Update on Recent Funding from HRSA

A new application cycle for $25.5 billion in COVID-19 provider funding has opened. Applicants are able to apply for both Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Phase 4 and American Rescue Plan (ARP) Rural payments during the application process. PRF Phase 4 is open to a broad range of providers with changes in operating revenues and expenses. ARP Rural is open to providers who serve rural beneficiaries covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

See a detailed list of eligible provider types and application instructions here.

Applications must be received by October 26, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Providers who have previously created an account in the Provider Relief Fund Application and Attestation Portal and have not logged in for more than 90 days will need to first reset their password before starting a new application. In order to streamline the application process and minimize administrative burdens, providers will apply for both programs in a single application.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded nearly $1 billion in American Rescue Plan funding to nearly 1,300 Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program-funded health centers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories to support major health care construction and renovation projects. These awards will strengthen the primary health care infrastructure and advance health equity and health outcomes in medically underserved communities, including through projects that support COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccination.  Health centers will use this funding for COVID-19-related capital needs, constructing new facilities, renovating and expanding existing facilities to enhance response to pandemics, and purchasing new state-of-the-art equipment, including telehealth technology, mobile medical vans, and freezers to store vaccines.   

FY 2021 American Rescue Plan Funding for Health Center Construction and Capital Improvements award recipients in Region 7 can be found here.

Recent awards of over $5 Million to Expand Services at HRSA’s Health Center Program School-Based Service Sites can be found here. Recent awards of over $48 Million to Health Centers for Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. Initiative can be found here.

Finally, on September 17, 2021 HRSA announced nearly $350 million in awards to every state across the nation to support safe pregnancies and healthy babies. Funding will expand home visiting services to families most in need, increase access to doulas, address health disparities in infant deaths, and improve data reporting on maternal mortality. 

FY2021 awards to strengthen maternal and child health in Region 7 can be found here:

The HRSA Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (IEA) team remains committed to supporting your COVID-19 response efforts.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to HRSA with questions, concerns, or requests for support and engagement.

NOFO Announcement: Graduate Psychology Education Program

New Funding Opportunity Available!

Graduate Psychology Education Program: HRSA-22-043

The application deadline is December 9, 2021

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released this new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcement to train doctoral health service psychology students, interns, and post-doctoral residents to provide quality interdisciplinary, integrated behavioral health including but not limited to Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and other Substance Use Disorders (SUD) into community-based primary care settings in high need and high demand areas. The Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) Program also supports faculty development of health service psychologists.

Through these efforts, the GPE Program transforms clinical training environments and is aligned with HRSA’s mission to improve health and achieve health equity through access to quality services, a skilled workforce, and innovative programs.

Up to 55 grantees will receive a total of approximately $25 million to increase the number of trained doctoral health service psychology students, interns, and post-doctoral residents providing quality interdisciplinary, integrated behavioral health for placement into community-based primary care settings.

Visit Grants.gov to apply.

Have questions?

Join the technical assistance webinar:

Date: October 12, 2021 Time: 2:30 – 4:00 PM ET

This webinar will provide information about the NOFO application and requirements.

For dial-in only:

  • Phone Number: 833 568 8864
  • Meeting ID: 160 071 4471
  • Passcode: 56583375

3RNET Academy: Free 6-Part Retention and Regeneration Webinar Series

Registration is open for the 2021 3RNET Learning Academy “Retention and Regeneration: Enhancing your Recruitment for Retention Process from the Ground Up.”  This is a new 6-part webinar learning opportunity that is available to you at no charge.  Enjoy anytime/anywhere access to materials and recorded sessions.  See the Academy web-site for additional details and to register.   

The Missouri Primary Care Association hopes you take advantage of this free opportunity.  To waive the $500 fee, be sure to use the coupon code: MO3RNet21 during checkout

Apply for HHS Provider Relief Funding Phase 4

HHS PRF Tranche 4 Important Funding Opportunity for EMS Providers

Don’t miss out! September 29, 2021, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will open the Provider Relief Fund & Attestation Application Portal which provides an important funding opportunity for EMS providers.

