The organization originally formed as the National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network helps rural practices expand their reach for posting job vacancies. This online event features Provider Retention & Information System Management (PRISM) that collects and shares real-time data to enhance clinician recruitment and retention. PRISM is a collaboration of State Primary Care Offices, Offices of Rural Health, Area Health Education Centers, and other organizations that have partnered to collect data to identify and document outcomes to enhance the retention of clinicians. Through its design, this collaborative approach builds shared interest, cooperation, and group wisdom in best practices to promote retention among the states. Registration is required for this online event. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at 3:00 pm ET.
Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Events: Save the Dates!
The Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center at the Pennsylvania Association for Community Health Centers has set the dates for its fall career events. Registration information will be available soon.
Fall Frontline Career Events will take place at three Harrisburg Area Community College campuses from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The cost is $50 per event. Contact Gillian Brooks for more information.
Dates and locations are:
- September 18, Lancaster
- October 23, Gettysburg
- November 6, York
Career Networking Events are targeted at physicians, dentists, and other providers. They will run from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. The cost is $100 for one event, $175 for two events, and $75 for any additional events. Contact Al Williams for more information.
Dates and locations are:
- October 18, Hershey
- November 1, Erie
- November 2, Pittsburgh
- November 9, Scranton
New ADA Guidelines Released for Treating Dental Pain in Kids
New guidelines concerning treating short-team dental pain in children were released by the American Dental Association (ADA) after being developed by the ADA Science & Research Institute in Chicago, the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. Children having short-term dental pain from extractions or toothache should not be prescribed opioids but rather manage those aches with over-the-counter ibuprofen and/or acetaminophen.
The guidelines align with U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommendations from 2017, which advised against the use of codeine and tramadol in children under age 12.
Pennsylvania Human Services Agency Accepting Comments for Medical Assistance Program Fee Schedule Revisions
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services issued Medical Assistance Program Fee Schedule Revisions; 2023 Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System Updates; Fee Adjustments; Prior Authorization Requirements update in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. These changes are effective for dates of service on and after September 5th, 2023. The revisions include an update for topical fluoride varnish service and silver diamine fluoride application. Written comments can be sent to the Department of Human Services, Office of Medical Assistance Programs, c/o Regulations Coordinator, P.O. Box 2675, Harrisburg, PA 17120 or RA-PWMAProgComments@ pa.gov. Comments received within 30 days will be reviewed and considered for any subsequent
revisions to the MA Program Fee Schedule.
HHS Selects the First Drugs for Medicare Drug Price Negotiation
For the first time, Medicare will be able to negotiate prices directly with drug companies, lowering prices on some of the costliest prescription drugs.
For the first time, thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act – the historic law lowering health care costs – Medicare is able to negotiate the prices of prescription drugs. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced the first 10 drugs covered under Medicare Part D selected for negotiation. The negotiations with participating drug companies will occur in 2023 and 2024, and any negotiated prices will become effective beginning in 2026. Medicare enrollees taking the 10 drugs covered under Part D selected for negotiation paid a total of $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs in 2022 for these drugs.
The Biden-Harris Administration has made lowering prescription drug costs and improving access to innovative therapies a key priority. Alongside other provisions in the new law that increase the affordability of health care and prescription drugs, allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices will strengthen the program’s ability to serve people with Medicare now and for generations to come. The negotiation process will consider the selected drug’s clinical benefit, the extent to which it fulfills an unmet medical need, and its impact on people who rely on Medicare, among other considerations, such as costs associated with research and development as well as production and distribution for selected drugs. As a result of negotiations, people with Medicare will have access to innovative, life-saving treatments at lower costs to Medicare.
The selected drug list for the first round of negotiation is:
- Eliquis
- Jardiance
- Xarelto
- Januvia
- Farxiga
- Entresto
- Enbrel
- Imbruvica
- Stelara
- Fiasp; Fiasp FlexTouch; Fiasp PenFill; NovoLog; NovoLog FlexPen; NovoLog PenFill
These selected drugs accounted for $50.5 billion in total Part D gross covered prescription drug costs, or about 20%, of total Part D gross covered prescription drug costs between June 1, 2022 and May 31, 2023, which is the time period used to determine which drugs were eligible for negotiation. CMS will publish any agreed-upon negotiated prices for the selected drugs by September 1, 2024; those prices will come into effect starting January 1, 2026. In future years, CMS will select for negotiation up to 15 more drugs covered under Part D for 2027, up to 15 more drugs for 2028 (including drugs covered under Part B and Part D), and up to 20 more drugs for each year after that, as outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act.
View a fact sheet from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at: https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/aspe-ira-drug-negotiation-fact-sheet.
View a CMS fact sheet on the drugs selected for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program at: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/fact-sheet-medicare-selected-drug-negotiation-list-ipay-2026.pdf – PDF.
More information on the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program is available at https://www.cms.gov/inflation-reduction-act-and-medicare/medicare-drug-price-negotiation.
Research Spotlight: New Study Shows Students’ Experiences Varied during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Researchers from the University of California released a paper this month examining the disparate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on school students. The pandemic exacerbated longstanding educational inequities in student academic performance and mental health outcomes based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
Data from students across the United States during the 2020-21 school year shows:
- Pre-existing achievement gaps in reading and math widened notability for students of color and those from high-poverty school districts.
- Absenteeism and grade retention increased at higher rates for Black and Hispanic students, who were more likely to attend schools negatively impacted by the transition to remote learning.
- School closures were more typical in underserved communities, and low-income families had limited access to traditional in-person instruction and high-quality remote learning experiences.
- The pandemic led to widespread increases in fear, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and behavioral issues for students of all ages, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
- School engagement rates were highest among students from households with higher incomes and parental education levels.
