Lance's Corner

HRSA Issues Regulatory Update

Mar 6, 2025

The United States Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has issued an update on its regulatory activities.  You can read the complete HRSA regulatory update, with links to additional resources, below.

March 6, 2025

HRSA Rural Communities Opioid Response Program

HRSA Administrator Tom Engels spoke at a convening in Washington D.C. that included over 650 participants of HRSA’s Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP).  The three-day event was an opportunity for RCORP grantees to engage, collaborate, and share lessons learned with peers, federal officials, and partners to expand treatment, prevention and recovery efforts for rural Americans affected by opioid and substance use disorders, including from fentanyl.

HRSA Participates in Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee

HRSA Administrator Tom Engels participated in the February 25-26 Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee meeting in Washington, DC.  During this first meeting between Tribal delegates and HHS principals from the new Administration, Administrator Engels engaged with Tribal leaders to listen to their priorities and recommendations.  He also shared updates about HRSA programs, including the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline and the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program.  He also invited Tribal leaders to connect with regional staff in HRSA’s Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs who offer valuable technical assistance and support to Tribes.  The two-day meeting concluded with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. highlighting the Administration’s vision to Make America Healthy Again.

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Monday, March 10 is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, an opportunity to highlight the importance of HIV prevention, testing, care, and treatment.  This year’s theme, “Hope, Health, and Healing: Overcoming Barriers to HIV/AIDS Treatment for Women and Girls,” reflects HRSA’s commitment to ensuring that all women and girls affected by HIV have access to care.  The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides health care services and medications to over half a million people with HIV each year, including thousands of women who rely on the program to help manage their HIV as a chronic disease.  In 2023, nearly 91 percent of women receiving medical care through the program reached viral suppression, allowing them to live longer, healthier lives while effectively preventing HIV transmission.

HRSA Celebrates National Poison Prevention Week

Join the Maternal and Child Health Bureau 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.  Visit HRSA’s Poison Control Program’s website for more information and resources on how to prevent and respond to a poison emergency.

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.
 
 

March

  • National Nutrition Month
  • National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
  • National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (10)
  • National Poison Prevention Week (16-22)
  • National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (17-23)
  • National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (20)

Funding Opportunities

 
View All Funding Opportunities
 

 

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