To facilitate the efficient administration of COVID-19 vaccines to Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) residents, CMS is exercising enforcement discretion with respect to statutory provisions requiring consolidated billing by SNFs as […]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the investigational monoclonal antibody therapy, casirivimab and imdevimab, administered together, for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in
According to a report from Trust for America’s Health, the U.S. obesity rate for adults reached 42.4% in 2020, the highest ever recorded, and is based on data from the
Report: The State of Obesity 2020 Read More »
A new report published November in the Lancet found that those who have had COVID-19 are likely to develop anxiety, depression, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within 90 days
Report: 20% of COVID Patients Develop Mental Health Issues Read More »
The American Heart Association (AHA) recently issued a policy statement in Circulation calling out structural racism as a major driver of health disparities in the U.S. The AHA acknowledged that
Policy Statement: AHA Recognizes Structural Racism as a Driver of Health Disparities Read More »
A report by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) states that despite significant increases in funding and beds, overall homelessness has been increasing in the U.S. In just
Article: Whole-of-Government Response to Homelessness in the U.S. Read More »
Health literacy is the ability to understand and effectively use health information to make decisions about one’s health. People with low health literacy have increased mortality, worse health outcomes, are
Article: Health Literacy Should Be Valued as a Social Driver of Poor Health Outcomes Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new toolkit designed for state Medicaid agencies to strengthen infrastructure and develop robust home and community-based services (HCBS) for eligible
Resource: CMS Home and Community-Based Services Toolkit Read More »
A conference paper presented at the International Conference on Computers Helping People describes data and analysis on the use and unmet needs of mHealth mobile apps by people with disabilities
Article: Mobile Apps for mHealth and People with Disabilities Read More »
A new interactive mapping tool, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, allows users to view and compare data on a range of indicators for each state and for
New Tool: Mapping Racial and Ethnic Inequities in Health and Opportunity Read More »
CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls: December 2020 Read More »
CMS Memo | December 3, 2020 – Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is finalizing policy changes that will give Medicare patients and their doctors greater choices
CMS Policies Give Medicare Beneficiaries More Choices around Surgery Read More »
Options to Reduce Quarantine for Contacts of Persons with SARS-CoV-2 Infection Using Symptom Monitoring and Diagnostic Testing CDC Science & Research | December 2, 2020 – Quarantine can be a
Dec. 2 Update: CDC National Quarantine Guidance Read More »
Wednesday, December 2, 11AM EDT Please join CMS for a National Stakeholder call on the recently announced Physician Fee Schedule. The call will take place today on Wednesday, December 2
CMS Call on December 2: Physician Fee Schedule Read More »
CMS Memo | December 1, 2020 – Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the annual Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule, prioritizing CMS’ investment in primary
Clean hands save lives! This awareness week highlights the importance of handwashing—one of the most effective and simple ways to prevent viral infections and improve health outcomes. December is a
National Handwashing Awareness Week: December 6-12, 2020 Read More »
This national awareness week focuses on highlighting the importance of influenza vaccination. The IPRO QIN-QIO raises awareness about flu risks and encourages everyone to protect themselves and their communities by
National Influenza Vaccination Week: December 6-12, 2020 Read More »
About 1 in every 3 American Indian/Alaska Native older adults, age 65 or older, is at risk for dementia. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart health
Supporting Healthy Minds for Wisdom Keepers Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) developed the Addressing the Needs of Older Adults in Disasters web-based training. HHS/ASPR
HHS/ASPR Training to Help Older Adults During a Disaster Read More »
November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to honor those who provide care for their family members and to raise awareness about caregiving needs and challenges. According to the
Celebrating Family Caregivers Read More »
For more resources on supporting the behavioral health of elders and Indian Country as a whole, explore the new CMS Tribal Behavioral Health. Who is it for? This site is
Behavioral Health Resources for Indian Country Read More »
Agency outlines flexibilities to maximize Acute Hospital Care at Home, Ambulatory Surgical Centers to decompress hospitals treating COVID-19 patients CMS Memo | November 25, 2020 – Today, the Centers for
