| Read this online. August 3, 2023 What's New CMS Releases First Round of Medicaid and CHIP Renewals Data. On Friday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its first monthly report on how states are handling eligibility renewals for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The data show that 18 states had completed at least one cohort of renewals as of April 30, highlighting how many people kept their Medicaid and CHIP coverage, as well as the number of people who were disenrolled from coverage. CMS is also releasing data on state Medicaid call centers, including average wait times and the number of people who disconnected before speaking to a customer service representative. Other newly released data from CMS include total enrollment for Medicaid & CHIP in April 2023, and a separate report that compares the percentage of rural and urban enrollment by state, race and ethnicity, disability-related eligibility, Medicaid managed care participation, and benefit package. Beginning TODAY, CMS will hold a series of webinars for reaching special populations about Medicaid and CHIP renewals. This includes a webinar on August 24 for rural populations. Rural Emergency Hospitals Assistance – Wednesday, August 9 at 1:00 pm ET. The FORHP-funded Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Technical Assistance Center (the Rural Health Redesign Center and Mathematica, a partnering policy research organization) will be sharing information about the REH provider type, considerations for converting, and conditions of participation requirements during a one-hour webinar. Attendees will also learn about no-cost technical assistance for hospitals considering a conversion. The REH provider type is designed to address concerns that some rural hospitals would not be able to sustain operations and could be at risk of complete closure. New Federal Office Will Focus on Long COVID. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services announced a new office that will lead the federal response to Long COVID, the lingering effects of infection currently estimated to affect up to 23 million people in the U.S. Researchers and even insurers have already considered that long COVID could be "a mass disabling event" affecting economic productivity. The implications for rural communities are tied to higher rates of infection, lagging vaccination uptake, and lower rates of health insurance. Read more about the rural experience with Long COVID in a recent edition of The Rural Monitor. Ongoing: Updates to Requirements for Buprenorphine Prescribing. As announced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in January 2023, clinicians no longer need a federal waiver to prescribe buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder. Clinicians will still be required to register with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to prescribe controlled medications. Beginning on June 27, the DEA registration will require applicants – both new and renewing – to affirm they have completed a new, one-time, eight-hour training. Exceptions for the new training requirement are practitioners who are board certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry, and those who graduated from a medical, dental, physician assistant, or advanced practice nursing school in the U.S. within five years of June 27, 2023. Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) still have the opportunity to apply for a $3,000 payment on behalf of each provider who trained between January 1, 2019 and December 29, 2022 (when Congress eliminated the waiver requirement). Approximately $889,000 in program funding remains available for RHCs and will be paid on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. Send questions to DATA2000WaiverPayments@hrsa.gov. COVID-19 Resources Learning About Long COVID & Fatiguing Illness – Thursday, August 10 at 3:00 pm ET. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fund this monthly webinar-style ECHO learning session to rapidly disseminate Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) findings and emerging best practices. The series offers didactic presentations by subject matter experts, examples of emerging best practices and models of care, and a facilitated Q&A. This program is intended primarily for providers who care for patients with PCC and ME/CFS but is open to all healthcare professionals and all Long COVID and ME/CFS patient-lived experience experts interested in learning more about the treatment of Long COVID and ME/CFS. Provider Relief Fund Reporting Period 5. The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Portal is open from July 1 to September 30, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Providers who received one or more PRF (General or Targeted) and/or American Rescue Plan Rural payments exceeding $10,000, in the aggregate, from January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2022 must report on their use of funds during Reporting Period 5 to comply with PRF Reporting Requirements. More information and resources can be found on the PRF Reporting webpage. HHS/DoD National Emergency Tele-Critical Care Network. A joint program of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is available at no cost to hospitals caring for COVID-19 patients. Teams of critical care clinicians - critical care physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other specialized clinical experts – are available to deliver virtual care through telemedicine platforms, such as an app on a mobile device. Hear from participating clinicians, and email to learn more and sign up. Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth. ProviderBridge.org was created through the CARES Act by the Federation of State Medical Boards and HRSA's Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. The site provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing by state as well as a provider portal to connect volunteer health care professionals to state agencies and health care entities. Online Resource for Licensure of Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Psychologists, and Social Workers. The site provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing in each state. Funding and Opportunities Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health: Wilderness & Austere Medicine Fellowship – September 15. A year-long training experience for physicians in resource-limited settings to prepare them for leadership positions in the field of wilderness and austere medicine. The program includes the following elements: prehospital experience with emergency services faculty, hands-on wilderness medical and rescue training, US training for austere settings, academic style didactics, research, teaching, and technical training in outdoor adventure activities. NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award – September 15. