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February 29, 2024
What's New
New Financing Details on the AHEAD Model from CMS. In this document, the Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) describes the financial methodology and operational payment features for calculating hospital and critical access hospital payments in their latest state-based model for controlling the cost of health care. The States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development Model – also known as the AHEAD Model – will feature hospital global budgets, whereby CMS provides a fixed annual payment for Medicare inpatient and outpatient services rather than payment for each service provided. The deadline for states to apply for Cohorts 1 and 2 is March 18. Watch an hour-long recording of a February 14 webinar for a high-level overview of this methodology. CMS also provides a transcript and slides from the presentation.
Webinar Series on Rural Maternal Health Begins March 12. Registration is now open for a four-part webinar series presented by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP), in collaboration with the Rural Health Information Hub. Focused on the needs of rural facilities with and without birth units, the series will explain aspects of the new Birthing-Friendly Hospital Designation from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Get Ready for the USDA Rural eConnectivity Program – Apply by April 22. The Rural Utilities Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin accepting applications on March 22. The program provides loans and grants for construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed for broadband service. Funding for qualified applicants, including Federally Recognized Tribes, varies depending on the percentage of households lacking sufficient access to broadband in a Proposed Funded Service Area.
How to Share Your Perspective on Federal Government Forms. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) created this guide to help the public better understand how to share their perspective on Federal forms under review by OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
Ongoing: Updates to Requirements for Buprenorphine Prescribing. As announced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in January 2023, clinicians no longer need a federal waiver to prescribe buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder. Clinicians are still required to register with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to prescribe controlled medications. On June 27, 2023, the DEA began to require that registration applicants – both new and renewing – affirm they have completed a new, one-time, eight-hour training. Exceptions for the new training requirement are practitioners who are board certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry, and those who graduated from a medical, dental, physician assistant, or advanced practice nursing school in the U.S. within five years of June 27, 2023. Watch this 11-minute video that explains the changes. Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) still have the opportunity to apply for a $3,000 payment on behalf of each provider who trained between January 1, 2019 and December 29, 2022 (when Congress eliminated the waiver requirement). Approximately $889,000 in program funding remains available for RHCs and will be paid on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. Send questions to DATA2000WaiverPayments@hrsa.gov.
COVID-19 Resources
**New: CDC’s COVIDVaxView Dashboard. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to share weekly COVID-19 vaccination data using a variety of data sources. A new resource, COVIDVaxView Interactive, goes deeper with a look at variations in vaccine confidence by demographics and geography.
Provider Relief Fund Reporting Period 6. The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Portal opened January 1 and will remain open until March 31, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Providers who received one or more PRF (General or Targeted) and/or American Rescue Plan Rural payments exceeding $10,000, in the aggregate, from July 1 to December 31, 2022 must report on their use of funds during Reporting Period 6 to comply with PRF Reporting Requirements. More information and resources can be found on the PRF Reporting webpage.
Learn About Long COVID & Fatiguing Illness – Thursday, March 14 at 3:00 pm Eastern. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fund this monthly webinar-style ECHO learning session to rapidly disseminate findings about Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). The series offers presentations by subject matter experts, examples of emerging best practices and models of care, and a facilitated Q&A. This program is intended primarily for providers who care for patients with PCC and ME/CFS but is open to all healthcare professionals and all Long COVID and ME/CFS patient-lived experience experts interested in learning more about the treatment of Long COVID and ME/CFS.
COVID-19 Home Tests Available. Every home in the U.S. is again eligible to receive four (4) free at-home tests ordered at www.covid.gov. Delivery is free through the U.S. Postal Service.
Home Test to Treat is a new program funded by the National Institutes of Health focused on providing COVID-19 care and treatment for adults who are at greater risk of being affected by COVID-19. Adults who do not currently have COVID-19 or flu may enroll and receive free tests if they are uninsured or are enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Affairs health care system, or the Indian Health Services. Individuals who are currently positive for COVID-19 can enroll to receive telehealth services for COVID-19 and treatment (if prescribed) at no cost. Enrollees may also be invited to participate in a completely optional research component of the program. Informational flyers are available in English and Spanish.
Mobilizing Health Care Workforce via Telehealth. ProviderBridge.org was created through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act by the Federation of State Medical Boards and HRSA’s Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. The site provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing by state as well as a provider portal to connect volunteer health care professionals to state agencies and health care entities.
Online Resource for Licensure of Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Psychologists, and Social Workers. The site provides up-to-date information on emergency regulation and licensing in each state.
Funding and Opportunities
DOJ Sexual Assault Services – Culturally Specific Grant Program – April 4. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) provides grants to establish, maintain, and expand sustainable, culturally appropriate services that address the unique needs and challenges from culturally specific communities. Proposed activities must extend beyond intimate partner violence and include a broad range of survivors, including children and youth, adults abused as children, and adults assaulted by those other than an intimate partner.
