Congressman Mullin Talks 340B, COVID-19, and more with Health Center Leaders
Our thanks to Congressman Markwayne Mullin, who this week met with health center leaders across the second congressional district and the state (pictured above). On the call, Congressman Mullin reaffirmed his support for health centers' use of the 340B program, praising health centers for being central to the mission of the program and providing an outsized impact in their communities because of it.
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Comments on 340B Due to GOP Congressional Leaders
Earlier this month, the Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the ranking Republican on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee (E&C) invited 340B stakeholders “to submit ideas” by October 30 “on how we can improve the 340B program.” Today is the deadline to submit comments. Click here to download a template and to view NACHC's comments.
Authority for Remote Open Meetings Ends November 15
Please note that the emergency legislation from last spring to allow remote Open Meeting Act-compliant attendance ends November 15 as you plan future health center board meetings. While Governor Stitt most recently extended the emergency declaration 10/23, the authorizing law for remote participation in meetings of public bodies ends at the end of such an emergency or November 15 whichever occurs first. It does not appear that the legal authority for the provisions of SB 661 that allowed for remote meetings will be continued until at least regular legislative session next year. An interim study was held recently from the Senate President Pro Tem to consider any further changes that might be warranted.
The Open Meeting Act allows board members of health centers and other public bodies to join remotely under certain conditions. No less than a quorum must be physically present at the meeting site, and the names, addresses, and phone numbers for all remotely-participating board members must be included in the publicly posted agenda. Each remote site must be accessible to the public.
HHS Delays Compliance Date for HIT Data-Blocking Rule Until April 2021
On Thursday, the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for HIT (ONC) released an interim final rule delaying the deadline for health care providers and HIT vendors to comply with the new regulations limiting “information blocking” practices. The new deadline of April 2021 marks the second time that the deadline has been delayed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This regulation, resulting from the 21st Century Cures Act, is intended to make it easier for providers and patients to exchange health data, by requiring providers to adopt standardized APIs and by defining what constitutes blocking health information.
CMS Issues Interim Final Rule on COVID-19 Vaccines
On Wednesday, CMS issued an Interim Final Rule establishing vaccine-related coverage provisions for Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and private insurance. The rule has not been published in the Federal Register, but will have a 30-day comment period starting the day it is published. The rule states that as a condition of receiving free COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government, providers will be prohibited from charging consumers for administration of the vaccine. NACHC is reviewing and will follow up with more information. CMS issued toolkits aimed at state Medicaid agencies, providers who will administer the vaccine, and health insurance plans. Some important highlights include:
- States that receive the temporary FMAP increase must cover COVID-19 testing services and treatments for all Medicaid enrollees without cost sharing during the public health emergency (PHE). After the PHE, Medicaid programs must still be required to cover COVID-19 vaccines for several populations.
- Beneficiaries with Medicare will have no cost sharing for COVID-19 vaccines.
- Providers can be reimbursed for administering the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals without insurance through the PRF.
Marketplace Open Enrollment Starts Sunday
The open enrollment period for individual health insurance plans purhcased through healthcare.gov will begin Sunday and continues until December 15.
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Outreach & Enrollment Training
Pre-recorded training
2020 UDS Training
Day 1 recording - Passcode: Q$9!.UsR
Day 2 recording - Passcode: l+pBW62z
An Introduction to TA Services that Promote Behavioral Health Integration
Hosted by JBS International
Wednesday, Nov 4
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Person-Driven Outcomes: A New Approach for Delivering Quality Care
Hosted by the NCQA
Thursday, Nov 5
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Understanding Social Determinants of Health: An Introductory Webinar
Hosted by CSH
Thursday, Nov 5
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
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Workforce survey: Oklahoma Primary Care Association, alongside the Health Resources & Services Administration Bureau of Health Workforce (HRSA BHW) and Primary Care Associations across the country, are working to increase provider recruitment and retention. HRSA’s new Health Professions Education and Training (HP-ET) Initiative will enhance health centers’ capabilities to recruit, develop, and retain their workforce by exposing health and allied health professions students, trainees, and residents to education and training programs conducted at health centers. The HP-ET Initiative will use the Readiness to Train Assessment Tool (RTAT) to help health centers assess and improve their readiness to engage in health professions training programs. Ideally, a key contact at each health center will provide the RTAT survey link to all employees of the health center for completion. Access the link for the RTAT survey here!