CMS Comprehensive Strategy: Enhance Hospital Capacity Amid COVID-19 Surge Read More »
As the pandemic continues, the behavioral health of nursing home residents continues to be a concern. A new survey of nursing home residents by Altarum looked into how residents’ lives
Reducing Loneliness for Nursing Home Residents Read More »
CMS Memo | November 22, 2020 – Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized changes to outdated federal regulations that burdened health care providers with added administrative
CMS Announces Historic Changes to Physician Self-Referral Regulations Read More »
This U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week, register for CDC’s FREE online antibiotic stewardship training course, which offers 10 hours of continuing education (CE) to help you improve antibiotic use and protect
Earn Free CE: CDC’s Online Antibiotic Stewardship Training Read More »
CMS is announcing the Request for Application (RFA) open period (November 19, 2020 to January 3, 2021) for the Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (ViT) Initiative The Centers for
CMS Request for Application: Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Initiative Read More »
CMS Beyond the Policy: Nursing Home Series for Frontline Clinicians and Staff The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is airing the first episode in a series of short
CMS Nursing Home Podcast Series for Front Line Clinicians and Staff Read More »
CMS Memo | November 19, 2020 – Today, in advance of the approaching holiday season, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is urging nursing home staff, residents, and
CMS Urging Nursing Homes to Follow Established COVID-19 Guidelines This Holiday Season Read More »
Rural Health Challenges in the Era of COVID-19 November 19, 1-5PM EDT Presented by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this seminar explores the impact of COVID-19 on rural populations,
2020 NIH Rural Health Seminar on Nov. 19 Read More »
Rural communities face their own unique challenges when it comes to accessing and receiving quality health care. Approximately 60 million Americans live in rural areas, with nearly every state having
CMS to Celebrate the Power of Rural Read More »
December 9, 11-11:45 AM EDT Partnerships are critical to ensure a patient’s safe transition of care—especially during a public health emergency. Eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, an adequate PPE
IPRO QIN-QIO Webinar on Dec 9: Supporting Safe Transitions During COVID-19 Read More »
Agency thanks nursing homes whose staff have completed free CMS training, but urges remaining homes to take advantage of this resource CMS Memo | November 18, 2020 – Today, the
CMS Releases Nursing Home COVID-19 Training Data with Urgent Call to Action Read More »
Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety released a new video and suite of resources about infection control and PPE for home care and congregate care workers on the front lines
New infection control and PPE resources for home and congregate care workers Read More »
The article Rapid Implementation of eMOLST Order Completion and Electronic Registry to Facilitate Advance Care Planning: MOLST Documentation Using Telehealth in the Covid-19 Pandemic was posted on the New England
Rapid eMOLST Implementation to Facilitate Advance Care Planning During COVID-19 Pandemic Read More »
November 18, 6PM Register for the November 18 live webinar to learn what you need to know about vaccines. The speaker will be Bruce Farber, MD, Chief Infectious Diseases at
Webinar on Nov. 18: What You Need to Know about Vaccines Read More »
CMS will retire the original Compare Tools on December 1. Use Medicare.gov’s Care Compare to find and compare health care providers. In early September, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
CMS Will Retire the Original Compare Tools on December 1 Read More »
This annual observance highlights necessary steps everyone should take to improve antibiotic prescribing and use. Antibiotics save lives, but any time antibiotics are used, they can cause side effects and
U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week: November 18-24, 2020 Read More »
34 million Americans have diabetes, and 1 in 3 of them also has chronic kidney disease. Once your kidneys have been damaged by diabetes, they cannot be cured. November is
Know the connection between Diabetes and Kidney Disease Read More »
The Pharmacy Partnership for Long-term Care (LTC) Program provides end-to-end management of the COVID-19 vaccination process, including cold chain management, on-site vaccinations, and fulfillment of reporting requirements. The program facilitates
Understanding the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program Read More »
In anticipation of the availability of a vaccine(s), for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the American Medical Association (AMA), working with the Centers
COVID-19 Vaccine Codes and PC-ACE Software Update Read More »
