News stories of interest to rural health and human services, with information provided via the Rural Assistance Center Copyright 2009 Rural Assistance Center http://www.raconline.org/news/topstories.php AHA News reports that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will host a Nov. 10 conference call on Section 1135 waivers, which hospitals can request to help meet patient needs during the H1N1 flu pandemic. http://www.ahanews.com/ahanews_app/jsp/display.jsp?dcrpath=AHANEWS/AHANewsNowArticle/data/ann_100509_waiver&domain=AHANEWS Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:44:11 CST http://www.ahanews.com/ahanews_app/jsp/display.jsp?dcrpath=AHANEWS/AHANewsNowArticle/data/ann_100509_waiver&domain=AHANEWS The National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE), along with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and representatives from 15 nationally recognized prevention, health professional and child advocacy organizations, are launching Maximizing Your Role as a Teen Influencer: What You Can Do to Help Prevent Teen Prescription Drug Abuse. http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12509 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12509 Medicare Update reports that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released a cost estimate for the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009 (H.R.3961), which would repeal the now 21.2 percent Medicare payment rate reduction for physician services in 2010 and restructure the sustainable growth rate (SGR). http://medicareupdate.typepad.com/medicare_update/2009/11/medicarephysicianpaymentreformact.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://medicareupdate.typepad.com/medicare_update/2009/11/medicarephysicianpaymentreformact.html Kaiser Health News reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., says she will have enough votes to pass Democratic health care legislation by Saturday, and the American Medical Association and AARP also announced they will support the health reform bill. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2009/November/05/Pelosi-votes-ama-aarp.aspx Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2009/November/05/Pelosi-votes-ama-aarp.aspx U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M. today introduced legislation, the Rural TECH (Telemedicine Enhancing Community Health) Act of 2009, to increase access to health care for rural Americans who often dont have medical specialists in their communities or must travel long distances for care. http://tomudall.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=319690 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://tomudall.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=319690 HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today called on states and communities to join with HHS to redouble efforts to find and enroll the 5 million children who are currently eligible for Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but are not yet covered. http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12502 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:27:23 CST http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12502 Earth Times article reports that ads offering services such as cooking or repair work in exchange for dental and eye exams are becoming more common during the current recession. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293304,dinner-for-a-dental-exam-bartering-for-health-services-booms.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:32:36 CST http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293304,dinner-for-a-dental-exam-bartering-for-health-services-booms.html National Rural Health Association article reports that two amendments that were a positive step in ensuring rural America's seat at the table when developing our nation's Medicare and health care payment decisions were stripped by House leadership in the final version of health reform legislation. http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12499 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12499 Kaiser Health News article reports that the House is moving toward a floor vote Saturday on its big health care overhaul, after Democratic leaders worked to nail down votes from some of their members who want stronger anti-abortion language in the bill. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2009/November/04/Managers-amendment.aspx Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2009/November/04/Managers-amendment.aspx The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the Safe Use Initiative, a new program aimed at reducing the likelihood of preventable harm from medication use. http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm189100.htm Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm189100.htm Daily Yonder article tells how green energy is not only powering Denmarks homes and appliances, it is powering Denmarks rural economy. http://www.dailyyonder.com/green-energy-agenda-favors-rural-denmark/2009/11/05/2410 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.dailyyonder.com/green-energy-agenda-favors-rural-denmark/2009/11/05/2410 A new Commonwealth Fund survey of primary care physicians in 11 countries reveals that the United States lags far behind its peers in key measures of access, quality, and use of health ITundermining doctors' efforts to provide timely, high-quality care. http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/News/News-Releases/2009/Nov/International-Survey-of-Primary-Care-Physicians-News-Release.aspx Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/News/News-Releases/2009/Nov/International-Survey-of-Primary-Care-Physicians-News-Release.aspx Today, at the VA National Summit Ending Homelessness among Veterans, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki unveiled the departments comprehensive plan to end homelessness among Veterans by marshaling the resources of government, business and the private sector. http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1807 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:56:27 CST http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1807 Center for Rural Affairs article reports that a poll of 4,000 Americans shows that 74 percent of rural Americans believe that improving access to health care and making health care more affordable should be a high or top priority for our nation's elected officials. http://www.cfra.org/newsrelease/2009/11/03/polling-shows-support-rural-us-health-care-reform Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:17:38 CST http://www.cfra.org/newsrelease/2009/11/03/polling-shows-support-rural-us-health-care-reform Associated Press article via FortWayne.com reports that many people who have lost jobs to the recession may find a cure for unemployment in the health care field with the need for specialty nurses, therapists and technicians of all kinds staying strong, but although jobs are plentiful, getting one is hard work. