Month: February 2021

Webinar: ADHA & ADA Reveal New Findings about Impact of COVID-19 on Dental Hygienists

Date: February 24, 2021

Time: 3:00 PM CT or 7:00 PM CT

Register for 3:00 Session.

Register for 7:00 Session.

The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and the American Dental Association (ADA) have partnered for the first time to conduct a study of U.S. dental hygienists’ infection rates and infection control practices related to COVID-19. The research will be released in The Journal of Dental Hygiene on February 24. Be one of the first to learn more and join this esteemed panel’s discussion and Q&A about this groundbreaking study.

 

National Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine

Join Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Acting Administrator Diana Espinosa and Associate Administrator Jim Macrae at the National Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine, a virtual event that will unite representatives from across the U.S. government with tribal, state, local, and territorial leaders, as well as representatives from public health, health care systems, national and community-based non-governmental organizations, education, private industry, unions, and faith-based organizations.

The forum will take place from Monday, February 22, to Wednesday, February 24, and will support implementation of a safe, effective, and equitable COVID-19 vaccination program. Register soon!

Act Now: Last Call to take advantage of Medicaid funding to receive a free onboarding to connect to the MHC HIE network

Please be advised that Midwest Health Connection (MHC) has funding available to cover the one-time implementation costs associated with connecting to MHC’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) network. Previously the Onboarding Program was limited to certain Medicaid providers. The funding is now available to any Medicaid Provider, under the Meaningful Use program, and will be used to connect your organization to MHC without incurring any costs for:

  • Implementation/Onboarding costs to establish a connection between MHC and the EP/EH EHR. Onboarding to the MHC HIE network requires a data interface to be established between the MHC HIE network and a provider’s EHR system so that a bi-directional exchange of health data can be accomplished and facilitated;
  • MHC’s first year of Annual Subscription Fees for services; and
  • The EHR interface fee assessed by your EHR vendor to establish an interface connection to MHC. 

MHC strongly encourages any Missouri Medicaid provider to contact MHC as soon as possible to get in the queue to onboard to MHC’s HIE network by taking advantage of the funding available. MHC must have you onboarded before September 2021 in order to waive the Onboarding fees. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity to onboard to the MHC HIE network, please direct all inquiries to Angie Bass at (573)777-4550 or ABass@MHC-HIE.org. 

Read more

www.mhc-hie.org

What Partners Need to Know Now about Health Insurance Coverage during the Pandemic

As COVID-19 vaccines begin rolling out across the country, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking action to protect the health and safety of our nation’s patients and providers and keeping you updated on the latest COVID-19 resources from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and CMS.

With information coming from many different sources, CMS has compiled resources and materials to help you share important and relevant information on the COVID-19 vaccine with the people that you serve. You can find these and more resources on the COVID-19 Partner Resources Page and the HHS COVID Education Campaign page. CMS looks forward to partnering with you to promote vaccine safety and encourage beneficiaries to get vaccinated when they have the opportunity. 

The Importance of Community-Based Organizations during the Pandemic

With the COVID-19 national emergency, many people are facing unprecedented challenges. Some have lost their jobs, and have lost health insurance coverage for themselves and their families. Others may be underinsured with unaffordable health coverage, or may have health insurance, but aren’t sure how to access the services that they need for their health problems.

With these uncertainties, Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) are key players who can help link community members to valuable resources, including how and where to obtain health insurance. CBOs also play a major role in educating community members about COVID-19 vaccines, raising awareness about the benefits of vaccination, and addressing common questions and concerns. As many communities are waiting for their turn to get the vaccine, CBOs can encourage them to take the time to consider their health insurance coverage.

What can CBOs do now to help your community access valuable resources on the vaccine and health insurance coverage?

