Senators Whitehouse and Cassidy introduced S. 4338, the Pay PCPs Act. The Pay PCPs Act would encourage the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to accelerate its existing efforts to support value-based primary care and improve the adequacy of pay for primary care providers in Medicare. This legislation serves as a marker for future primary care legislation and includes a request for information on hybrid payments for primary care providers, risk adjustment criteria, quality measures and services to be included in hybrid models, cost sharing and technical advisory committees. Please send any feedback on the RFI questions to federalpolicy@nachc.org by June 28.
Work Resumes in Pennsylvania to Finalize Rules to Reduce Barriers for Those with Criminal Records to Earn Professional Licenses
State officials are taking another crack at finalizing proposed rules that would make it easier for Pennsylvania residents with criminal records to earn professional licenses in fields ranging from accounting and nursing to cosmetology and real estate. The PA Department of State (DOS), which oversees professional licensure, issued a revised version of the rules this month after an earlier draft was rejected in April by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC). IRRC questioned whether the rules adequately protect public health and safety and was concerned, in part, that certain crimes were not listed as being “directly related” to certain professions, thus triggering a closer look from licensing boards. The rules, for example, did not make prior convictions for forgery or identity theft an automatic impediment for people seeking to become state-licensed CPAs. In its latest version, DOS added stronger language emphasizing that licensing boards have a responsibility to consider individual applications for licensure. The language also clarifies that boards can still consider offenses as part of a licensing decision even if they are not listed as “directly related.” The IRRC met this week and approved the updated version. The rules implement Act 53 of 2020, a state law enacted in 2020.
CMS Updates Information on New Hospital Price Transparency Requirements Commencing July 1, 2024
PRISM Study Summary: Preparing Behavioral Health Clinicians for Success and Retention in Rural Safety Net Practices
This study assesses how, among behavioral health clinicians working in rural safety net practices, the amount of exposure to care in rural underserved communities received during training relates to confidence in skills important in their work settings, successes in jobs and communities, and anticipated retention.
This study summary provides a quick overview of the study published by the Journal of Rural Health.
FEMA Publishes National Risk Index
The National Risk Index is a dataset and online tool to help illustrate the United States communities most at risk for 18 natural hazards. It was designed and built by FEMA in close collaboration with various stakeholders and partners in academia; local, state and federal government; and private industry.
The Risk Index leverages available source data for natural hazard and community risk factors to develop a baseline risk measurement for each United States county and Census tract.
Quality of EMS Care Varies Widely Across the U.S.
From AXIOS
The level of care patients receive in a medical emergency varies widely based on where 911 is being dialed.
Why it matters: A first-of-its-kind study of emergency medical service systems’ performance across the country points to opportunities to improve patient care when the pressure is on.
What they did: Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai reviewed more than 26 million responses from nearly 9,700 EMS agencies in 2019.
- They assessed how those agencies performed on safety and clinical quality measures that had been outlined by a nonprofit industry organization that year.
- The researchers said it’s a shift from looking primarily at response times to determine EMS performance, which they say is an imprecise metric for most calls.
What they found: Agencies largely responding in rural areas were less likely to treat low blood sugar or improve trauma patients’ pain, researchers found.
- They were also more likely to use lights and sirens unnecessarily, which other studies have found raises the risk of crashes.
- Delivery of time-sensitive treatment also varied during EMS calls. For instance, 4 in 10 kids with wheezing or asthma attacks didn’t get breathing treatment, and about 1 in 3 suspected stroke patients didn’t have a stroke assessment documented.
What they’re saying: “We have to move away from solely looking at response times and start looking at performance that directly impacts the people we are meant to treat,” said lead author Michael Redlener, an associate professor of emergency medicine.
Updated Uniform Data Set Crosswalk Released
The Rural Health Value team is pleased to announce the release of an updated version of the 2024 Uniform Data Set (UDS) Measure Crosswalk to Other Quality Reporting Programs .
The Crosswalk highlights alignment between Uniform Data Set (UDS) measures and other quality reporting programs. It is intended to help health centers identify which UDS measures are being utilized by other programs such as CMS Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), and the CMS Quality Payment Program (QPP).
Related resources on the Rural Health Value website:
- The Catalog of Value-Based Initiatives for Rural Providers. The catalog summarizes rural-relevant, value-based programs currently or recently implemented by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), primarily by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and its Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). Its purpose is to help rural leaders and communities identify HHS value-based programs appropriate for rural participation.
- Rural Innovation Profile: Iowa Community Health Centers and Value-Based. The Iowa Primary Care Association (Iowa PCA), IowaHealth+, and INConcertCare collaborate as a network to leverage resources in support of community health centers (CHCs) across Iowa. The three organizations have established a common strategic plan that supports a clinically integrated network for Medicaid and Medicare value-based care (VBC) contracting. This profile provides an overview and background information on how the partnership supports value-based care and planned next steps.
‘Too Many Old People’: A Rural Pennsylvania Town Reckons with Population Loss
“We already lost our bank,” Goldthwaite said as he took a break from trimming the grass around headstones. “We lost our liquor store, and we may be about to lose our high school.”
Across rural Pennsylvania, there is a deepening sense of fear about the future as population loss accelerates. The sharp decline has put the state at the forefront of a national discussion on the viability of the small towns that have long been a pillar of American culture.
America’s rural population began contracting about a decade ago, according to statistics drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau.
A whopping 81 percent of rural counties had more deaths than births between 2019 and 2023, according to an analysis by a University of New Hampshire demographer. Experts who study the phenomena say the shrinking baby boomer population and younger residents having smaller families and moving elsewhere for jobs are fueling the trend.
New PBS Documentary Series Explores Hidden Public Health Infrastructure in America
The CDC Office of Rural Health is creating awareness of a new four-part documentary series that was made possible by Bloomberg Philanthropies and is available for streaming on PBS.org and the PBS App. This series, The Invisible Shield, includes discussions on many important topics, including public health infrastructure, public health data, health equity, and more.
The fourth episode in the series may be of particular interest, as it explores the societal roots of many health problems and discusses the challenges faced by a rural community in Washington State as they work to prevent “deaths of despair,” such as those due to opioid overdose and suicides.
Please note that this is being forwarded for informational purposes only and such dissemination should not imply any endorsement by CDC or the appearance of such, of the creator and distributor, PBS, the series itself, the content contained therein, or the views, products, services, or organizations referenced in the broadcast.
Pennsylvania Releases Child Welfare Workforce Study
The Pennsylvania Office of Children, Youth, and Families released a child welfare workforce recruitment and retention study, analyzing the trends, challenges, and needs to stabilize the system. Several partners were engaged in developing the report, including 10 county child welfare agencies, the Child Welfare Resource Center, Pennsylvania Children and Youth Administrators, Pennsylvania Council for Children, Youth, and Families, the Civil Service Commission, and OCYF. Some leading factors contributing to the significant turnover in the field include compensation, organizational culture, working conditions, and partner/stakeholder relationships. The report concludes by outlining 43 recommendations across six themes: cross-cutting, compensation, recruiting, caseworker workloads, training, and safe, supportive workplaces. It is further recommended that a recruitment and retention investment fund and a working group be created to strategize on each recommendation. With the staffing crisis impacting many child welfare agencies across the commonwealth, it will be important for the administration, policymakers, and stakeholders to partner and make these recommendations achievable.