The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeks information on the ability of certain commercial, academic, medical center, and public health laboratories to expand diagnostic testing for COVID-19. Read more here.
Obstetric Emergencies in Rural Hospitals: Challenges and Opportunities
This policy brief from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center describes the challenges rural hospitals face in providing emergency obstetric care and highlights resources that could help rural hospitals more safely respond to obstetric emergencies. Read more here.
Public Health Leaders’ Testimony on Vaccinations
Last week, two of the nation’s top leaders in public health delivered testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) about the importance of immunizations for children and adults. Written testimony of NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and Surgeon General VADM Jerome Adams is available here on the HELP Committee’s website, and you may watch a recording of the full three-hour session. Read more here.
CDC: Delay or Avoidance of Medical Care Because of COVID-19-Related Concerns
In its latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) presents findings of a survey conducted in June of this year. Researchers estimate that 41 percent of U.S. adults had delayed or avoided medical care because of concerns about COVID-19. Avoidance of urgent or emergency care was more prevalent among unpaid caregivers for adults, persons with underlying medical conditions, Black adults, Hispanic adults, young adults, and persons with disabilities. The findings indicate missed opportunities for management of chronic conditions, receipt of routine vaccinations, or early detection of new conditions, which might worsen outcomes. Read more here.
HHS Strategy to Distribute COVID-19 Vaccine
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released its strategy to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine after one has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration. It focuses on four key tasks necessary to ensure access and the requirements for each. The primary task is to engage with state, tribal, territorial, and local partners, other stakeholders, and the public to communicate public health information, before and after distribution begins. Read more here.
Research: Rural Residents Pay Higher Insurance Rates
By Liz Carey
Lack of competition for insurance and healthcare services are two of the likely culprits.
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Strained Rural Water Utilities Buckle Under Pandemic Pressure
By April Simpson
Covid-19 forced many water utilities to maintain service with far less revenue. Two bills making their way through Congress could provide support.
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Rural ‘Red-Zone’ List Shortens Significantly for First Time in Two Months
By Tim Murphy and Tim Marema
The number of rural counties where the spread of Covid-19 is extremely high fell from 806 two weeks ago to 701 last week. The number of new cases and deaths also declined.
Read more
HHS Invests Nearly $115 Million to Combat the Opioid Crisis in Rural Communities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded approximately $25 million to 80 award recipients across 36 states and two territories as part of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP). RCORP is a multi-year HRSA initiative to reduce morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) in high-risk rural communities. Today’s announcement builds upon HRSA’s RCORP awards made this August, reflecting a total fiscal year 2020 investment of nearly $115 million.
“The Trump Administration continues to provide historic levels of support for Americans with substance use disorders, especially those in rural areas, because the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t put a pause on our country’s opioid crisis,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “These grants are part of the Rural Action Plan that HHS launched in response to President Trump’s Executive Order on rural health, which lays out a path forward to transform and improve rural healthcare in tangible ways.”
HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) awarded nearly $15 million to 30 award recipients through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (RCORP-NAS). Each recipient will receive up to $500,000 over three-years to reduce the incidence and impact of neonatal abstinence syndrome in rural communities by improving systems of care, family supports, and social determinants of health.
In addition, through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program-Planning (RCORP-Planning), $10 million is being awarded to 50 award recipients to strengthen and expand the capacity of rural communities to provide SUD/OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery services to high-risk populations. Award recipients will use the funds to build partnerships and develop comprehensive plans to address SUD/OUD workforce and service delivery challenges in their communities.
“We are excited to celebrate these awards during National Recovery Month,” said HRSA Administrator Tom Engels. “RCORP-Planning will continue to help rural communities build the coalitions needed to fight opioid use disorder, and RCORP-NAS will provide needed funding to rural residents grappling with the opioid epidemic to help many people reach recovery.”
Through the RCORP initiative, the funding will help rural communities address barriers to care and additional strains that COVID-19 has placed on both rural individuals with SUD and on rural organizations providing prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
For a list of today’s award recipients, visit HRSA’s RCORP-Planning and RCORP-NAS pages.
To learn about HRSA-supported resources, visit HRSA’s Opioid Crisis page.
For more information about the national opioid crisis, visit: https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Relief for Medicare Direct Bill Beneficiaries
Medicare provided extra time for people to pay their Medicare premiums because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. This extra time ends on September 30, 2020. Letters were sent to impacted people with Medicare last month. Please see the attached sample letter. This message is a reminder that the deadline to pay any owed Medicare premiums is approaching at the end of this month.
People with Medicare who owe past due Medicare premiums must pay the full amount owed before September 30, 2020, to keep their Medicare coverage. If there are people with Medicare who are unable to pay their past-due premiums in full by the end of September, they should contact their local Social Security Office as soon as possible to see if they are eligible for a payment plan with the Social Security Administration.