SAMHSA Provider’s Clinical Support System – Universities – April 15. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides funding for graduate-level studies with a focus on treating and prescribing medications for opioid use disorder. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving Institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving Institutions are encouraged to apply.
Department of Treasury Capital Magnet Fund for Affordable Housing – April 16. The federal government provides grants to finance affordable housing and other development projects in low-income communities and rural areas. Applicants must be either a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) or a nonprofit organization with a principal purpose of developing or managing affordable housing solutions. The CDFIs in turn provide affordable credit, capital, and financial services. Last year, the Treasury Department awarded 52 organizations with Capital Magnet funds, with half planning to invest a portion of their award dollars in rural areas.
DOJ Adult Treatment Court Site-Based Program – May 2. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) makes rural communities a program priority for grants and technical assistance for adult drug courts, which includes service coordination, management of treatment court participants, fidelity to the model, and recovery support services.
USDA Local Food Promotion Program – May 14. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects to make 150 grants with a total investment of $10.5 million for projects that increase access to locally produced food.
National Indian Health Board Tribal Environmental Justice Technical Assistance Center – Ongoing. The national nonprofit will provide technical assistance for environmental health and climate justice projects in tribal communities. Services include identifying funds with tribal eligibility, navigating federal grant application systems, and grant writing support.
Rural Health Research
Research in this section is provided by the HRSA/FORHP-supported Rural Health Research Gateway. Sign up to receive alerts when new publications become available.
Examining the Burden of Public Stigma Associated with Mental Illness – Tuesday, March 12 at 1:00 pm Eastern. Researchers of this study used a nationally representative survey to find differences in stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs in rural versus non-rural communities. During this session, speakers will introduce their latest study exploring rural suicide mortality rates.
Policy Updates
Send questions to ruralpolicy@hrsa.gov.
Final Rule on Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) Payments. Effective April 24, 2024. This final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) addresses legislative changes governing the hospital-specific limit on Medicaid DSH payments. Federal law requires that state Medicaid programs make payments to qualifying hospitals that serve a large number of Medicaid beneficiaries and uninsured individuals, also known as Disproportionate Share Hospitals. Acute care, Critical Access, rehabilitation, and psychiatric hospitals may qualify to receive Medicaid DSH payments. States generally have flexibility regarding the specific hospitals to which they make payments and how they determine the amount of those payments; however, federal law limits the amount that a state can make to any single hospital, or the hospital-specific limit. This rule provides details and clarity on how the limit to hospital Medicaid DSH payments will be calculated under the recent legislative changes in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. Safety-net hospitals serving the highest percentage of low-income patients will be exempt from these changes, and the rule specifies how those hospitals will be identified.
CMS Rural Health Open Door Forum – Thursday, February 29 at 2:00 pm Eastern. The Rural Health Open Door Forum addresses Rural Health Clinic, Critical Access Hospital, and Federally Qualified Health Center issues as well other topics relevant to rural providers. Agenda coming soon.
Information Session on CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule – Tuesday, March 26 at 1:00 pm Eastern. In January, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) a final rule to enhance access to health information and streamline prior authorization processes for medical items and services. CMS’s Office of Burden Reduction & Health Informatics is hosting an online session to educate patients, providers, and administrative, health IT, and government affairs professionals about the provisions in final rule and how it builds on current CMS interoperability policies. Questions can be submitted beforehand via the registration form. If you register and receive a message that the event is full, you will receive an email after the event with a link to both a recording and transcript of the presentation. The use of various electronic exchange methods among hospitals and physicians has increased in recent years, but use among small and rural hospitals is lower than that of other hospitals. Please reach out to CMSInteroperability@cms.hhs.gov with questions.
Learning Events and Technical Assistance
CDC Clinician Outreach Call: Overdoses Involving Xylazine Mixed with Fentanyl – Thursday, February 29 at 2:00 pm Eastern. Experts will discuss the epidemiology of overdoses involving xylazine, a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer, mixed with fentanyl. During this regularly scheduled call for clinicians held by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), presenters will also outline potential harm reduction activities.
3RNET’s Free Training for Employers – Tuesday, March 12 at 2:00 pm Eastern. Formerly known as the National Rural Recruitment & Retention Network, 3RNET is holding a live training session explaining how to post jobs and find job seekers on its site.
AgriSafe: Mental Health and Suicide on US Farms: Muckville Movie Viewing and Conversation – Thursday, March 14 at 2:00 pm Eastern. The 20-minute documentary will be followed by a live question and answer session with the director and the people featured in the film.