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2009/November/04/Health-Care-Jobs.aspx Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:48:30 CST http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2009/November/04/Health-Care-Jobs.aspx Kaiser Health News reports that House Republicans unveiled their 219-page health care overhaul legislation Tuesday night asserting it would lower health care premiums for families and small businesses and that it would be a far less costly and intrusive approach to helping the uninsured than the Democratic proposals in the House and Senate. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2009/November/04/Few-GOP-Surprises-health-bill.aspx Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2009/November/04/Few-GOP-Surprises-health-bill.aspx Bangor Daily News, (ME) article tells of teletrauma," a powerful new technology that lends the resources of Maines second-largest trauma center to the smallest and farthest-flung of the states community hospitals. http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/127905.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/127905.html Center for American Progress article discusses how targeted policy changes, such as expanding the National Health Service Corps, can begin to strengthen and expand the primary care heath workforce, which is the backbone of the health care system. http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/11/primary_care_shortage.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/11/primary_care_shortage.html Daily Yonder article tells the story of how the federal government helped bring electricity to rural America and how it teaches an important lesson to those who are now deciding how to spend $7 billion on extending broadband to the countryside. http://www.dailyyonder.com/rural-broadband-lets-talk-about-cost/2009/11/03/2429 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.dailyyonder.com/rural-broadband-lets-talk-about-cost/2009/11/03/2429 Commonwealth Fund article reports that in the latest Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders survey, the experts surveyed favor sweeping changes to Medicare—reforms that would help control program costs and support broader health system reform. http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/News/News-Releases/2009/Nov/Experts-Favor-Broad-Medicare-Reforms-to-Control-Costs-and-Foster-Health-Care-Innovations.aspx Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Content/News/News-Releases/2009/Nov/Experts-Favor-Broad-Medicare-Reforms-to-Control-Costs-and-Foster-Health-Care-Innovations.aspx Associated Press article via INO.com tells how more Oregon farms are installing renewable energy, with the motivation sparked by the 2008 spike in fuel prices, and is being fanned by a range of grants and tax credits handed out by state, federal and private agencies. http://news.ino.com/headlines/?newsid=68966789565791 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:46:08 CST http://news.ino.com/headlines/?newsid=68966789565791 Kaiser Health News reports that for all the controversy over a government-run insurance option, the program outlined in health overhaul legislation likely would play a minuscule role in efforts to expand health care coverage, according to many health care experts and lawmakers. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2009/October/31/health-insurance-public-option-negligible.aspx Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:27:04 CST http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2009/October/31/health-insurance-public-option-negligible.aspx The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an interim final rule with request for comments last week to strengthen its enforcement of the rules promulgated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12468 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:19:28 CST http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12468 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday announced final changes to policies and payment rates for services to be furnished during calendar year (CY 2010) by over 1 million physicians and nonphysician practitioners who are paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12467 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12467 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday announced that most hospitals will receive an inflation update of 2.1 percent in their payment rates for services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries in outpatient departments. http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12466 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12466 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Friday announced a 2.0 percent market basket update to Medicares calendar year (CY) 2010 home health prospective payment system (HH PPS) rates and modifications to the home health outlier policy. http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12465 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.raconline.org/news/news_details.php?news_id=12465 Daily Yonder article reports that plans for a national design center to help alleviate rural poverty will be solidified when 60 designers, corporate leaders, foundation heads, and journalists meet next month for the 2009 Aspen Design Summit. http://www.cfra.org/ruralmonitor/2009/10/31/can-designers-stamp-out-rural-poverty Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.cfra.org/ruralmonitor/2009/10/31/can-designers-stamp-out-rural-poverty House Committee on Ways and Means reports that yesterday, in conjunction with comprehensive health reform legislation, House leaders introduced a bill that would permanently reform the Medicare physician payment system. http://waysandmeans.house.gov/News.asp?FormMode=release&ID=960 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:31:34 CST http://waysandmeans.house.gov/News.asp?FormMode=release&ID=960 National Rural Health Association article reports that in response to the recent H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak, President Obama and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius have officially declared a national state of emergency, which, among other things, will allow critical access hospitals (CAHs) to file a request to CMS that would temporarily waive the daily limit of twenty-five occupied beds for CAHs. http://www.ruralhealthweb.org/go/rural-health-news/president-and-hhs-secretary-declare-national-emergency-for-h1n1-outbreak Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:34:06 CST http://www.ruralhealthweb.org/go/rural-health-news/president-and-hhs-secretary-declare-national-emergency-for-h1n1-outbreak Associated Press article via Chicago Tribune, (IL) reports that the Senate today confirmed Dr. Regina Benjamin to be the U.S. surgeon general, elevating a well-known Alabama family physician to be the nation's top doctor. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-ap-us-surgeon-general,0,348849.story Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 CST http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-ap-us-surgeon-general,0,348849.story