Category: HRSA

Medicare Shared Savings Program Application Due Dates Released

March 21, 2025

Medicare Shared Savings Program Application Due Dates Released

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) that want to begin participating in the Medicare Shared Saving Program starting January 1, 2026, must apply between May 29 and June 12 at noon Eastern.

The Shared Savings Program is a voluntary program that encourages groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers to come together as an ACO to give coordinated, high-quality care to Medicare beneficiaries.

After submitting an application, new ACOs that serve rural areas may be eligible for Advanced Investment Payments, upfront funds to build infrastructure and address beneficiary needs.

Click Here to Learn More About Medicare Shared Saving Program

Click Here to Learn More about the Advanced Investment Payments

CMS Innovation Center Ending Four Models Early

March 21, 2025

CMS Innovation Center Ending Four Models Early

Last week the Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (also known as CMMI) announced they are terminating four models early to align with its statutory obligation and strategic goals.

Innovation Center Models are intended to be time-limited experiments to determine what approaches should be:

  • expanded nationwide,
  • what components need further testing, and
  • what approaches are not viable for expansion.

The models are ending early are:

Termination of the ETC model will be proposed through rulemaking. Subject to discussions with State authorities, Maryland will transition to the AHEAD model and begin its implementation period in January 2026.

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CMS Proposes Updates to ACA Marketplace Rules, Comment by April 11

March 21, 2025

CMS Proposes Updates to ACA Marketplace Rules, Comment by April 11

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released for public inspection the Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule, which proposes additional safeguards meant to protect consumers from improper enrollments and changes to their health care coverage, as well as to establish standards that aim to ensure the integrity of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplaces. It was formally published on Wednesday, March 19, with comments due April 11.

Click Here to Read More and Comment

Application Deadline Extended: HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals, Now Apply by April 1

March 21, 2025

Application Deadline Extended: HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program for Paraprofessionals, Now Apply by April 1

The purpose of the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Paraprofessionals, HRSA-25-066 is to develop and expand community-based experiential training such as field placements and internships to increase the skills, knowledge and capacity of students preparing to become mental health workers, peer support specialists, and other behavioral health paraprofessionals.

The funding will go to community-based organizations, including Rural Health Clinics, for training that prepares students to become mental health workers, peer support specialists, and other behavioral health-related paraprofessionals.

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) Bureau of Health Workforce will award approximately $10.9 million to up to 29 awardees over a period of four years.

The original deadline of March 18 has been extended to April 1.

Click Here to Learn More

CDC Updates Urban-Rural Classification for Counties

March 21, 2025

CDC Updates Urban-Rural Classification for Counties

Last week, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the new NCHS Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties.

For this update, the NCHS used delineations of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas from the Office of Management and Budget as well as estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau to classify counties and county equivalents into six categories – four metropolitan and two nonmetropolitan.

This scheme allows researchers, policy makers, and others to study the health of U.S. residents according to how urban or rural their county is.

Click Here to Learn More

Click Here to Read More about how FORHP uses several federal data sources to define for rural for programs.

HRSA Recognizes National Nutrition Month

March 18, 2025

HRSA Recognizes National Nutrition Month

Poor nutrition can increase your risk of oral health problems. Food and drinks high in sugar may cause tooth decay and cavities, while missing key nutrients can lead to problems with your teeth, gums, or other parts of the mouth.

This National Nutrition Month, take steps to protect your oral and overall health by choosing nutrient-rich foods. Visit HRSA’s oral health and nutrition webpage for resources.

HRSA Celebrates National Poison Prevention Week

March 18, 2025

HRSA Celebrates National Poison Prevention Week

Join the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in raising awareness of National Poison Prevention Week (NPPW), March 16-22.

NPPW is recognized annually to raise awareness of poison prevention nationwide. Poison control centers manage more than two million calls each year through the Poison Help Line. Callers usually get the help they need over the phone and do not have to go to a doctor or the hospital.

The “What You Can Do” webpage is an important resource for anyone who suspects someone has been exposed to a poisonous substance.

Visit HRSA’s Poison Control Program’s website for more information on how to prevent and respond to a poison emergency and for materials to promote NPPW.

Click Here to go to “What Can You Do” webpage

Click Here to go to HRSA’s Poison Control Program’s website

Rural Clinical Integrated Networks

March 13, 2025

Rural Clinical Integrated Networks

The team at Rural Health Value released a new resource, Introduction to Rural Clinically Integrated Networks (CINs):

  • that defines CINs,
  • describes common CIN characteristics, and
  • explores the unique value-based care advantages a rural CIN may bring to its members.

The conclusion of the brief is that a collaboration of independent rural health care organizations, incorporated as a CIN, can achieve the scale and develop the infrastructure necessary to successfully participate in value-based care and payment opportunities. The Rural Health Value team is funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.

Click Here to Read More

CMS Rescinds Medicaid Guidance on Health-Related Social Needs

March 13, 2025

CMS Rescinds Medicaid Guidance on Health-Related Social Needs

Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced rescission of previous guidance for Center Information Bulletins (CIBs) related to services and supports addressing health-related social needs (HRSN) for Medicaid and state Children Health Insurance Programs (CHIPs). The rescinded guidance includes:

Rescinding this guidance does not negate programs that are currently approved. Rather, it informs States and the public that CMS will review applications to cover HRSN services on a case-by-case basis.

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CMS Reminds Hospitals about Price Transparency and Enforcement

March 13, 2025

CMS Reminds Hospitals about Price Transparency and Enforcement

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) alerted hospitals that the agency is planning a more systematic monitoring approach to non-compliance with the Hospital Price Transparency requirements.  Consistent with current policies, non-compliance will be addressed with swift enforcement.

CMS posted a list of enforcement actions to date as well as a Hospital Price Transparency Enforcement Activities and Outcomes dataset with information related to enforcement actions taken by CMS.

All hospitals,  are required to post their standard charges prominently on a publicly available website. This includes Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Emergency Hospitals, and hospital-based departments, which may include some Rural Health Clinics.

Click Here to Learn More

Click Here to See Hospital Price Transparency Requirements

Click Here to See List of Enforcement Actions to Date

Click Here to See Hospital Price Transparency Enforcement Activities and Outcomes dataset