Lance's Corner

HRSA Highlights National Rural Health Day

Nov 21, 2024

Per the notice below, the United States Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is highlighting National Rural Health Day.

HRSA banner image

HRSA Celebrates National Rural Health Day

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration

HRSA hosts an Enhancing Maternal Health Convening in Centreville, Alabama, reaffirming its commitment to expanding maternal health care access in rural America

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), marks National Rural Health Day by celebrating health care leaders who are improving maternal care in rural communities.  National Rural Health Day is an opportunity to recognize the dedication of rural health providers, community organizations, and state offices of rural health in meeting the unique health care needs of rural America.  HRSA highlighted this year’s focus on maternal health by holding HRSA’s latest Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative convening today in Centreville, Alabama.  This convening brought together women and families from rural communities who are served by HRSA programs, grant recipients, state and local health officials, community organizations, and health care providers from across the state to continue to work together to address maternal mortality and provide critical supports to help ensure the health and well-being of families in Alabama.  The event is part of HRSA’s Enhancing Maternal Health Initiative, which focuses on building and strengthening partnerships to maximize the impact of HRSA grants and expand access to maternal care across the country.

“At the Health Resources and Services Administration, we have made the needs of rural communities a priority, especially for pregnant and new moms,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson.  “Through HRSA’s investments, we have trained more maternal care providers in rural areas, recruited more maternal health providers to rural communities, expanded supports for pregnant and new moms in rural areas, and improved health care services working with rural hospitals and clinics.  We remain committed to supporting the health care needs of rural America.”

HRSA is the home of many programs that provide essential support for expectant and new mothers in rural communities.  Key actions HRSA has taken this year to improve maternal health in rural communities include:

  • Growing the maternal care workforce.  HRSA has increased the number of obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs), nurses, midwives, doulas, and community health workers, through training grants, scholarships, and loan repayment.  For example, HRSA launched new programs to train more nurse midwives, train and deploy more community-based doulas, and support the training of more nurse practitioners with a focus on maternal health, including in underserved and rural areas.
  • Improving access to care.  HRSA funds community health centers across rural America that serve patients regardless of ability to pay and may be the only outpatient maternal care provider located in the rural communities they serve.
  • Strengthening rural maternal health care networks.  HRSA launched the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (Rural MOMS) Program to increase access to maternal and obstetrics care in rural communities and improve health outcomes for mothers and infants.
  • Investing in the Delta Region.  HRSA’s Delta Region Maternal Care Coordination Program is supporting community-based organizations to expand access to and coordinate health care services in rural communities in the South, supporting care before, during, and after pregnancy.
  • Launching the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (833-TLC-MAMA) in 2022.  The hotline provides 24/7 emotional and mental health support via call or text to expectant and new mothers and their families.
  • Expanding evidence-based Home Visiting services.  HRSA secured legislation to double the federal investment in and expand voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services for eligible families across the country.  Through the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, local organizations can provide home visits from nurses, social workers, and other trained health workers who work with families to improve maternal and child health, child development, and school readiness.
  • Expanding Healthy Start services.  HRSA is supporting community-based organizations to improve maternal and infant health across the country through Healthy Start.  Healthy Start funding supports moms and babies to improve health in communities experiencing high disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes.

To learn more about HRSA's rural health resources, visit:

USDOL Issues Comprehensive Employer Guidance on Long COVID

The United States Department of Labor (USDOL) has issued a comprehensive set of resources that can be accessed below for employers on dealing with Long COVID.

Supporting Employees with Long COVID: A Guide for Employers

The “Supporting Employees with Long COVID” guide from the USDOL-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) and Job Accommodation Network (JAN) addresses the basics of Long COVID, including its intersection with mental health, and common workplace supports for different symptoms.  It also explores employers’ responsibilities to provide reasonable accommodations and answers frequently asked questions about Long COVID and employment, including inquiries related to telework and leave.

Download the guide

Accommodation and Compliance: Long COVID

The Long COVID Accommodation and Compliance webpage from the USDOL-funded Job Accommodation Network (JAN) helps employers and employees understand strategies for supporting workers with Long COVID.  Topics include Long COVID in the context of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), specific accommodation ideas based on limitations or work-related functions, common situations and solutions, and questions to consider when identifying effective accommodations for employees with Long COVID.  Find this and other Long COVID resources from JAN, below:

Long COVID, Disability and Underserved Communities: Recommendations for Employers

The research-to-practice brief “Long COVID, Disability and Underserved Communities” synthesizes an extensive review of documents, literature and data sources, conducted by the USDOL-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) on the impact of Long COVID on employment, with a focus on demographic differences.  It also outlines recommended actions organizations can take to create a supportive and inclusive workplace culture for people with Long COVID, especially those with disabilities who belong to other historically underserved groups.

