By: Aliza Auces and Megan Chung (NACHC Federal Affairs Intern) After many months of debate and review of a slew of opioid bills attempting to address the nation’s current opioid epidemic, last week Congress passed a comprehensive, bipartisan opioids package entitled H.R. 6, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. This bill has now been sent to …
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is always a busy month for Community Health Centers as they ramp up efforts to reach out to America’s underserved and promote the importance of breast cancer screenings for early detection of breast cancer. In 2015, the latest year for which incidence data are available, 242,476 new cases of breast cancer were reported among …
The Surgeon General’s Report on Opioids
A few developments worth highlighting in our nation’s ongoing war against opioid use disorder. The U.S. Surgeon General has released a report, “Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Spotlight on Opioids.” Among other things, the report calls for a cultural shift in the way we talk about the public health crisis and recommends actions …
A Few Words About October
What a difference a year makes. On this exact day 1 year ago the primary care funding cliff took effect and Community Health Centers were launched into uncertainty. Congress failed to reauthorize funding for the Community Health Center Fund (CHCF), opening the door to crippling service interruptions for patients and confusion in health systems across …
Congress Makes Progress on FY19 Funding for Health Centers and Other Key Health Priorities
Update (Sept. 27): The FY19 Defense-Labor-Health Care discretionary spending package passed both chambers of Congress and is awaiting President Trump’s signature. With the Senate’s passage of the FY19 Defense-Labor-Health Care discretionary spending package, Congress is now halfway towards providing level funding for the nation’s Community Health Centers at $1.626 billion and keeping the government open …
Items of Interest to Health Centers in CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
Update (Nov. 16, 2018): This rule has been finalized as proposed. Beginning January 1, 2019, health centers will be able to bill for these services. NACHC is hosting a webinar on Thursday, November 29, 2018 at 1 pm ET with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and health center partners to learn more about these …
Supporting Local Providers When Disaster Strikes
In fall 2017 a string of natural disasters, including hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, devastated Texas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In the wake of these crises, NACHC spoke with health centers, primary care associations, and disaster aid organizations to discuss lessons learned and other takeaways from being in the eye of these …
Update on Health Centers In the Aftermath of Hurricane Florence
NACHC has been closely following the developments in the destructive aftermath of Hurricane Florence and we are still patching together field reports from various sources. Widespread flooding is still being reported in North and South Carolina, making transportation and emergency medical aid difficult. Continued flooding is expected through the week. According to a dispatch from …
Bringing Power to Resiliency Efforts in Puerto Rico – Foundations Step Up to Bring Solar Power to Puerto Rico
Power outages and interruptions remained a common occurrence on Puerto Rico – nearly a year after the island was devastated twice in short order by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Nearly a year after the hurricanes, power was completely restored. As many across the U.S. watched the response efforts in the days and weeks after the …
A New Medicare Shared Savings Proposed Rule Could Affect Health Centers
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a proposed rule that would transform their Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), pushing accountable care organizations (ACOs) to take on increasing levels of financial risk. CMS’s proposal, which it is calling “Pathways to Success,” would consolidate and streamline the ACO track options; require that participating …