Coverage Available at No Cost to Beneficiaries Across Variety of Settings in Health Care System The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that starting November 13, Medicare beneficiaries can
November 16, 3PM EDT Webinar On November 16, access the webinar from here. Audio Call: 888-942-8613 | Enter passcode: 9097205 Want to help people with Medicare stay healthy and prevent diabetes? Become
November 16: Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Enrollment Webinar Read More »
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) is recognizing National Diabetes Month in November. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Take Action Against Diabetes Read More »
November 12, 1-2:30PM EDT Join us as we share updates related to this year’s Marketplace Open Enrollment. Learn what you need to know if you have a Marketplace Plan and
CMS Webinar on Nov. 12: NTP Medicare Update & Education Webinar Read More »
Every November, American Diabetes Month is observed to sound the alarm about the diabetes epidemic. The IPRO QIN-QIO works to raise awareness about diabetes, honor those that are affected, and
American Diabetes Month Read More »
National Family Caregivers Month, celebrated each November, is a time to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country. In November, the IPRO QIN-QIO is celebrating the efforts of family
National Family Caregivers Month Read More »
Thursday, November 12, 10:30-11AM EDT During this conversation, we will discuss a three-pronged approach that organizations can adopt to build patient trust and rise to the challenges of health care
COVID-19 Workshop on November 12: Building Patient Trust Read More »
The Trump Administration and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are delivering on their commitment to foster innovation in Medicaid by providing states with new tools to help beneficiaries
CMS hosts varied recurring stakeholder engagement sessions to share information related to the agency’s response to COVID-19. These sessions are open to members of the healthcare community and are intended
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement Calls for November Read More »
Serving Low-Income Seniors: Lessons and the Impact of COVID-19 November 6, 12–1PM EDT The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionately negative impact on both low-income communities and seniors in
Webinars: November Health Equity Events Read More »
Salud America! and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are sharing a research review summarizing current literature on: the social and health impact of poverty the impact of racism and bias on
Report: Achieving a Cohesive Culture for Health Equity in Latino and All Communities Read More »
Community leaders can play a vital role in connecting their communities with important, accurate information about public health and clinical research. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and The Community
Resource: NIH COVID-19 Communities Responding Together Read More »
New Jersey-based RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH) has launched a culturally tailored and fully integrated initiative to address social determinants of health (SDOH). RWJBH has partnered with NowPow, a digital community referral
Initiative: RWJBarnabas Health Launches Social Determinants of Health Initiative Read More »
Budget limitations, systemic racism and a mandate to contain costs while maintaining access to quality care have been long-standing challenges for states. According to a National Academy for State Health
Report: How States Can Advance Health Equity & Address Health System Costs Read More »
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is encouraging everyone to roll their sleeve up for the annual influenza vaccine. By continuing to wear a mask, washing hands often,
Sleeve Up to Fight The Flu Read More »
The National Quality Forum (NQF) recently released a report Improving Diagnostic Quality and Safety/ Reducing Diagnostic Error: Measurement Considerations funded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The
Report: 2020 National Quality Forum Report Read More »
The Bipartisan Policy Center released a report in September that tracks spending to address the opioid epidemic across the federal government for fiscal year 2019. The report provides insight into
Report: Tracking FY2019 Federal Funding to Combat the Opioid Crisis Read More »
A study published in Circulation: Heart Failure concluded that women age 18-55 with Acute Myocardial Infarction – Cardiogenic Shock (AMI-CS), are treated less aggressively and experience higher in-hospital mortality compared
Article: Women Get Worse Care for Heart Attacks with Cardiogenic Shock Read More »
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Health Equity released its 2019-2020 Health Equity Report on October 14. The report has a special feature on housing and health
Resource: HRSA 2019-2020 Health Equity Report Read More »
October 30, 2020 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new online platform – the Nursing Home Resource Center – to serve as a centralized hub
CMS’ New One-Stop Nursing Home Resource Center Assists Providers, Caregivers, Residents Read More »