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will provide funding for Clinical and Translational Program Hubs that are expected to develop, demonstrate, and then disseminate solutions to barriers that limit the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical and translational science research. A major interest of the program is improving rural health outcomes and eliminating health disparities. USDA Empowering Rural America Program – Letters of Intent September 15. The Rural Utilities Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest $9.7 billion to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electrical systems. The funding, to be disbursed in the form of grants and low-interest loans, is authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act and aims to advance the long-term resiliency, reliability, and affordability of rural electric systems. USDA Small Business Innovation Research – Phase 1 – September 19. The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides funding for research that focuses on new technologies that address important problems affecting people, institutions, and communities in rural America. Rural health-related priorities include water and air quality, programs and products that increase consumption of healthy foods, and expanding broadband access. Institute of Museum and Library Sciences: Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program – Preliminary Proposals September 20. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a federal grant making organization intended to foster learning, culture, and civic engagement. The overarching goal for this program is to recruit, train, and develop a diverse workforce of library and archives professionals to serve individuals of diverse, geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds – particularly underserved urban and rural communities. According to IMLS, rural libraries provide access to reliable information for approximately 30 million people in the U.S. Research has shown that public libraries are an essential component of health equity for rural communities, even promoting diverse representation in clinical trials that inform medical research and innovation. DOT Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program – September 28. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will invest more than $3 billion in funding for projects that reconnect communities by removing, retrofitting, or mitigating highways or other transportation facilities that create barriers to community connectivity. The program will support economically disadvantaged communities to increase affordable, accessible, and multimodal access to destinations like jobs, healthcare, grocery stores, schools, places of worship, recreation, and park space. The program seeks to award funding to rural and tribal communities that face unique challenges related to mobility and economic development, including isolation, transportation cost burden, and traffic safety. USDA Community Food Projects – October 30. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) encourages applications from organizations that address food insecurity in rural, tribal, and underserved communities. The program is intended to bring together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food system to understand and address national food security trends. Rural Health Research Research in this section is provided by the HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Gateway. Sign up to receive alerts when new publications become available. State Differences in Recommended Components of Care Received During Postpartum Visits for Rural and Urban Residents, 2016-2019. Among key findings from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center: there is substantial state-level and rural-urban variation in the number of recommended care components (contraceptive counseling, depression screening, smoking screening, abuse screening, eating and exercise discussions, and birth spacing counseling) received during postpartum visits. Housing Quality by Disability, Race, Ethnicity, and Rural-Urban Location: Findings From the American Community Survey. The University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center examines information collected by the U.S. Census Bureau's ongoing, annual survey that collects information on social, economic, housing, and demographic characteristics. Policy Updates Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov. Comments Requested: Requirements Related to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act – Comments due October 2. In this proposed rule, the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury propose several updates to strengthen the Mental Health Parity and Addition Equity Act of 2008 and better ensure that people seeking coverage for mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) care can access treatment as easily as people seeking coverage for medical treatments. In addition, this rule seeks public input on ways to improve the coverage of mental health and SUD benefits through other provisions of Federal law. Sixty percent of rural Americans live in mental health professional shortage areas. Non-metro adults were more likely than metro adults (43.7% vs. 34.5%) to see a general practitioner or family doctor, as opposed to a mental health specialist for depressive symptoms, and among non-metro adults with depression, fewer than 20% received treatment from a mental health professional. CMS Updates Hospital Policies for Fiscal Year 2024, Including Rural Emergency Hospital Policies. On August 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final rule for the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-term Care Hospital payments (LTCH-PPS) for fiscal year 2024. Effective October 1, 2023, the IPPS rates will increase by 3.1% overall, increasing hospital