Read the brief

Long COVID and Disability Accommodations in the Workplace

The policy brief “Long COVID and Disability Accommodations in the Workplace” explores Long COVID’s impact on the workforce and provides examples of policy actions different states are taking to help affected people remain at work or return when ready.  It was developed by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) as part of its involvement in USDOL’s State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED) initiative.

Download the policy brief

Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID

The report “Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID” summarizes key themes and takeaways from an ePolicyWorks national online dialogue through which members of the public were invited to share their experiences and insights regarding workplace challenges posed by Long COVID.  The dialogue took place during summer 2022 and was hosted by USDOL and its agencies in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Surgeon General.

Download the report

Working with Long COVID

The USDOL-published “Working with Long COVID” fact sheet shares strategies for supporting workers with Long COVID, including accommodations for common symptoms and resources for further guidance and assistance with specific situations.

Download the fact sheet

COVID-19: Long-Term Symptoms

This USDOL motion graphic informs workers with Long COVID that they may be entitled to temporary or long-term supports to help them stay on the job or return to work when ready, and shares where they can find related assistance.

Watch the motion graphic

A Personal Story of Long COVID and Disability Disclosure

In the podcast “A Personal Story of Long COVID and Disability Disclosure,” Pam Bingham, senior program manager for Intuit’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Tech team, shares her personal experience of navigating Long COVID symptoms at work.  The segment was produced by the USDOL-funded Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT) as part of its ongoing “Future of Work” podcast series.

Listen to the podcast

HHS OIG Issues Annual Report on State MFCUs

Per the notice below, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued its annual report on the performance of state Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs).

Medicaid Fraud Control Units Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report (OEI-09-24-00200) 

Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs) investigate and prosecute Medicaid provider fraud and patient abuse or neglect. OIG is the Federal agency that oversees and annually approves federal funding for MFCUs through a recertification process. This new report analyzed the statistical data on annual case outcomes—such as convictions, civil settlements and judgments, and recoveries—that the 53 MFCUs submitted for Fiscal Year 2023.  New York data is as follows:

Outcomes

  • Investigations1 - 556
  • Indicted/Charged - 9
  • Convictions - 8
  • Civil Settlements/Judgments - 28
  • Recoveries2 - $73,204,518

Resources

  • MFCU Expenditures3 - $55,964,293
  • Staff on Board4 - 257

1Investigations are defined as the total number of open investigations at the end of the fiscal year.

2Recoveries are defined as the amount of money that defendants are required to pay as a result of a settlement, judgment, or prefiling settlement in criminal and civil cases and may not reflect actual collections.  Recoveries may involve cases that include participation by other Federal and State agencies.

3MFCU and Medicaid Expenditures include both State and Federal expenditures.

4Staff on Board is defined as the total number of staff employed by the Unit at the end of the fiscal year.

Read the Full Report

View the Statistical Chart

Engage with the Interactive Map

GAO Issues Report on Medicaid Managed Care Service Denials and Appeal Outcomes

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes.  GAO found that federal oversight is limited because it doesn't require states to report on Medicaid managed care service denials or appeal outcomes and there has not been much progress on plans to analyze and make the data publicly available.  To read the GAO report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes, use the first link below.  To read GAO highlights of the report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes, use the second link below.
https://www.gao.gov/assets/d24106627.pdf  (GAO report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes)
https://www.gao.gov/assets/d24106627_high.pdf  (GAO highlights on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes)

CMS Issues Latest Medicare Regulatory Activities Update

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its latest update on its regulatory activities in the Medicare program.  While dentistry is only minimally connected to the Medicare program, Medicare drives the majority of health care policies and insurance reimbursement policies throughout the country.  Therefore, it always pays to keep a close eye on what CMS is doing in Medicare.  To read the latest CMS update on its regulatory activities in Medicare, use the link below.
https://www.cms.gov/training-education/medicare-learning-network/newsletter/2024-03-14-mlnc