Apply Now

Speaker: Scott Moore, Esq.

This funding opportunity will distribute $25.5 billion in additional Phase 4 General Distribution for EMS agencies and American Rescue Plan (ARP) payments for qualified rural providers who furnish services to Medicaid/CHIP and Medicare beneficiaries. It is critical for all EMS providers to apply for this funding opportunity regardless of previous funding allocations. It has been learned that many EMS providers did not apply for the Tranche 3 funding opportunity because they did not believe that they would be eligible to receive funds under the announced funding formula. Due to the limited number of applicants in Tranche 3, HRSA modified the formula and many who failed to apply would have received funds. HRSA is recommending that all EMS agencies apply to receive the funding that they desperately need. The deadline for applying is 11:59 p.m. on October 26, 2021. There is no penalty for applying.

 

Phase 4 Application webcast by HRSA

Here is information on a webcast September 30 and October 5 being presented by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on application guidance for Phase 4 and ARP Relief Funds.  

Phase 4 and ARP Rural Technical Assistance Webcasts

HRSA will be hosting webinar sessions for Phase 4 and ARP Rural applicants, featuring guidance on how to navigate the application portal.

  • Thursday, September 30, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ETT – register to attend 
  • Tuesday, October 5, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET – register to attend
  • Two additional webinars during the weeks of October 11th and 18th (dates, times, and registration details forthcoming)

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently hosted a briefing session to provide information about these upcoming funding opportunities – view the video.

Rural Health Information Hub: Mark Your Calendars! Upcoming FORHP Webinar

As you may be aware, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is set to make $52 million from the American Rescue Plan available to train healthcare workers to fill a range of in-demand professions affected by the pandemic. HHS is currently finalizing the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for this program but wanted to provide our general vision for the program to any interested stakeholders.

This program will support rural health networks to focus on training and placing workers in a number of high-need public health workforce tracks to serve rural communities.

Mark your calendars for a background briefing on this program with Tom Morris on Wednesday, September 29th at 3:00pm EDT. You can register for the meeting here. You will receive a Zoom link once you successfully register through the Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub). Please have all attendees register separately. If your stakeholders might have an interest in learning more about this program, please pass along the webinar details to them. Because the application response period can vary greatly, there may not be adequate time for those who may want to apply to develop the relationships and commitments that will be necessary. Thus, the goal with this call is to help those with an interest in the program better understand the intent so they can start thinking about potential network members and other considerations in advance of the release of the program NOFO in November.

09-29-2021 FORHP Webinar Flyer.

Webinar: Applying for Phase 4 of the Provider Relief Fund and the ARP Rural Distribution

Date: September 30, 2021

Time: 11:00AM EST

Join the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) on Thursday, September 30th for the next webinar – “Applying for Phase 4 of the Provider Relief Fund and the ARP Rural Distribution.” The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recently released details on the long-awaited $8.5 billion for rural providers as well as the 4th phase of the Provider Relief Fund. Applications will open on September 29th for both programs, and NARHC is ready to assist you in understanding your eligibility, the application, allowable uses, and many more details.

You must register in advance.

Speakers:

  • Nathan Baugh, became the Director of Government Affairs for the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) in April of 2015. Nathan works on both regulatory and legislative policy at the federal level. He has been involved in issues such as the Chronic Care Management benefit, COVID-19 allocations for RHCs, and telehealth. He worked closely with the federal government on the RHC COVID-19 Testing program and with Congress on the RHC Payment Modernization policy that passed in late 2020.
  • Sarah Hohman, is the Deputy Director of Government Affairs for the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC). She works on both regulatory and legislative federal policy and provides direct technical assistance and education to RHCs on COVID-19 allocations and other programs. Sarah also advocates for reimbursement policies that incentivize and support rural primary care and other health services. Prior to joining NARHC, Sarah worked for the Pennsylvania State Office of Rural Health. She earned her BS in Health Policy and Administration from Penn State University & is currently working on her Masters. Sarah resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

This webinar is being provided free of charge. However, you must register in advance.

