients combined represent approximately 300,000 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries in their rural communities, including rural beneficiaries in Tribal communities. Additionally, each rural community will incorporate Medicaid participation with their respective state Medicaid agencies.
For more information, see the CHART Model webpage or contact the model team at CHARTModel@cms.hhs.gov.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health and the United Way of Pennsylvania today announced an expansion of the Local Innovations in Vaccine Equity in Pennsylvania project (LIVE PA), which aims to reduce vaccine hesitancy and ensure an equitable vaccine distribution throughout the commonwealth. The United Way will administer an additional $630,000 in grants to support the efforts of local faith-based organizations.
“The [Pennsylvania Governor] Wolf Administration is committed to ensuring an effective and equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan across the commonwealth,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “The expansion of LIVE PA to include our faith-based organizations shows our commitment to reaching individuals where they are and feel most comfortable, which is in their communities. We look forward to continuing the positive impact the LIVE PA project is making to further combat COVID-19.”
In June 2021, the Wolf Administration first announced the launch of the LIVE PA grant pilot program. LIVE PA is a collaboration between the Wolf Administration’s Office of Advocacy and Reform and the departments of Health and Human Services, working closely with the United Way of Pennsylvania to fund hyper-local, grassroots nonprofit organizations to partner with certified vaccine providers to help the populations they serve overcome barriers to vaccination.
The grant program is specifically designed for faith-based and non-profit organizations with a goal of administering vaccinations, as well as COVID-19 education and outreach. With a reimbursement rate of $10 per shot achieved and a matching rate of $10 per direct person-to-person outreach, the grants are designed initially to range from $400 to $40,000 per vaccination event. It also includes a requirement that the non-profits and local United Way chapters involved promote the events using traditional and digital media to help fight vaccine hesitancy.
“Faith-based organizations are trusted community groups who have opportunities to make COVID-19 vaccines more accessible. These grant resources can be used by faith-based organizations to contribute to healthy and safe communities in the face of climbing rates of infection related to COVID variants. We encourage faith-based organizations, as well as nonprofits, to apply for the LIVE PA grant,” Kristen Rotz, President of United Way of Pennsylvania said.
Interested non-profit and faith-based organizations can use the United Way information formOpens In A New Window to apply for the grant. If you would like to talk to your local United Way before applying, please use the Find Your United Way toolOpens In A New Window to find your local United Way. Questions can be directed to info@uwp.org.
MEDIA CONTACT: Mark O’Neill – RA-DHpressoffice@pa.gov
Federal unemployment benefits ended for 558,000 Pennsylvanians on Saturday, Sept. 4.
It was the final week for the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) programs. Those eligible filed for the final week of benefits through these federal, pandemic-specific programs this week. The additional $300 per week provided by the federal government for those in the state’s regular Unemployment Compensation (UC) is also coming to an end.
Many families, through no fault of their own, have seen their incomes decreased or lost entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn. Fortunately, for people across the commonwealth, support programs are available to provide help.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) will not stop providing access to essential needs for those who need them.
There is no shame in asking for help when we need it. Anyone who might be struggling is encouraged to reach out and take advantage of these available services. DHS is here to help people pay their bills, stabilize their housing situation, and stay healthy as we emerge from this unprecedented crisis.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Justin Maxson announced that USDA is seeking public comment on a direct final rule to help expand access to capital to deploy broadband infrastructure in rural areas. The changes apply to USDA’s Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees program and are in accordance with the provisions of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the Farm Bill).
The Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees program provides investment capital to eligible entities to help deploy telecommunications infrastructure, including broadband facilities in rural areas. Eligible entities are corporations, limited liability companies, cooperative or mutual organizations, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and state and local governments.
USDA will make several improvements to streamline the application process. The department is seeking comments on the following reforms that will enable USDA to:
Interested parties may submit comments, identified by docket number RUS-20 TELECOM-0044 and Regulatory Information Number 0572-AC48 via www.regulations.gov. Comments are due by Nov. 9, 2021. For additional information, see page 50604 of the Sept. 10 Federal Register.
If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page
Applications open on September 29
The Health Resources and Services Administration at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is making $25.5 billion in new funding available for health care providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding includes:
Providers will apply for both programs with a single application, and the application portal will open on September 29, 2021.
For more information about eligibility requirements, the documents and information providers will need to complete their application, and the application process for Phase 4 and ARP Rural payments, visit: https://www.hrsa.gov/provider-relief/future-payments.
Today’s announcement also includes an important update about PRF reporting for payments received in the first half of 2020. Given challenges from recent natural disasters and the Delta variant, HHS announced a 60-day grace period to help providers complete their PRF Reporting requirements if they fail to meet the September 30, 2021 deadline for reporting payments received from April 10, 2020 to June 30, 2020. While the deadlines to use funds and the Reporting Time Period will not change, HHS will not initiate collection activities or similar enforcement actions for noncompliant providers during the grace period.
The Biden-Harris Administration will require COVID-19 vaccination of staff within all Medicare and Medicaid-certified facilities to protect both them and patients from the virus and its more contagious Delta variant. Facilities across the country should make efforts now to get health care staff vaccinated to make sure they are in compliance when the rule takes effect.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announced that emergency regulations requiring vaccinations for nursing home workers will be expanded to include hospitals, dialysis facilities, ambulatory surgical settings, and home health agencies, among others, as a condition for participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The decision was based on the continued and growing spread of the virus in health care settings, especially in parts of the U.S. with higher incidence of COVID-19.
“There is no higher priority for us than patient health and safety. As the Delta variant strengthens, the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to doing everything we can to keep patients, and those who care for them, safe,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra. “There is no question that staff, across any health care setting, who remain unvaccinated pose both direct and indirect threats to patient safety and population health. Ensuring safety and access to all patients, regardless of their entry point into the health care system, is essential.”
Nursing homes with an overall staff vaccination rate of 75% or lower experience higher rates of preventable COVID infection. In CMS’s review of available data, the agency is seeing lower staff vaccination rates among hospital and End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) facilities. To combat this issue, CMS is using its authority to establish vaccine requirements for all providers and suppliers that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Vaccinations have proven to reduce the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 and are effective against the Delta variant. CMS will continue to work closely with all Medicare and Medicaid certified facilities to ensure these new requirements are met.
“We know that those working in health care want to do what is best for their patients in order to keep them safe,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “As the Delta variant continues to spread, we know the best defense against it lies with the COVID-19 vaccine. Data show that the higher the level of vaccination rates among providers and staff, the lower the infection rate is among patients who are dependent upon them for care. Now is the time to act. I’m urging everyone, but especially those fighting this virus on the front lines, to get vaccinated and protect themselves, their families, and their patients from COVID-19.”
CMS is developing an Interim Final Rule with Comment Period that will be issued in October. CMS expects certified Medicare and Medicaid facilities to act in the best interest of patients and staff by complying with new COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Health care workers employed in these facilities who are not currently vaccinated are urged to begin the process immediately. Facilities are urged to use all available resources to support employee vaccinations, including employee education and clinics, as they work to meet new federal requirements.
A new brief from the North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center examines the difference in payments between rural and urban hospitals.
Click here to access the brief.
