On August 3, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a new report showing that the national uninsured rate reached an all-time low of 7.7% in early 2023. Approximately 6.3 million people gained coverage since 2020. Nationally, uninsured rates among adults ages 18-64 declined from 14.5% in late 2020 to 11% in early 2023. The uninsured rate among children ages 0-17, which had increased during 2019 and 2020, fell from 6.4% in late 2020 to 4.2% in early 2023.

An estimated 24,000 Pittsburghers could soon have their medical debt reduced after City Council approved a new contract with a nonprofit group. For a cost of $1 million to the city, the partnership with the nonprofit RIP Medical Debt could alleviate about $115 million in medical debt, lawmakers estimate. Read more.

In an opinion piece, the authors argue that investment in primary care is essential to improving the nation’s healthcare system. Primary care is the first place patients should turn with questions or issues about their health. But this is happening less and less, as decades of underinvestment make it difficult for patients to consult with primary care clinicians who truly know them and their health histories. Read more.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zurzuvae (zuranolone), the first oral medication indicated to treat postpartum depression (PPD) in adults. PPD is a major depressive episode that typically occurs after childbirth but can also begin during the later stages of pregnancy. Until now, treatment for PPD was only available as an IV injection given by a healthcare provider in certain healthcare facilities.

The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) is collaborating with SMART Conversations® in a new partnership to help health centers improve their organizational effectiveness, boost financial solvency, and inspire workforce excellence. ACU will be offering SMART Conversations’ principle-based, facilitated trainings in communication and leadership development, as well as organizational culture and effectiveness, to help drive health equity in underserved communities. For questions about this partnership, please contact Amanda Pears Kelly, Executive Director.

Establishing a workforce that represents your patient population requires inclusive and equitable recruitment and retention efforts and partnering with minority-serving colleges and universities is one path for achieving greater diversity. This newly published paper from the ACU STAR² Center serves as a quick resource and reference guide for human resources professionals and health center leaders to understand how to identify and partner with minority-serving educational institutions. Click here to access this new publication!

This blog describes COVID-19-era Medicare policies for audio-only telehealth and the future of those policies. Discusses data for audio-only visits, barriers for telehealth using a visual component, and quality of care issues. Read the AARP blog.

   The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services examines telehealth visits by Medicare beneficiaries from 2019 through 2021, including urban and rural residences, Health Professional Shortage Areas, visit specialties, health conditions, and the state.

As previously mentioned in this newsletter, new committees are being formed by Battelle, as contracted by CMS, to make recommendations on healthcare quality measurement. Rural health experts are sought for all PQM committees (on the nomination form, one can check a box as a “rural health expert”). More information on PQM can be found here: Get Involved | Partnership for Quality Measurement (p4qm.org). The original July 30 deadline for nominations has been extended to August. Submit Nominations by August 14, 2023.