Rural Spotlight

Telehealth Policy Update

November 19, 2024

Telehealth Policy Update

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the CY 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule and CY2025 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System final rule, which include telehealth policies.

Absent Congressional action, the statutory limitations in place for Medicare telehealth services prior to the COVID-19 public health emergency will take effect for most telehealth services beginning January 1, 2025.

Click Here to Read More

Rural Health Research – Understanding the Impact of Medical Debt in Rural Communities: Perspectives from Rural Hospital Administrators

November 18, 2024

Rural Health Research – Understanding the Impact of Medical Debt in Rural Communities: Perspectives from Rural Hospital Administrators

This policy brief presents findings from key informant interviews with nine administrators representing rural hospitals in seven states (Arkansas, California, Illinois, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia).

Using content analysis of interview data, researchers share findings around hospital and community-level implications of medical debt, and policies that may help or hinder this issue.

Click Here to Read Policy Brief

HRSA Announces Complete Lists of Health Professional Shortage Areas

November 18, 2024

HRSA Announces Complete Lists of Health Professional Shortage Areas

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) new lists, maintained and updated by HRSA’s Data Warehouse, were announced in the Federal Register last week. The lists identify all geographic areas, population groups, and facilities designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). Designations that are currently proposed for withdrawal will remain in this status until a second notice is published in the Federal Register.

Click Here to See New Lists

NCOA Expanding Evidence-Based Programs in Rural Communities, November 19

November 18, 2024

NCOA Expanding Evidence-Based Programs in Rural Communities, November 19

Older adults and adults with disabilities residing in rural communities across the nation are aging in place while managing ongoing health conditions. While rural communities may offer close community connections and critical networks o support, they can also present challenges in accessing health care and community-based services. Evidence-based health education, such as chronic disease self-management programs is vital in complementing clinical care and building the everyday skills to improve quality of life.

This webinar hosted by the nonprofit National Council on Aging (NCOA) will introduce and explore the practical and adaptable toolkit developed from roundtable discussions on engaging rural communities in health education. The toolkit offers best practices for:

  • Building and advancing community partnerships
  • Enhancing participant engagement
  • Adapting and effectively delivering evidence-based programs, and
  • Overcoming key barriers (i.e., transportation and connectivity), in rural communities.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, November 19, 3:00 p.m. ET

Click Here to Register

Research and Data Update: Access to Health Care in Rural America: Current Trends and Key Challenges

November 14, 2024

Research and Data Update: Access to Health Care in Rural America: Current Trends and Key Challenges

This research report describes patterns in insurance coverage and uninsurance rates in rural and urban areas, review non-financial challenges in accessing care face by many rural residents, and describes disparities in health outcomes between urban and rural areas.

The report goes on to discuss policies, programs and resources designed to address barriers to care in rural America and the important role that federal and state health car coverage programs like Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Marketplace, and Medicare play in providing health insurance coverage for rural residents.

Click Here to Read Full Report

Newly Released: CMS Framework for Health Equity

November 14, 2024

Newly Released: CMS Framework for Health Equity

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of Minority Health released the CMS Framework for Health Equity to address health disparities as a foundational element across all work, in every program, and across every community.

Using five priority areas, CMS will use this framework to design, implement, and operationalize policies and programs to support health for all people served by CMS programs, eliminating avoidable differences in health outcomes experienced by people who are disadvantaged or underserved, and providing the care and support that CMS enrollees need to thrive.

Click Here to Read More

CMS Releases CY 2025 Physician Fee Schedule with Telehealth Policy Updates and Key Modifications

November 14, 2024

CMS Releases CY 2025 Physician Fee Schedule with Telehealth Policy Updates and Key Modifications

On November 1, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Final Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), outlining important Medicare policy updates for the coming year.

As in previous years, the PFS contains multiple proposals affecting telehealth policy. Many temporary federal telehealth waivers in Medicare are set to expire this year, and their extension would require congressional action. However, CMS has made adjustments within its authority to mitigate the effects of these expirations if Congress does not act to extend statutory flexibilities further.

For those interested in further detail, CCHP has released a fact sheet with specific page references to the unpublished version of the PFS, outlining telehealth-specific proposals and updates in depth.

Click Here for Fact Sheet

Click Here to Read Final Calendar Year 2025 Physician Fee Schedule

CART Outpatient Version 1.25.0 Release

November 14, 2024

CART Outpatient Version 1.25.0 Release

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the release of the CMS Abstraction and Report Tool (CART) and is now available on the QualityNet website: https://qualitynet.cms.gov/

This release contains updates to CART Outpatient 1.25.0 to support the Sex Data Element changes as listed in Specifications Manual 17.0a. This CART version must be used for encounter dates 07-01-24 through 9-30-24.

Details of the new Sex Data Elements are listed below:

  • Sex assigned at birth – Required
  • Sexual Orientation – Voluntary
  • Gender Identity – Voluntary

Note: CART for Q4 2024 encounters and future will be available in January 2025 in HQR

The CART 1.25.0 download, as well as installation instructions, edits, and online help are located on the QualityNet website.

  • Select the Hospitals – Outpatient card on the home page of QualityNet,
  • The CART-Outpatient version 1.25.0 can be accessed under the CART Overview page,
  • Edits and Online help Guide are at the bottom of the Download Cart page under resources,
  • Known issues for CART-Outpatient are located on the QualityNet Home page under the Help menu.
    • Select the known Issues link and navigate to hospital Quality Reporting System Known Issues PDF

Click Here to Go to QualityNet website

Click Here to Download CART Version 1.25.0

Who to contact with questions:

HRSA Health Center Performance Improvement Toolkit

November 8, 2024

HRSA Health Center Performance Improvement Toolkit

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has introduced a new Health Center Performance Improvement Toolkit.

The toolkit can be used to conduct self-assessments to understand the focus areas and potential activities needed to achieve your performance improvement goals.

The resources aim to:

  • Foster innovation
  • Enhance patient care
  • Improve health outcomes for underserved populations

Click Here to access the toolkit

Upcoming Webinar: Access to Maternity Care in Rural U.S. Communities, November 14

November 8, 2024

Upcoming Webinar: Access to Maternity Care in Rural U.S. Communities, November 14

Consider joining this webinar where the leadership of the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center Maternity Care Team will provide a timely update on critical issues impacting maternal health in rural U.S. communities.

The presentation will describe disparities in maternal health outcomes for rural populations, the growing scarcity of obstetric care, and the far-reaching consequences of obstetric unit closures.

Additionally, the presentation will delve into the reasons behind these closures and examine policy solutions aimed at improving access to maternal health care and advancing health equity.

Registration is free and required. Attendance of the live webinar is limited to 500 persons. If you are unable to attend, you will be able to access the recording, archived on the Gateway website.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, November 14, 10:00 a.m.

Click Here to Register