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Rural Health
News by Topic: Medicaid

May 26, 2023 - Notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that seeks to implement policies in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program (MDRP) related to the new legislative requirements in the Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019 (MSIAA), which are needed to address drug misclassification, as well as drug pricing and product data misreporting by Manufacturers. Among other things, this proposed rule clarifies and establishes requirements for State fee-for-service (FFS) pharmacy reimbursement; codifies conditions relating to States claiming FFP for physician-administered drugs (PADs); designates drug price verification and transparency through data collection; and proposes two new contracting requirements between States and their Medicaid managed care plans. Includes information about the potential impact of this proposed rule on small rural hospitals. Comments are due by July 25, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
May 24, 2023 - Doctors offered ideas for improving health care in remote areas of Pennsylvania during a meeting of the Pennsylvania House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on May 18 in Pittsburgh. Suggestions included increasing incentives, bolstering Medicaid, expanding use of community health workers, finding uses for disused hospitals, and enhancing broadband access.
Source: Lancaster Farming
May 24, 2023 - Rural Mississippi hospitals are increasingly endangered, as poverty, declining populations, and dwindling inpatient revenue chip away at profits. Federal aid appropriated during the pandemic seemed to slow the rate of closures, but now some are in worse shape than before, as they struggle with ongoing staff shortages and rising costs.
Source: Roll Call
May 22, 2023 - Describes challenges faced by women seeking maternity care in rural South Carolina counties. Infant death rates in South Carolina are higher than the national average, and a report published by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control shows the rate for non-Hispanic Black babies is growing worse. The death rate among infants born to Black mothers in the state increased by nearly 40% from 2017 to 2021.
Source: KFF Health News
May 22, 2023 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the extension of the Medicaid and CHIP Program (MACPro) generic clearance process umbrella and the individual generic collection of information requests that fall under the MACPro umbrella. Comments are due by July 21, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
May 22, 2023 - Announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of receipt of an application for initial recognition of the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) as a national accrediting organization for psychiatric hospitals that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. Comments are due by June 21, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
May 22, 2023 - Announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the approval of the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) as a national accrediting organization for Critical Access Hospitals that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. The approval is effective June 1, 2023, to June 1, 2027.
Source: Federal Register
May 19, 2023 - Explores healthcare issues facing disparate rural North Carolina counties, including hospital closures, drug overdose deaths, workforce shortages, and high rates of uninsured patients.
Source: North Carolina Health News
May 18, 2023 - The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is proposing a new rule that would streamline Medicaid billing permissions for students with disabilities. The Department of Health and Human Services is approving requests from New Mexico and Oregon to expand health care services that schools can deliver to Medicaid enrolled students.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
May 12, 2023 - Quarterly listing of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and Federal Register notices published from January through March 2023, including contact information for general questions or additional information about specific sections.
Source: Federal Register
May 10, 2023 - An HHS fact sheet outlining what is and is not changing around telehealth as the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ends, including information on coverage of services. Provides guidance around licensure portability, a measure intended to increase access to healthcare for rural and underserved communities. Also outlines broadband initiatives that increase access to healthcare and reduce disparities.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
May 9, 2023 - Describes anticipated nursing home closures in Iowa due to financial challenges from rising medical care costs and static Medicaid reimbursement rates. Notes that fewer long-term care facilities means other long-term care facilities and rural hospitals must absorb the communities served by the closed facilities. Iowa's aging population means that the strain of fewer long-term care facilities will impact the healthcare system far into the future.
