Rural Reporter

  • CMS Announces Final Payment Rate Changes and Rules (08/20/2018)
    The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has published several final payment rate changes and rules for Fiscal Year 2019, related to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), hospices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and inpatient psychiatric facilities.  Skilled nursing facilities and non-Critical Access Hospitals swing beds will experience an overall payment rate increase of 2.4 percent ($820 million), or 2.5 percent for rural areas. In addition, the current case-mix system will be replaced by a new system called the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM), which is projected to increase payments to small and rural SNFs and non-CAH swing beds.  Hospices will see an overall payment increase of 1.8 percent ($340 million), or 1.9 percent in rural areas. In addition, physician's assistants will now be recognized by Medicare as attending physicians beginning in 2019. Inpatient rehabilitation facilities will see a payment rate increase of 1.3 percent ($105 million), and will also see changes to several quality reporting factors.  Inpatient psychiatric facilities will see a payment rate increase of 1.3 percent ($50 million), and the payment adjustment for IPFs located in rural areas will continue. 
  • Maternal Mortality Task Force Seeks Data (08/20/2018)
    Due to the small absolute number of maternal deaths in rural states, it's been difficult for researchers to make specific, data-driven policy decisions on birth outcomes and maternal mortality in rural areas. Recently, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists started a new initiative to collect data on rural maternity care and deaths. The initiative is needed now more than ever, as the availability of women's and neonatal medical personnel shrinks in rural communities.  The Maternal Mortality Task Force will collect and analyze data on rural maternity care and deaths in twelve states, as well as in Guam, American Samoa, Alberta, British Columbia, and Central America. (Source: Contemporary OB/GYN; Suhyeon Choi on Unsplash) More »
  • What Does Dollar General Mean for Rural Areas? (08/15/2018)
    Dollar General stores are often found in rural areas, and in places where residents often cannot access fresh produce. The chain is the fastest-growing retailer in the United States, and it's targeting rural towns by offering basic goods at cheap prices. Some towns object to the corporation's move into their communities, which often put local stores out of business. (Source: The Guardian; Image: NeONBRAND on Unsplash)  More »
  • It's National Health Center Week (08/15/2018)
    August 12th-18th marks National Health Center Week, in celebration of the great work that health centers do for communities in Wisconsin and across the country. Follow the conversation on social media using hashtags #NHCW18 and #CHCSuperPower. In 2016, community health centers in Wisconsin provided more than 182,000 visits for mental health and substance use disorder treatment, and more than 332,000 visits for preventative services.  (Source and Image: National Health Center Week) More »
  • OUD in Pregnant Women Has More Than Quadrupled (08/15/2018)
    A new study finds that the number of women with opioid use disorder at the time they gave birth more than quadrupled over the past decade and a half. The analysis looks at figures from 1999 to 2014 in the twenty-eight states where at least three years of data was available.  The CDC recommends several strategies for addressing OUD among pregnant women, including: Ensuring appropriate opioid prescribing;  Maximizing prescription drug monitoring programs;  Implementing substance abuse screening at the first prenatal visit;  Ensuring pregnant women with OUD have access to addiction services including medication-assisted therapy;  Ensuring women with OUD have access to medication-assisted therapy. Read the full analysis here. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Image: coltsfan on Pixabay) More »
  • Central Wisconsin Counties Cope with Childcare Shortages (08/14/2018)
    A project started at the beginning of this year is helping communities in Monroe and Vernon counties cope with child care shortages. The Wisconsin Early Education Shared Services Network, a collaboration of Kickapoo Conversations, Wisconsin Early Childhood Association, and other partners, is working to remove licensing barriers and administrative burdens for childcare homes in the Kickapoo region. The project and collaboration of partners provides a useful model for communities facing similar childcare shortages across the state. (Source: WEESSN; Photo: Janko Ferlič on Unsplash)  More »
  • WDA Foundation Provides Comprehensive Care for Select Low-Income Patients (08/14/2018)
    The Wisconsin Dental Association Foundation provided comprehensive dental care to one hundred and forty-two disabled, low-income, uninsured Wisconsinites last year. The care was provided to those who did not qualify for governmental assistance programs and could not afford the dental care otherwise. The care comes from WDA Foundation's Donated Dental Services Program, which also donates materials and services. The program is currently accepting applications for new patients in all Wisconsin counties. (Source: Wisconsin Dental Association Foundation; Image: Yingpis Kalayom on Unsplash)  More »
  • Paramedics Help Woman Keep Her State Fair Streak (08/14/2018)
    Catherine Krause hasn't missed the Wisconsin State Fair for the last eight decades. So when she injured her ankle this year, she worried that she would have to break that streak. Instead, she received help from Bell Ambulance paramedics, who helped her go from the nursing home to the fair and back. "It's nice for our crews," says Scott Mickelsen, director of client services for Bell Ambulances. "Instead of being there for someone's worst day, we're here for someone's best day." (Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Image: Bell Ambulance) More »
  • Wisconsin Hospitals Rank Nationally For Specialties (08/14/2018)