Resource of the Week
RHIhub: Applying for Grants to Support Rural Health Projects. This recently updated topic guide from the Rural Health Information Hub (RHIhub) provides information and resources for finding grant funding and developing proposals.
Approaching Deadlines
ARC Appalachia READY Local Governments Training – February 29
Become a Host Site for the CDC Public Health Associate Program – February 29
CMS Seeking Public Input on Updates to Medicare Advantage and Part D Prescription Drug Coverage – Comment by March 1
Institute Museum/Library Sciences Native American Library Services Basic Grants – March 1
AHRQ Seeks Public Input on Severe Maternal Morbidity Measurement – Comment by March 4
CMS Seeks Public Input on Medicare Interoperability Reporting – Comment by March 7
HRSA Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program – March 7
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholarships – March 7
NOSORH Rural Health Capital Resources Master Class – March 13
NIH/NIMH Health Disparities Research Institute – March 14
USDA Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants – March 14
COMPASS Initiative SPARK! Grants for HIV/AIDS in Southern States – March 15
FTA Seeks Proposals for Mobility, Access, and Transportation Insecurity (MATI) Program – Express interest by March 15
HRSA Physician Assistant Rural Training in Behavioral Health – March 15
USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Technical Assistance Grant – March 15
CMS Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model – March 18
SAMHSA Rural Emergency Medical Services Training – March 20
NIHB/CDC Strengthening Tribal Public Health Systems – March 21
Department of Commerce Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program – March 22
HRSA Behavioral Health Integration Evidence Based Telehealth Network Program – March 22
NIH National Institute of Nursing Research Bridge-to-Care Initiative/Community Partnerships to Address SDOH – March 22
DOJ Office on Violence Against Women – Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations – March 26
CMS Changing Policy for Research Data Access – Comment by March 29
CMS Accepting Applications for New Physician Residency Slots – March 31
HRSA Provider Relief Reporting Period 6 – March 31
USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) – March 31
CDC Strengthening Public Health Systems Through National Partnerships – April 1
SAMHSA Grants to Expand SUD Capacity in Treatment Drug Courts – April 1
USDA Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program – April 1
HRSA Advanced Nursing Education – Sexual Assault Examiners Program – April 2
HRSA State Maternal Health Innovation – April 2
RWJF Healthy Eating Research for Children and Adolescents – Letters of Intent April 3
DOJ Sexual Assault Services – Culturally Specific Grant Program – April 4
HRSA Licensure Portability Grant Program – April 8
DOJ Office on Violence Against Women – Rural Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program – April 12
SAMHSA Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment Program – April 12
SAMHSA First Responders-Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act – April 15
Department of Treasury Capital Magnet Fund for Affordable Housing – April 16
HRSA Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program – April 16
HRSA Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part C Capacity Development – April 16
CDC Drug Free Communities – New Grants – April 17
USDA Rural eConnectivity Program – April 22
DOJ Office of Violence Against Women – Grants to Indian Tribal Governments – April 24
DOJ Office on Violence Against Women – Strengthening Tribal Advocacy Responses Track (START) – April 24
HRSA Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program – Supplement Funding for Rural Emergency Services – April 25
Department of Veterans Affairs Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grants – April 26
DOJ Adult Treatment Court Site-Based Program – May 2
USDA Local Food Promotion Program – May 14
CMS Request for Information on Medicare Advantage Data – Comment by May 29
AHRQ Safety Program for Telemedicine: Improving Antibiotic Use – June 2024
NIH Researching Barriers to Care and Risk of HIV-Associated Comorbidities Among Vulnerable Population Groups – June 28
EPA Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants – November 21
Ongoing Opportunities
HRSA Needs Rural Reviewers for Grant Applications
Resources for Medicaid/CHIP Renewals
Economic Development Administration Public Works/Economic Assistance Program (CARES Act Funding)
Extended Public Comment Period for FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program
National Indian Health Board Vaccination Event Funding – Ongoing while funds last
SAMHSA 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Volunteer and Job Opportunities
USDA Disaster Repair Grants for Rural Community Facilities – Ongoing while funds last
USDA Water Infrastructure Grants for 2022 Disaster Areas – Ongoing while funds last
ACF Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
ACF Rural Community Development Program for Rural Water Systems
Addiction Policy Forum: Sites for Anti-Stigma Pilot
AgriSafe Mental Health Training for Agricultural Producers & Families
American Association of Birth Centers (AABC) Foundation - Accreditation Grants
American Heart Association Rural Health Care Outcomes Accelerator
American Indian Public Health Resource Center Technical Assistance
AmeriCorps American Connection Corps for Broadband in Rural Areas
Appalachian Community Fund Technical Assistance Grants
Appalachian Regional Commission J-1 Visa Waivers for Doctors
ASA Rural Access to Anesthesia Care Scholarship