Source: N'West Iowa REVIEW
May 8, 2023 - Notice from the U.S. Census Bureau making corrections to the April 28, 2023, notice seeking comment on proposed revisions to the Household Pulse Survey. The Census Bureau will begin collecting data using the revised survey on or about May 31, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
May 3, 2023 - Notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposing improvements that aim 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. Comments are due by July 3, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
May 3, 2023 - Notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would advance 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. The proposed rule would specifically address standards for timely access to care and States' monitoring and enforcement efforts, reduce burden for some State directed payments and certain quality reporting requirements, add new standards that would apply when States use in lieu of services and settings (ILOSs) to promote effective utilization and specify the scope and nature of ILOS, specify medical loss ratio (MLR) requirements, and establish a quality rating system for Medicaid and CHIP managed care plans. Comments are due by July 3, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
May 2, 2023 - Describes a study examining financial burdens on rural women cancer survivors, particularly as it relates to insurance type. Patients with public insurance like Medicaid are more likely to feel the burden of basic household needs costs due to reduced ability to work. This is especially problematic for rural residents who are already more likely to have lower incomes and be enrolled in Medicaid.
Source: UAMS News
May 1, 2023 - Notice of proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding changes to the hospital inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS) for operating and capital-related costs of acute care hospitals for fiscal year 2024. Contains details of changes impacting Medicare graduate medical education (GME) for teaching hospitals and inpatient hospital services provided by long-term care hospitals, among other things. This proposed rule also includes information and updates on the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Comments are due by June 9, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
May 1, 2023 - Describes the oral healthcare shortages in Florida where 66 of the 67 counties do not have enough dentists to treat all patients. Workforce distribution problems stem from the challenge to recruit dentists to rural areas as well as low Medicaid reimbursement rates. Discusses proposed legislation to improve access to oral healthcare.
Source: KFF Health News, Tampa Bay Times
Apr 30, 2023 - Highlights the expansion of community paramedicine programs while focusing on a particular program in Wyoming. Notes that 55% of community paramedicine programs are located in rural areas. Programs increase access to healthcare by doing home visits, transportation to appointments, and more. Early data show that these programs can increase positive health outcomes and reduce costs for patients. Discusses funding challenges for programs, including coverage by Medicaid and private insurance.
Source: Louisiana Illuminator, KFF Health News
Apr 28, 2023 - The Census Bureau is seeking comment on proposed revisions to the Household Pulse Survey, which helps to inform a range of topics related to households' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proposed revisions include new detailed race and ethnicity questions, as well as new questions on the use of antivirals to treat COVID, how households obtain COVID tests, the use of infant formula with babies, children's mental health treatment, and pressure to move from current residence. The Census Bureau is also proposing modifications to questions related to children's vaccine booster, COVID testing, infant formula, reasons not working, unemployment insurance, Medicaid, and inflation items. Several questions will be removed for Phase 3.8, including replacing the current race/ethnicity items, and questions about the receipt of updated COVID vaccines, intent to vaccinate children, childcare arrangements, children's mental health and behaviors, and more. Comments are due within 30 days of this notice.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 18, 2023 - The Administration for Children and Families, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and other federal agencies are working together to recruit partners to help people stay connected to healthcare coverage, by updating contact information and learning what actions are needed to retain healthcare coverage.
Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Apr 14, 2023 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing the final federal share (FS) Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) allotments for fiscal years (FY) 2020 and 2021, and the preliminary FS DSH allotments for FY 2022 and FY 2023. This notice also announces the final FY 2020 and FY 2021 and the preliminary FY 2022 and FY 2023 limitations on aggregate DSH payments that states may make to institutions for mental disease and other mental health facilities. The allotments are effective May 15, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 14, 2023 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing its approval of the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) for continued recognition as a national accrediting organization for hospitals that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. Comments are due by May 15, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 10, 2023 - The Georgia state Department of Community Health is using an under-the-radar Medicaid funding mechanism called "directed payments," which is available only for states that hire health insurers to deliver services for Medicaid. The Government Accountability Office and the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) say federal health officials should do more to monitor directed payments and evaluate whether states meet the program's goals.
Source: Kaiser Health News
Apr 4, 2023 - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is seeking comment on two information collections: 1) Registration, Attestation, Dispute Resolution and Correction, Assumptions Document and Data Retention Requirements for Open Payments; and 2) Medicaid Managed Care and Supporting Regulations. Comments are due by May 4, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 3, 2023 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing its approval of the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc., for continued recognition as a national accrediting organization for Ambulatory Surgical Centers that wish to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid programs.
Source: Federal Register