New Report: State-Level Interstate Medical Licensure Policies for Telehealth from 2018-2022: Assessing Changes Before and After the Public Health Emergency

Posted on by lad3

State medical licensure requirements are often cited as a barrier to adopting telehealth due to the administrative steps needed to obtain licensure for provision of out-of-state telehealth services (OOS-TH). State-level policies to address these barriers include licensure compacts (e.g., the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact [IMLC]) or adoption of limited telehealth licenses. The IMLC – conceptualized in 2013 – is the most common approach. States and territories authorize participation in the IMLC through state legislation, and eligible physicians obtain licenses in participating states through expedited information-sharing. Many states relaxed licensure restrictions during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). This brief seeks to classify the changes in telehealth-related policies pertaining to physician medical licensure for use of OOS-TH that occurred between 2018 and 2022.

Among findings are that 23 states were part of the IMLC prior to 2018 and 14 states joined between 2018 and 2022. Between July 2022 and October 2022, most of those 47 states further relaxed their telehealth licensure policies (distinct from their participation in the IMLC) by accepting an OOS medical license for a physician in good standing from another state or establishing an expedited approval process for an OOS provider.

Please click here to read the brief.

Rural Telehealth Research Center
Rural Telehealth Research Center, University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Drive, 1008 RCP, Iowa City, IA 52242
Email: rtrc-inquiry@uiowa.edu
www.ruraltelehealth.org

Check Out Data on the Pennsylvania Human Services Agency’s Dashboards and Reports

Posted on by lad3

Did you know you can check out all of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) data and reports in one place? Check out the DHS Data Dashboards and Reports page for Medicaid data by county, legislative district, and more. The page also includes data for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Report topics include child welfare, county block grant funds, early childhood education, developmental programs, long-term care, Medicaid, mental health, personal care homes, and the Office of Long Term Living.

Click here to view the webpage.

Laurel Health Celebrates Opening of Clinic in La Porte, PA

Posted on by lad3

On June 11, 2025, Laurel Health held a special event to celebrate the founding of the Sullivan County Laurel Health Center with local and state leaders; the health center provides family medicine and dental services at 217 King St. in Laporte, PA. Following remarks by James Nobles, Laurel Health CEO, Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, and Dr. Debra Bogen, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, attendees enjoyed guided facility tours and refreshments.

Learn more here: tinyurl.com/Sullivan-LHC-Celebration

New Report Examines Preventing Medical Debt Among Rural Residents 

Posted on by lad3

Medical debt, which includes unpaid bills, loans, and other debt incurred from health care expenses, affects roughly 15% of adults in the U.S. This is despite more than 90% of U.S. adults having some form of health insurance. Medical debt is an important social driver of health, with disproportionate impacts for populations already experiencing greater health risks. Overall, rural residents report more problems paying medical bills and are more likely to be unable to pay their medical bills altogether in comparison to urban residents. This case series from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center examines how two rural hospitals aim to reduce medical debt for their patient populations and address barriers to medical debt relief.

HRSA Loan Repayment Programs Open for Applications

Posted on by lad3

HRSA has three loan repayment programs open to support working health professionals: They include:

(1) The Faculty Loan Repayment Program providing up to $40,000 in health professional student loan repayment to faculty who serve two years at an eligible health professions school. Application deadline: July 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET;

(2)  The Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program (STAR LRP) providing up to $250,000 for a six-year, full-time service commitment. Behavioral health clinicians, support workers, clinical support staff, and individuals trained in substance use disorders are eligible to apply through July 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET; and

(3) The Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program providing up to $100,000 in exchange for a three-year, full-time service commitment. Clinicians providing pediatric medical or surgical care or child and adolescent mental and behavioral health care are eligible. Application deadline: July 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Click here for more information.

Learning Series on Obstetric Readiness Begins June 25

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The five-part series is geared toward obstetric readiness for emergency medical services and emergency departments in rural and under-resourced communities, identifying opportunities for collaboration between EMS, hospital EDs, and community networks of support. The series includes recommendations specifically for rural EMS and EDs, with innovative strategies such as telehealth and mobile care units.  Register now to attend any or all of the sessions, each 75 minutes long via Zoom, taking place from June 25 to August 13.  In the first session, experts will summarize the challenges to obstetric care in rural communities and identify community resources to support pregnant and postpartum patients.

The series is hosted by the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) with funding administered by HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau.  It builds on previous HRSA-funded work, the AIM Obstetric Emergency Readiness Resource Kit. To find the series in the headline link, look for Obstetric Readiness Summer Sprint 2025.

Report: GOP Budget Bill Could Put 338 Rural Hospitals at Risk of Closure

Posted on by lad3

From Becker’s Hospital Review

Proposed healthcare cuts in Republicans’ “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” could place 338 financially struggling rural hospitals at risk of closure, according to the data from the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The data was prepared following a request from Senate Democrats, who released the findings June 12.

