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Rural Health
News by Topic: Access

Apr 24, 2024 - The Federal Communications Commission will hold an open meeting on April 25, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. Agenda items include a discussion of a proposed rule that would require the implementation of one or more georouting solutions for wireless calls to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to ensure that calls are routed based on the geographic location of the origin of the call, among other things. The meeting can be viewed on the FCC website.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 24, 2024 - Profiles the only psychiatrist in Navajo Nation who blends Western behavioral healthcare and cultural practices in his delivery of care. Discusses mental healthcare access, diabetes, recruiting healthcare workforce, and the impact of COVID-19.
Source: Cronkite News
Apr 23, 2024 - Announces $700 million in funding for tribal communities for water and sewage infrastructure as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Also announces a partnership between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Indian Health Service (IHS) as well as a partnership between the United States Public Health Services (USPHS) Commissioned Corps and IHS. The partnerships will address barriers in access to resources as well as public health workforce needs.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Apr 23, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) revising regulations for Medicare Advantage (Part C), Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D), Medicare cost plan, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Revisions include Star Ratings, marketing and communications, agent/broker compensation, health equity, dual-eligible special needs plans (D-SNPs), utilization management, network adequacy, and other programmatic areas. These regulations are effective June 3, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 23, 2024 - Pre-publication notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implementing improvements to increase transparency and accountability, standardize data and monitoring, and create opportunities for States to promote active beneficiary engagement in their Medicaid programs, with the goal of improving access to care. These regulations are effective 60 days after the publication of this notice, which is scheduled for May 10, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 23, 2024 - Pre-publication notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) advancing CMS' efforts to improve access to care, quality and health outcomes, and better address health equity issues for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) managed care enrollees. This rule specifically addresses standards for timely access to care and States' monitoring and enforcement efforts, reduces burden for some State directed payments and certain quality reporting requirements, adds new standards that will apply when States use in lieu of services and settings (ILOSs) to promote effective utilization and specify the scope and nature of ILOS, specifies medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements, and establishes a quality rating system for Medicaid and CHIP managed care plans. These regulations are effective July 9, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 22, 2024 - Announces three rules from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services establishing national standards and increasing access to care. "Minimum Staffing Standards for Nursing Homes" aims to improve healthcare quality by setting minimum staffing standards for nursing staff, collecting and reporting on workforce compensation data, and offering incentives for the nurse workforce to work in nursing homes. The 2 remaining rules work together to establish national appointment wait time standards, address payment transparency, and create payment standards for workers providing home and community based services.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Apr 22, 2024 - Announces an expanded partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD), increasing access to healthcare for New York area veterans. Discusses the impact the expanded access will have on rural veterans.
Source: Department of Veterans Affairs
Apr 19, 2024 - Summarizes a recent Arizona meeting addressing higher suicide rates in Native American communities. Notes the impact that long travel distances for reservation residents can negatively impact mental health. Discusses the role of historical trauma in disparate rates.
Source: Cronkite News
Apr 19, 2024 - The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is allowing an additional 30 days for comments on proposed updates to the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) – Household and Medical Provider Components (MEPS-HC). Proposed changes include wording changes that will help identify telehealth utilization and access, as well as maintain consistency between Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems 5.1 and MEPS-HC questionnaire items. Comments are due by June 18, 2024.
Source: Federal Register