payments by $2.2 billion. The rule continues the low wage index policy for FY 2024 and will treat rural classified hospitals as geographically rural for purposes of calculating the wage index. It finalizes a policy designating Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) as graduate medical education (GME) training sites and codifies in regulation the information hospitals must include in their application to convert to an REH. The rule addresses policies around quality measurement, including the incorporation of a health equity adjustment for the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program. In addition, CMS received feedback from stakeholders on the potential future inclusion of two geriatric measures and on the establishment of a publicly reported hospital designation for geriatric care. Medicare Finalizes SNF, IRF, IPF, and Hospice Payment Rules. CMS released final rules for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRF), Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities (IPF), and Hospices. Each rule updates Medicare payment and quality measurement policies for Fiscal Year 2024, which begins October 1. The final rules indicate a 3.3 percent increase in payments for rural SNFs, a 3.6 percent increase in payments for rural IRFs, a 2 percent increase in payments for rural IPSs, and a 2.8 percent increase in payments for rural hospices. RHC Cost Reporting 101 – Monday, August 7 at 3:00 PM ET. Independent and provider-based certified Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) are required to submit an annual cost report to a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC). During this free webinar, FORHP-supported National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) will provide an overview of the RHC Medicare cost report, key cost report drivers, and changes to cost reporting requirements. Advanced registration is required. Learning Events and Technical Assistance AgriSafe: Talking About Ticks and Lyme Disease – Tuesday, August 8 at 1:00 pm ET. This hour-long webinar hosted by the AgriSafe Network will cover the things you need to know to prevent tick bites when working outdoors, how to remove a tick if bitten, as well as the symptoms that can result from tick bites that may indicate Lyme Disease. HRSA Virtual Job Fair – Wednesday, August 9 at 6:00 pm ET. A free online recruitment event connecting career-seeking health care professionals with representatives from health care facilities across the country. Over three hours, learn more about job opportunities, hear details about benefit packages, and find out how you can help rural and underserved communities. SAMSHA 2023 Tribal Recovery Summit – August 15-16. Register to attend online or in person in Dallas, Texas. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Office of Tribal Affairs and Policy and Office of Recovery will convene to share best practices and experiences to improve recovery-related outcomes. Save the Date: National Telehealth Conference – September 12. Join health care professionals, policymakers, and industry stakeholders from around the country at HRSA's virtual telehealth conference. Learn about the latest telehealth best practices, health equity, broadband, and more. Resource of the Week The Frontier of Harm Reduction: Expanding Services for Rural People Who Use Drugs. Feature article in the latest Rural Monitor describes harm reduction approaches help reduce health risks related to substance use and explains how these approaches are being adapted in rural areas. Approaching Deadlines CDC Foundation Seeking Community Data for Overdose Prevention – August 4 DOJ Grants to Tribal Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalitions – August 4 NACCHO Building Workforce Capacity at Rural/Frontier Health Departments – August 4 ACL Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative – States and Community Grants – August 7 Department of Education Full-Service Community Schools Program – August 8 ACF Culturally Specific Family Violence Prevention – August 11 National Medical Fellowships Health Equity Leaders – August 11 Berkley Rural Public Health Master's Program – August 13 Dept of Transportation Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program – August 14 CMS Seeking Researchers for Health Data Access Program – August 15 Comments Requested: ACL Updates Older Americans Act – August 15 Rural Healthcare Provider Transition Project – August 15 DOT Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Programs – INFRA Grants – August 21 Comments Requested: CMS Updates Policy for End Stage Renal Disease – August 25 USDA Grants for Education and Research at 1890 Land-Grant Institutions – August 30 EPA Community-Based Research to Mitigate Environmental Health Disparities – August 31 USDA Emergency Rural Health Care Grants (Track One only) – September 2023 or until funds run out Comments Requested: Remedy for 340B Medicare Drug Payment Policy – September 5 NIH Research to Improve Native American Health (AIDS Related) – September 7 NIH Tobacco Control Policies to Promote Health Equity – September 8 Comments Requested: Proposals to Update Medicare Outpatient Payments and Other Policies – September 11 Comments Requested: Proposals to Update Medicare Clinician Payment and Other Policies – September 11 NRHA Rural Health Fellows Program – September 14 Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health: Wilderness and Austere Medicine Fellowship – September 15 NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award – September 15 USDA Empowering Rural America Program – Letters of Intent September 15 USDA Small Business Innovation Research – Phase 1 – September 19 Institute of Museum and Library Sciences: Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program – Preliminary Proposals September 20 EPA Solar for All Competition – September 26 DOT Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program – September 28 PCORI Building Capacity for Patient-Centered Research/Clinical Effectiveness – Letters of Intent September 28 PCORI Dissemination Initiative – Letters of Intent September 28 PCORI Stakeholder Convening Support – Letters of Intent September 28 AHRQ Health Services Research Demonstration and Dissemination Grants – October 1 NIH Assessing Real-World Effectiveness of Telehealth Guided Provider-to-Provider Communication in Rural Communities – October 5 UMMC