The 338 hospitals either experienced three consecutive years of negative total margins, served the highest share of Medicaid patients, or both.

“Substantial cuts to Medicaid or Medicare payments could increase the number of unprofitable rural hospitals and elevate their risk of financial distress,” the Shep Center researchers said. “In response, hospitals may be forced to reduce service lines, convert to a different type of health care facility, or close altogether.”

The states with the highest number of hospitals at risk are Kentucky (35), Louisiana (33), California (28) and Oklahoma (21).

Here is the breakdown of at-risk rural hospitals by state:

  • Kentucky – 35
  • Louisiana – 33
  • California – 28
  • Oklahoma – 21
  • New Mexico – 15
  • Texas – 15
  • Washington – 14
  • Indiana – 12
  • New York – 11
  • Ohio – 11
  • Illinois – 9
  • Tennessee – 9
  • Mississippi – 8
  • Montana – 8
  • West Virginia – 7
  • Colorado – 6
  • Hawaii – 6
  • Kansas – 6
  • Virginia – 6
  • Alabama – 5
  • Alaska – 5
  • Arizona – 5
  • North Carolina – 5
  • Pennsylvania – 5
  • South Carolina – 5
  • Georgia – 4
  • Michigan – 4
  • Missouri – 4
  • Oregon – 4
  • Wisconsin – 3
  • Idaho – 3
  • North Dakota – 3
  • Utah – 3
  • Iowa – 2
  • Maine – 2
  • Minnesota – 2
  • Nebraska – 2
  • Nevada – 2
  • South Dakota – 2
  • Wyoming – 2
  •  Arkansas – 1
  •  Connecticut – 1
  •  Delaware – 1
  •  Florida – 1
  •  Massachusetts – 1
  •  New Hampshire – 1

Applications Open for HRSA Loan Repayment Programs

Posted on by lad3

HRSA has three loan repayment programs open to support working health professionals:

They include the:

  • (1) The Faculty Loan Repayment Program providing up to $40,000 in health professional student loan repayment to faculty who serve two years at an eligible health professions school. Application deadline: July 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET;
  • (2)  The Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program (STAR LRP) providing up to $250,000 for a six-year, full-time service commitment. Behavioral health clinicians, support workers, clinical support staff, and individuals trained in substance use disorders are eligible to apply through July 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET; and
  • (3) The Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program providing up to $100,000 in exchange for a three-year, full-time service commitment. Clinicians providing pediatric medical or surgical care or child and adolescent mental and behavioral health care are eligible.

Application deadline: July 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Click here for more information.

CMS Building Foundational Infrastructure for Digital Healthcare Ecosystem

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Following the recent release of the Health Technology Ecosystem Request for Information (RFI), CMS hosted a successful listening session bringing together stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem to discuss leveraging digital health innovations for enhanced patient care and system efficiencies.

We’re excited to announce our commitment to several key initiatives including:

  • Building a dynamic, interoperable national provider directory;
  • Bringing modern identity verification processes to Medicare.gov to streamline credentials across the healthcare system;
  • Expanding functionality of CMS’ Blue Button 2.0 patient access application programming interface (API);
  • Transitioning CMS’s Data at the Point of Care pilot to general availability; and
  • Enhancing CMS’ participation in trusted data exchange.

These efforts and the RFI reflect CMS’ broader modernization agenda to accelerate digital health innovation, strengthen data security, enhance program integrity, and drive operational efficiencies across Medicare, Medicaid, and federal marketplaces. CMS is encouraging all interested parties to submit their comments on the RFI by June 16, 2025.

Important Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Update in Pennsylvania

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The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (PBDA) would like to inform you of an important update regarding the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.  This information is provided in light of the June 6, 2025, BEAD Program Restructuring Policy Notice (Policy Notice) issued by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

As a result of the Policy Notice, PBDA defers all Round One BEAD applications and will establish a new BEAD Round Two – the federally required “Benefit of the Bargain” Round. All applications submitted to PBDA during Round One will be reevaluated and rescored in accordance with the Policy Notice, and applicants will have the opportunity to submit revised or supplemental application materials. PBDA encourages all potential applicants to review the Policy Notice. We also strongly encourage new applicants to participate in this required BEAD Round Two, which PBDA anticipates will be the final application round for the BEAD Program.  The Policy Notice affords states 90 days to comply with the Policy Notice and to submit a Final Proposal that reflects the results of BEAD Round Two.

Given the Policy Notice, PBDA anticipates all Round Two applications, both new and as revised/supplemented, will be evaluated using an updated scoring system, which will be posted on the PBDA BEAD Program Page. Additional guidance and resources, including revised BEAD Guidelines, will be shared via the PBDA’s email list and on PBDA’s BEAD Program Page.

For questions or support throughout the application process, please contact us at ra-dcpbda_bead@pa.gov.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together to expand broadband access across the Commonwealth.