Register HERE.

When the webinar begins you will be connected to audio using your computer’s speakers.

To watch the recording of this and other webinars visit our TA Webinars page under the Resources tab on narhc.org.

If you have any questions about registering please email us at asst@narhc.org.

HRSA Office of Intergovernmental & External Affairs and New Telehealth Collaborative Opportunity

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Regional Operations is now the HRSA Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs (OIEA), as part of a reorganization effective August 25, 2021. HRSA IEA serves as the principal agency lead on intergovernmental and external affairs, regional operations, and tribal partnerships. This transition leverages both national and regional engagement to meet the needs of communities across the nation.

In addition to this news about the transition, HRSA wanted to call your attention to the Heartland Telehealth Resource Center’s new Telehealth Collaborative for FQHCs, Tribal Health Organizations, Rural Health Clinics and Rural Health Practices. Organizations must be located in Kansas, Missouri or Oklahoma. Organization staff will participate by attending Missouri Telehealth Network/ HTRC Telemedicine ECHO sessions (starting monthly on October 12) and learn from telehealth experts and alongside a cohort of organizations. ECHO topics include assessment, technology, billing, community engagement and more.

Organizations will also receive 2 hours of individualized technical assistance and a stipend to assist with costs related to implementation of your telehealth program. Please contact htrc@kumc.edu for additional information. Registration is limited to 15 organizations total, so sign up today!

BPHC Bulletin: CDC Guidance on COVID-19 Booster Shots

On September 23, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in certain populations:

  • People age 65 and older;
  • People at high-risk for severe COVID-19; and
  • People who work in a high-risk job.

Individuals in these groups who previously received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are eligible for a booster starting at least 6 months after their second shot. See the CDC statement.

This recommendation follows FDA’s authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be administered as a booster for certain populations. FDA’s authorization applies only to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, as does CDC’s recommendation.

The following resources are available to help health centers understand what this means and assess readiness:

The following upcoming opportunities can also help clinicians learn more:

  • What Clinicians Need to Know about the Latest CDC Recommendations for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Booster Vaccination: CDC’s Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Call will give clinicians an overview of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster vaccination.
  • COVID-19 Booster Readiness Webcast: HRSA and CDC will provide guidance for health centers on boosters for older adults and those at high risk of severe COVID-19. HRSA Chief of Staff Jordan Grossman will be introducing CDC speakers who will cover booster guidance, best practices to prepare for flu season, and vaccine co-administration.
  • Today with Macrae: Health Center Program Updates: The webcast will include a segment with Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., the director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, who will provide the latest guidance for health centers on COVID-19 vaccines and other updates on vaccine safety and efficacy.

CMS Will Pay for COVID-19 Booster Shots, Eligible Consumers Can Receive at No Cost

Coverage without cost-sharing available for eligible people with Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Most Commercial Health Insurance Coverage

Following the FDA’s recent action that authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for certain high-risk populations and a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will continue to provide coverage for this critical protection from the virus, including booster doses, without cost sharing.

Beneficiaries with Medicare pay nothing for COVID-19 vaccines or their administration, and there is no applicable copayment, coinsurance, or deductible. In addition, thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, nearly all Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries must receive coverage of COVID-19 vaccines and their administration, without cost-sharing. COVID-19 vaccines and their administration, including boosters, will also be covered without cost-sharing for eligible consumers of most issuers of health insurance in the commercial market. People can visit vaccines.gov (English) or vacunas.gov (Spanish) to search for vaccines nearby.

“The Biden-Harris Administration has made the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines accessible and free to people across the country. CMS is ensuring that cost is not a barrier to access, including for boosters,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “CMS will pay Medicare vaccine providers who administer approved COVID-19 boosters, enabling people to access these vaccines at no cost.”

CMS continues to explore ways to ensure maximum access to COVID-19 vaccinations. More information regarding the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Requirements and how the COVID-19 vaccine is provided through that program at no cost to recipients is available on the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Requirements and Support webpage and through the CMS COVID-19 Provider Toolkit.