CDC Direct Assistance to State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Health Agencies
CDC Training Pediatric Medical Providers to Recognize ACEs
CORH Targeted Technical Assistance for Rural Hospitals Program
Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program
Delta Regional Authority Community Infrastructure Fund
Delta Doctors J-1 Visa Waiver Program
Department of Commerce: Economic Development Assistance Programs
DRA Technical Assistance for Delta Region Community Health Systems Development
EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
EPA Water Infrastructure and Innovation Act Program
FEMA/SAMHSA Post-Disaster Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program
GSA Federal Surplus Property Available for Public Use
GPHC & RWJF: Rapid Cycle Research and Evaluation Grants for Cross-Sector Alignment
HRSA/SAMHSA Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Training and Mentoring
HRSA Seeking Nominations for Migrant Health Advisory
HRSA Technical Assistance for Look-Alike Initial Designation for the Health Center Program
Housing Assistance Council: Housing Loans for Low-Income Rural Communities
HUD Distressed Cities and Persistent Poverty Technical Assistance Program
HUD Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program
IHS Tribal Forensic Healthcare Training
IHS/DOD Medical Supplies and Equipment for Tribes (Project TRANSAM)
NARHC Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional Course
National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence Technical Assistance
National Indian Health Board Tribal Environmental Justice Technical Assistance Center
National Indian Health Board Vaccination Event Funding
National Indigenous Women's Resource Center Technical Assistance for Domestic Violence Programs
Native Americans into Medicine
Host Sites for National Environmental Public Health Internship
NIH Special Interest Research – Pandemic Impact on Vulnerable Children and Youth – May 2024
NIH Research to Improve Native American Health – October 2024
NIH Researching Mental Health Practices in Low-Resource Settings – September 2024
NIH Researching Social, Behavioral, and Economic Impact of COVID-19 in Underserved/Vulnerable Populations – September 2024
NIH Researching the Role of Work in Health Disparities – Various dates until September 2024
NIH Addressing the Impact of Structural Racism and Discrimination – Various dates until October 2025
NIH Researching Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention – February 2026
NIH Research to Address Vaccine Hesitancy in Health Disparity Populations – June 2026
NIH Planning Grants for Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) – various dates until July 2026
NIH Research to Understand Disparities in Maternal Morbidity and Mortality – Various dates until October 2026
NIH Data Informed, Place-Based Community-Engaged Research to Advance Health Equity – January 2027
NIH/UVA Seeking Rural Individuals to Participate in Weight Loss Study (iREACH) – until 2027
NIH Project Talk Initiative Host Site Applications
Nominations for Federal Advisory Commission on HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
NRHA Chief Nursing Officer Certification Program for Rural Hospitals
Oweesta Native CDFI Loan Funds and Technical Assistance
Primary Care Development Corporation Community Investment Loans
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Community Facility Loans for Western States and Pacific Islands
Rural Community Assistance Corporation Environmental Infrastructure Loans for Western States
Rural Graduate Medical Education Planning and Development
Rural Grocery Transition Specialist Program
RTT Collaborative: Rural Training Track Directors University
RWJF Investigator-Initiated Research to Build a Culture of Health
RWJF Pioneering Ideas Brief Proposals
SAMHSA Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program for Communities Post-Disaster
SAMHSA Training to Provide Medication Assisted Treatment
SBA Guaranteed Loans for Small Business
Southeast Rural Community Assistance Loans
Tribal Grant Writing Training
Treasury Department Opportunity Zone Economic Development Program
United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc Tribal Health Program Support
USDA Community Facilities Program
USDA Community Food Projects Technical Assistance
USDA Drinking Water and Waste Disposal for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages
USDA Economic Impact Initiative Grants
USDA Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants
USDA Healthy Food Financing Initiative Technical Assistance
USDA Intermediary Relending Program
USDA Multifamily Housing Loan Guarantees
USDA National School Lunch Afterschool Snack Program
USDA/NRHA Rural Hospital Technical Assistance
USDA Rural Business Development Grants
USDA Rural Business Investment Program
USDA Rural Energy Savings Program
USDA SEARCH – Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (for Water/Waste Projects)
USDA Summer Food Program
USDA Technical Assistance for Healthy Food Financing Initiative
USDA Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees
USDA Funding for Rural Water and Waste Disposal Projects
USDA Water and Waste Disposal Grants to Alleviate Health Risks on Tribal Lands and Colonias
USDOT Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (R.O.U.T.E.S)
Veterans Affairs Health Professional Scholarship Program
Veterans Affairs Virtual Living Room - Using Technology to Address the Critical Healthcare Needs of Veterans in Rural Areas
Western Region Public Health Training Center – Future Leaders Program
WWAMI Area Health Education Center Scholars Program
3RNET Recruitment and Retention Assistance
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