Black and Hispanic students were more likely than White students to feel very or extremely worried about the pandemic. They reported disproportionately high rates of COVID-related stress despite their caregivers being less likely than white caregivers to report concerns about their children’s mental health in the wake of school closures.
Universal Free Breakfast Helps School-Aged Children Succeed
Each day, families struggle with food security and the ability to provide their children with healthy meals that fuel their minds and bodies. Lack of nutrient-rich food impacts child development, overall health outcomes, mental and behavioral health and academic achievement, performance, and participation. Free school breakfast has been one initiative provided to Pennsylvania school-aged children to combat child hunger and ensure students succeed.
For the first time, all Pennsylvania public school students heading back to school this month will be eligible to receive a free breakfast regardless of income. The 2023-24 budget includes a $46.5 million increase to provide universal free breakfast to Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million public school students.
Our fact sheet shows the benefits of free school breakfast, including:
- Increasing access to nutritious meals and building healthy eating habits.
- Improving academic performance, including concentration, memory, comprehension, and learning, while reducing hunger-related behavioral problems.
- Reducing the stigma associated with students who access free or reduced meals compared to their peers.
The state budget also expands free lunch to 22,000 eligible students for reduced-price lunch. While universal free breakfast and expanded free lunch are a great first step for Pennsylvania students, PPC advocates for expanding free lunch to all students because no child should go hungry, and no parent should worry about feeding their child.
Pennsylvania Maternal Health State and County Fact Sheets Released
Maternal health ensures mothers and birthing parents are healthy and their children have the best start possible. Research shows healthy mothers are more likely to raise healthy babies. Unfortunately, the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed countries, and racial disparities plague the health care system for Black and Brown women.
Our first-ever maternal health county fact sheets show each county’s overall perinatal vulnerability index (PVI). The PVI uses data across five domains: behavioral health, environmental context, health care availability, pregnancy and birth outcomes, and social stratification. The fact sheets also highlight data about prenatal care and the percentage of low birth weight births.
In 2020, there were over 130,000 total births across Pennsylvania. Yet, only 13 counties had moderate access to care, and six counties were considered maternity care deserts, based on the March of Dimes Maternity Care Deserts Report (2022).
Research shows low birth weight is a strong indicator of maternal health, and the rate increased nationally by 4% since 2014. When children are born with low birth weight, there is an increase in the risk for future health and developmental issues.
Racial disparities limit access to maternal health care and can impact the health of both mother and child:
- The rate of non-Hispanic Black women giving birth to children with low birth weight is 14.5% compared to 6.8% of White women and almost double the state rate of 8.3% across all races.
- When comparing counties, the rate of low birth weight among Black women ranged from 22.9% in Lebanon County to 7.5% in Bucks County.
Thriving PA aims for women and birth parents to have access to the health resources needed for a healthy pregnancy and delivery. Maternal health is necessary for raising healthy children, and more attention is needed to make maternal health care more accessible, especially for Black and Brown women who have a higher risk of poor birth outcomes and maternal mortality and morbidity.
CMS Awards Navigator Grants and Releases Annual Enrollment Assistance Bulletin
Since 2013, Navigators have helped Americans understand their health insurance options and facilitated their enrollment in health insurance coverage through the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM). As trusted community partners, their mission focuses on assisting the uninsured and other underserved communities.
On August 25, 2023, CMS awarded $98.6 million in Navigator cooperative agreement awards to 57 returning organizations who will continue serving as Navigator awardees in states with a FFM. These awards support the work of organizations that offer assistance to consumers navigating, shopping for, and enrolling in health insurance coverage for plan year 2024. At this link are the 57 organizations receiving 2023-2024 CMS Navigator cooperative agreement awards for the FFM(s) they have received cooperative agreements to serve: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2023-2024-navigator-awardee-summaries.pdf. All 29 FFM states for PY 2024 have at least one Navigator awardee organization.
Additionally this week, CMS published the annual guidance on training for navigators, CMS Enrollment Assistance Bulletin, 2023-01: Guidance Regarding Training, Certification, and Recertification for Navigators and Certified Application Counselors in Federally-facilitated Exchanges. This bulletin provides annual guidance on the training, certification, and recertification requirements and procedures for Navigators, certified application counselors (CACs), and CAC designated organizations (CDOs) in the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs). You can access the bulletin at: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2023-cms-assister-bulletin-final-508.pdf.
CDC Announces Director of Office of Rural Health
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is pleased to announce that Diane M. Hall, PhD, MSEd, has been selected to serve as the permanent director of the CDC Office of Rural Health. She has served as the Office’s acting director since March of this year. As director, Dr. Hall will continue to lead and coordinate CDC’s rural health work and strategy to strengthen the delivery of rural public health services across the U.S.
Prior to coming to the Office of Rural Health, located in CDC’s Public Health Infrastructure Center, Dr. Hall served in CDC’s Office of the Associate Director for Policy and Strategy, Office of the Director, as CDC’s rural health lead, led the office’s Strategic Engagement and Capacity Building work, and oversaw training activities focused on using policy to improve the population’s health. As a recognized expert in knowledge synthesis and translation, she led the development of the office’s policy portal, the Policy Analysis and Research Information System (POLARIS).
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Hall held several leaderships positions within CDC’s response. She also held various positions in CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention where she worked on research related to the prevention of teen dating violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and youth violence. Prior to coming to CDC, she held an academic appointment at the University of Pennsylvania, serving as the lead coordinator for a master’s program in psychology.
Dr. Hall earned her B.A. in Psychology from Hollins College (now Hollins University), and obtained her MSEd in psychological services and PhD in school, community, and child clinical psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Hall and the CDC Office of Rural Health look forward to strengthening our relationships with all who have an interest in improving the health and well-being of rural America!