PRF Reporting Requirements: Last week, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) amended its Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements, which it previously released on September 19, 2020. Read more from BKD on how the reporting changes affect health centers and view the slides from a webinar on the subject this week.
BCBS Mask Initiative: Thank you to everyone who agreed to distribute masks to patients and community members. The masks were provided by BlueCross BlueShield and can be reused for 25 washes. OKPCA encourages you to tie your mask distribution to your ongoing flu vaccination campaign. If you your health center can provide testimonies on the value of the donated masks to your patients or share best practices for distributing them, let us know by emailing cheit@okpca.org.
Ransomware Attacking Health Care Providers: The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers. CISA, FBI, and HHS have released AA20-302A Ransomware Activity Targeting the Healthcare and Public Health Sector that details both the threat and practices that healthcare organizations should continuously engage in to help manage the risk posed by ransomware and other cyber threats. Read more.
Outreach & Enrollment Training Recording: On Monday, OKPCA hosted Steve Goldman with Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma for a training aimed at health center outreach and enrollment staff. View the recording and access more outreach and enrollment resources.
UDS Recording: OKPCA hosted a training on 2020 UDS this month. Access the day 1 recording using passcode: Q$9!.UsR and the day 2 recording using passcode: l+pBW62z to view the sessions.
OUHSC ID & HIV TeleECHO - Flu Update in Light of COVID-19 and HIV: Join Doug Drevets, MD for a Flu Update, focusing on COVID-19 & HIV. Following the presentation, case consultations covering Infectious Diseases topics will presented by the participants and the OUHSC Team. Register for the November 18 session.
Implementing a Flu-HPV program: Join The Health and Wellness Center's Medical Director Dr. Jennifer Scoufos for a training on how to use flu vaccination as an opportunity for HPV vaccination. Register today to attend the training held on November 10 at 12:00 PM.
2020 Oklahoma ADCES Annual Symposium: The Oklahoma chapter of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) is hosting a virtual symposium on Friday, Nov 6 from 7:45AM – 4:30 PM. The cost is $29 for ADCES members & $39 for non-members. This program is designed for individuals active in diabetes education, including RNs, RDS, pharmacists, and other health care providers interested in staying informed on current practices of care for patients with diabetes and other related conditions. Learn more and view the agenda here.
Motivational Interviewing Training: It's not too late to join OKPCA for the last training in our free Motivational Interviewing series. Register to attend Motivational Interviewing for Behavioral Health staff and Leadership - Part 2 on November 12 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Same Day Billing: The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) has released a provider reimbursement notice for health centers billing multiple, same-day encounters. Health centers should use the modifier XE when billing the procedure code T1015. Read more.
CDC Materials on COVID-19: The CDC has developed an infographic to help understand the differences between influenza and COVID-19. The CDC has also provided information on considerations to keep in mind when developing plans and education messages to support future COVID-19 vaccination.
Pfizer Vaccine Instructions: Pfizer has shared this guide to unboxing the softbox parcel shippers that will contain vaccines when they are ready to be distributed.
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- Why community health centers are in deep financial trouble (National Journal) - with contributions from Brooke Lattimore, COO of The Health and Wellness Center
- Early Ice Storm Creates Unique Challenges For Oklahoma Health Care Providers (KGOU) - with contributions from Angie Batton, CEO of the Pushmataha Family Medical Center
- TSET helps PMTC lure 42 doctors to rural, underserved communities (Southwest Ledger)
- State Efforts to Protect Preexisting Conditions Unsustainable Without the ACA (The Commonwealth Fund)
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