  • Use the NEW Community-Based Organizations COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit. Soon the communities you serve will have access to vaccines to help protect against COVID-19. CDC has designed a toolkit to help CBOs educate communities about this important new prevention tool. This toolkit is designed for staff of organizations serving communities affected by COVID-19.
  • Share COVID-19 Vaccine information and Resources with the communities that you serve. Here’s some messaging to share with your communities through newsletters, e-mail listserv announcements or other channels:
    • You can receive the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost. People without health insurance or whose insurance does not provide coverage of the vaccine can also get the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost.
    • State governments are handling the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Look for updates from your state and local officials as more doses of the vaccine become available for additional priority groups.
  • Link community members to information on how to obtain health insurance or use their existing coverage:
    • Consumers can take advantage of a special enrollment period (SEP) for individuals and families to apply and enroll in the coverage they need starting February 15, 2021 through May 15, 2021. This SEP will be available to consumers in the 36 states served by Marketplaces that use HealthCare.gov. Read the press release here.
    • Those in states with State Based Exchanges should check their state’s exchange website to find out specific enrollment options for their state. Go to Healthcare.gov to find out more information or be directed to your state’s exchange.
    • See if you qualify for Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program or check on your health benefits if you already have coverage.
    • The From Coverage to Care initiative, has resources such as the Roadmap to Better Care to help consumers understand their health coverage and connect to primary care and the preventive services that are right for them.
  • Continue to promote safe practices and vaccine safety and encourage your community members to get the vaccine once it becomes available to them:
  • Remind them to continue practicing the 3Ws (Wear a mask, Watch your distance, Wash your hands).
  • Visit the CDC Things to Know page for additional information on the COVID-19 vaccine, which is also available in multiple languages.

Questions? Please e-mail us: Partnership@cms.hhs.gov

Federal Office of Rural Health Policy Announcements

February 18, 2021

CDC National Forum on COVID-19 Vaccine – February 22-24, 2021. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will hold a virtual event over three days to promote the most effective strategies for building confidence and increasing access to the vaccine nationwide. Community health stakeholders including pharmacies, labor associations, faith-based organizations, and academic institutions are encouraged to attend and hear from leaders at every level of government and across sectors.

Extended Public Comment Period for FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continues to seek public comment on the metrics that should be used to evaluate applications for Round 2 of the COVID-19 Telehealth Program and how the FCC should treat applications filed during initial funding rounds. In January 2021, the FCC announced an additional $250 million for the program that was established in April 2020 and set a deadline of January 19 for comments. That deadline has been lifted and the FCC will continue to accept comments at any time. 

CDC: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Pandemic-Related Stress.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that Hispanic adults reported a higher prevalence of symptoms of depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Estimates of self-reported suicidal thoughts/ideation among Hispanic persons (22.9%) were four times those among non-Hispanic Black (Black) persons (5.2%) and White persons (5.3%) and approximately twice those of multiracial and non-Hispanic persons of other races/ethnicities (8.9%).

CDC: Trends in Drug and Synthetic Opioid Overdose Deaths. In the February 12, 2021, issue of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report an increase in overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, cocaine, and psychostimulants. During the period studied, 2013 – 2019, synthetic opioid deaths largely consisted of illicitly manufactured fentanyl. In 2019, a total of 70,630 drug overdose deaths occurred, an increase of 4.3 percent over deaths in 2018.

Report: Emergency Medical Services Personnel (EMS) as Vaccinators. The National Association of State EMS Officials reports on state-level policy that allows paramedics and other first-responders to administer vaccines.

NGA: Supporting a Trained Direct Care Workforce During and After the Pandemic. The National Governor’s Association (NGA) reports on waivers issued by states and by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to address staffing challenges during the public health emergency. The NGA explains these, including temporary adjustments to training requirements, and presents strategies for retaining this workforce when the waivers expire.

MACPAC: Medicaid’s Role in Health Care for AI/AN. The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) is a nonpartisan agency in the legislative branch that analyzes policy and makes recommendations to federal and state-level policymakers. In this report, MACPAC provides an overview of the federal government’s role in providing health care to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN), including the structure of the Indian Health Service and the special Medicaid rules and protections that apply to AI/AN beneficiaries and Indian health providers.

Webinar: Telehealth Essentials for FQHCs and RHCs

Date: February 19, 2021

Time: 1:00 PM CT

REGISTER HERE

Session Description: While telehealth has been around for decades, most Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) are relatively new to the telehealth table thanks to changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s do a pulse check on the status of telehealth today, explore additional opportunities to super charge remote service delivery, and take a peek in to the future of telehealth for FQHCs and RHCs.

Learning Objectives
1. List three new ideas to leverage remote health care service delivery
2. Know the key changes that need to happen to ensure telehealth sustainability
3. Harvest what others are doing to hardwire telehealth