The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced more than $80 million in awards to rural communities in 39 states to support key strategies to respond to the overdose risk from fentanyl and other opioids. These awards help advance President Biden’s commitment to beat the opioid epidemic as part of his Unity Agenda for the nation.

HRSA funding will support interventions such as distributing the lifesaving overdose reversal drug naloxone to prevent overdose; creating and expanding treatment sites in rural areas to provide medications to treat opioid use disorder; expanding access to behavioral health care for young people in rural communities; and, caring for infants in rural areas who are at-risk for opioid exposure or experiencing symptoms related to opioid exposure.

“Far too many rural families have faced the devastation of overdose, and these deaths are felt deeply across rural communities – where often everyone knows someone lost too soon,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “At the Health Resources and Services Administration, we know that funding based on population size or other broad-based rubrics can miss the vital treatment and response needs of rural communities. That’s why the investments we are announcing today are targeted to rural communities and tailored to the unique challenges of helping rural health care leaders expand access to treatment and build recovery pathways to prevent overdose.”

More than 100,000 people die each year from overdose. Individuals who call rural communities home and who are experiencing opioid use disorder – including from fentanyl, heroin or other opioids – can face challenges in accessing treatment and recovery services. Geographic isolation and transportation barriers can make finding treatment particularly challenging and limited mental health and substance use disorder health care providers in the community can further complicate access. The stigmatization of substance use disorder and its treatments are additional barriers to access. HRSA’s funding is targeted to helping communities address these critical needs and expand access to services.

The announcement includes the following investments:

• Expanding Access to Medication to Treat Opioid Use Disorder: $24 million will support 26 awards to rural communities to establish treatment sites for individuals to access medications to treat opioid use disorder. The use of medication to manage opioid use disorder is the standard of care, but not always readily available.
• Supporting Rural Communities in Preventing and Responding to Overdoses: $14 million will support 47 awards to help rural communities respond to their specific and immediate needs, including the distribution of life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications.
• Meeting the Behavioral Health Needs of Young People: Nearly $9 million will support 9 awards to focus on building, strengthening and expanding mental health and substance use disorder services for young people in rural communities to expand treatment and help prevent overdose.
• Preventing and Addressing Neonatal Exposure: Nearly $20 million will support 41 awards to develop and implement interventions in rural communities to prevent, treat and care for opioid exposed infants by focusing on systems of care, family supports, and social determinants of health.
• Investing in and Disseminating Best Practices: $10 million will support three Rural Centers of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders to disseminate treatment and prevention best practices to help inform rural communities’ response strategies, and $5 million will support evaluation of this overall initiative.

To view the full list of awardees, see https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/opioid-response/fy2023-rcorp-awards-overview.

To learn more about the RCORP program, visit the RCORP Webpage.

Additional resources

• White House Fact Sheet: On Int’l Overdose Awareness Day, the Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces More Than $450 Million in New Funding to Support President Biden’s Unity Agenda Efforts to Beat the Overdose Epidemic and Save Lives
• Statement from Secretary Becerra on International Overdose Awareness Day

See other HRSA news & announcements.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is asking for help to prevent children and families from losing Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage as a result of the end of the Federal Public Health Emergency.

Ways Your Organization Can Help 

• Partner with your State Medicaid agency to spread the word about renewals. You can find contact information on your State Medicaid agencies here.
• Use CMS’s Communications Toolkit, available in multiple languages, including English and Spanish.
• Promote social media content and graphics pulled from CMS’s toolkit on your social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
• Share HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra’s video (in English and Spanish) on Medicaid renewals across your social media channels.

Visit CMS’s website for more resources.

USDA Rural Development has completed its 2020 decennial United States census review for all areas under its jurisdiction to identify areas that no longer qualify as rural for USDA Rural Housing programs.  Based on the review of the areas within the state of Pennsylvania, using 2020 US census data, and rural area guidance located in Handbook HB-1-3550, Chapter 5, the rural eligibility designation has changed for the following areas:

Areas whose rural eligibility designations is changing from ineligible to eligible (these areas now qualify as rural for USDA Housing Programs):

• Williamsport, Lycoming County, – Minor line adjustments in the area above Grampian Hills to make this area eligible.

Areas whose rural eligibility designations is changing from eligible to ineligible (these areas no longer qualify as rural for USDA Housing Programs):

• Bethlehem, Northampton and Leigh Counties – Expansion of the ineligible areas around the Allentown City limits to include all annexed areas since 1990 with a population of over 35,000.
• Weigelstown, York County, –Expansion of the ineligible areas around the city limits to include all annexed areas since 1990
• Franklin Park, Allegheny County Expansion of the ineligible areas around the Pittsburgh City limits to include all annexed areas since 1990
• Monroeville, Allegheny County Expansion of the ineligible areas around the Pittsburg City limits to include all annexed areas since 1990

Changes become effective October 1, 2023. 

The updated rural area map can now be viewed on our eligibility website.  Users will need to click on the program, for example: “Single Family Housing Direct”, and then click on “Proposed Eligibility Areas” from the menu options.

For a full list of changes, additional details, or questions about specific changes, please contact the Harrisburg State Office, Rural Development Housing Program Staff at 717-237-2186.

 The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides a guide that considers risk factors, strengths, and common disaster reactions unique to rural communities.

  The Rural Health Research Gateway examines the behavioral health workforce supply, including the distribution of counselors, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers.

 FORHP funded the National Academy for State Health Policy to learn from states who expressed early interest in the REH provider type and national experts and develop a guide. This guide allows states to follow their own regulatory processes in drafting and enacting legislation and covers various decision points to consider should they decide to move forward to allow the REH designation. The REH provider type is designed to address concerns that some rural hospitals would not be able to sustain operations and could be at risk of complete closure.  So far, approximately 20 states have REH licensure or regulations in place so this guide can help the remaining states that are considering adding REH licensure or regulations.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released a final recommendation statement on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent the acquisition of HIV. Healthcare professionals should prescribe PrEP to people at increased risk for HIV. The Task Force has also developed a clinical discussion guide as part of its Let’s Talk About It series to support conversations between clinicians and their patients about whether PrEP may be right for them. To view the recommendation, the evidence on which it is based, a summary for clinicians, and the clinical discussion guide, please go here.