Caregiver University for Alzheimer's Support – Quarterly deadlines until October 10 American Psychological Foundation Grant for Rural First Responders Mental Health Interventions – October 15 NIH Pilot Interventions to Integrate Social Care and Medical Care for Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases – October 19 USDA Community Food Projects – October 30 NIH Researching Social Networks to Promote Behavior Change – November 3 Ongoing Opportunities HRSA Needs Rural Reviewers for Grant Applications Economic Development Administration Public Works/Economic Assistance Program (CARES Act Funding) Extended Public Comment Period for FCC's COVID-19 Telehealth Program FCC Affordable Connectivity Program for Broadband Service SAMHSA 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Volunteer and Job Opportunities USDA Disaster Repair Grants for Rural Community Facilities – Ongoing while funds last USDA Water Infrastructure Grants for 2022 Disaster Areas – Ongoing while funds last ACF Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program ACF Rural Community Development Program for Rural Water Systems Addiction Policy Forum: Sites for Anti-Stigma Pilot AgriSafe Mental Health Training for Agricultural Producers & Families American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) Foundation - Accreditation Grants American Heart Association Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator American Indian Public Health Resource Center Technical Assistance AmeriCorps American Connection Corps for Broadband in Rural Areas Appalachian Community Fund Technical Assistance Grants Appalachian Regional Commission J-1 Visa Waivers for Doctors ASA Rural Access to Anesthesia Care Scholarship CDC Direct Assistance to State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Health Agencies CDC Training Pediatric Medical Providers to Recognize ACEs CORH Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program Delta Regional Authority Community Infrastructure Fund Delta Doctors J-1 Visa Waiver Program Department of Commerce: Economic Development Assistance Programs DRA Technical Assistance for Delta Region Community Health Systems Development EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund EPA Water Infrastructure and Innovation Act Program FEMA/SAMHSA Post-Disaster Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program GPHC & RWJF: Rapid Cycle Research and Evaluation Grants for Cross-Sector Alignment HRSA Seeking Nominations for Migrant Health Advisory HRSA Technical Assistance for Look-Alike Initial Designation for the Health Center Program Housing Assistance Council: Housing Loans for Low-Income Rural Communities HUD Distressed Cities and Persistent Poverty Technical Assistance Program HUD Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program IHS Tribal Forensic Healthcare Training IHS/DOD Medical Supplies and Equipment for Tribes (Project TRANSAM) NARHC Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional Course National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence Technical Assistance Native Americans into Medicine Host Sites for National Environmental Public Health Internship NIH Addressing the Impact of Structural Racism and Discrimination – Various dates until October 2025 NIH Native American Research Centers for Health – Various dates until July 2026 NIH Project Talk Initiative Host Site Applications NIH Researching Mental Health Practices in Low-Resource Settings – September 2024 NIH Researching Social, Behavioral, and Economic Impact of COVID-19 in Underserved/Vulnerable Populations – September 2024 NIH Researching the Role of Work in Health Disparities – Various dates until September 2024 NIH Special Interest Research – Pandemic Impact on Vulnerable Children and Youth – May 2024 NIH Researching Barriers to Care for HIV-Associated Comorbidities – May 2025 NIH Research to Address Vaccine Hesitancy in Health Disparity Populations – June 2026 Nominations for Federal Advisory Commission on HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases NRHA Chief Nursing Officer Certification Program for Rural Hospitals Oweesta Native CDFI Loan Funds and Technical Assistance Primary Care Development Corporation Community Investment Loans Rural Community Assistance Corporation Community Facility Loans for Western States and Pacific Islands Rural Community Assistance Corporation Environmental Infrastructure Loans for Western States Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development RTT Collaborative: Rural Training Track Directors University RWJF Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health RWJF Pioneering Ideas Brief Proposals SAMHSA Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program for Communities Post-Disaster SAMHSA Training to Provide Medication Assisted Treatment SBA Guaranteed Loans for Small Business Southeast Rural Community Assistance Loans Tribal Grant Writing Training Treasury Department Opportunity Zone Economic Development Program United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc Tribal Health Program Support USDA Community Facilities Program USDA Community Food Projects Technical Assistance USDA Drinking Water and Waste Disposal for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages USDA Economic Impact Initiative Grants USDA Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants USDA Healthy Food Financing Initiative Technical Assistance USDA Intermediary Relending Program USDA Multifamily Housing Loan Guarantees USDA National School Lunch Afterschool Snack Program USDA Rural Business Development Grants USDA Rural Business Investment Program USDA Rural Energy Savings Program USDA SEARCH – Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (for Water/Waste Projects) USDA Summer Food Program USDA Technical Assistance for Healthy Food Financing Initiative USDA Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees USDA Funding for Rural Water and Waste Disposal Projects USDA Water and Waste Disposal Grants to Alleviate Health Risks on Tribal Lands and Colonias USDOT Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (R.O.U.T.E.S) Veterans Affairs Health Professional Scholarship Program Veterans Affairs Virtual Living Room - Using Technology to Address the Critical Healthcare Needs of Veterans in Rural Areas WWAMI Area Health Education Center Scholars Program | 
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