    The U.S. News and World Report has released a ranking of the best hospitals in the nation. Several Wisconsin hospitals – the University of Wisconsin Hospitals, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, and Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin – were ranked for their excellence in particular specialties and procedures.  The rankings are determined by a hospital's performance across specialties and procedure areas, as well their score from an annual reputational survey of physicians. To be considered eligible for the rankings, hospitals must either be a teaching hospital, be affiliated with a medical school, have at least 200 beds that are staffed, or have 100 beds with advanced technologies like PET/CT scanners; none of which apply to many rural and community hospitals. However, rural residents may utilize larger hospitals for particular procedures. (Source: US News and World Report)    More »
  • Nominations for Standing Up for Rural Wisconsin Awards Open (08/13/2018)
    The Department of Public Instruction is now accepting nominations for the Standing Up for Rural Wisconsin Awards. The awards will highlight partnerships among schools, libraries, and communities which have resulted in programs or projects that demonstrate the collaborative spirit of rural Wisconsin. Submit a nomination no later than Wednesday, September 12, 2018. (Source and Image: DPI) More »
  • Wisconsin Faces Projected Primary Physician Shortage (08/10/2018)
    A new report from the Wisconsin Council on Medical Education and Workforce (WCMEW) finds that there will be a shortfall of 745 primary care doctors by 2035, largely due to retirement of physicians in existing positions. Burnout could be another possible factor for the physician shortfall.  The primary care physician shortage will affect rural areas the most, and policymakers are working now to prevent this shortage. The WCMEW will hold their annual, interdisciplinary summit on Wisconsin's physician workforce in November.  (Source: Wisconsin Public Radio and MCMEW; Image: Wisconsin Council on Medical Education & Workforce)  More »
  • Pew Issues Recommendations to Address SUD Across Wisconsin (08/08/2018)
    According to departmental health statistics, only twenty-three percent of Wisconsin residents who need treatment for substance use disorder receive it. In an effort to address substance use disorder in Wisconsin, the state Task Force on Opioid Abuse recently partnered with the Pew Research Center in order to assess ways to better address substance use disorder in Wisconsin. The partnership has culminated in a set of eighteen recommendations to help build a more comprehensive opioid treatment system across the state. More than half the recommendations focus on changing the way care is delivered, including a proposal that would enable federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) or rural health clinics to provide opioid treatment directly to patients. In their report, Pew cites the following as barriers to treatment that individuals said they experienced: a lack of accurate, evidence-based treatment information; insufficient treatment capacity; an inability to pay for treatment; a lack of transportation to clinics; a lack of access due to incarceration; an inadequate number of treatment providers; and, for pregnant women, a fear of having their children or babies taken away.  Read the whole report here. (Source and Image: Pew Research Center) More »
  • In Rural Areas, How Can Air Ambulances Improve Health Outcomes? (08/08/2018)
    For many rural residents, the nearest hospital is more than an hour away by ground ambulance. For life-threatening emergencies, shortening that critical transport time is crucial. So what about air ambulances as a solution? According to proponents, air medical coverage can reduce the time to care and improve health outcomes, but there are still institutional barriers to seeing a greater number of them. Air ambulances face a low reimbursement rate from Medicare and Medicaid, and frequently are not covered by private insurers. (Source: The Mercury News; Image: Ted Rabbitts on flickr)  More »
  • FDA Will Expand Approval for MAT (08/07/2018)
    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued new guidelines for how it will approve drugs for medication-assisted treatment (MAT). The FDA will expand the number of factors it will consider when approving a drug, considering a greater list of adverse outcomes the drug could prevent. Due to the greater number of considerations, the FDA says it is encouraging sponsors to discuss their plans with the agency early in the drug development process. This announcement builds on another action issued in April that outlines the agency’s current thinking about drug development and trial design issues relevant to the study of buprenorphine products, one drug used in MAT. (Source: FDA and Stat News; Image: U.S. Air Force photo illustration/Tech. Sgt. Mark R. W. Orders-Woempner) More »
  • Your Legislative District's Health Profile (08/07/2018)
    The Population Health Institute at UW—Madison, as part of the Evidence-Based Health Policy Project, has published health profiles for Wisconsin's 132 legislative districts. The in-depth profiles paint a picture of each district, with information on health factors, insurance coverage, and Medicaid enrollment. (Source and Image: UW Population Health Institute)  More »
  • CMS Finalizes Rules Changes for Health Information Technology (08/04/2018)
    The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has finalized a rule that will change the standards for how clinicians use electronic health records (EHR) and health information technology. The "meaningful use" standard has been overhauled, and replaced with a new standard of "promoting interoperability". According to CMS Administrator Seema Verma, the new standard is designed to be more flexible for clinicians so they can work with less of an administrative burden. (Sources: CMS and Healthcare Informatics; Photo: Samuel Zeller on Unsplash)  More »
  • Trump Administration Expands Short-Term Insurance Plans (08/02/2018)
    The Trump administration has changed a rule directing the types of short-term health insurance Americans can purchase. While short-term plans tend to be cheaper than comprehensive ones, they can also have severe limits on what they cover, since short-term plans do not have to comply with rules under the Affordable Care Act. Prenatal and maternity care, mental health treatment, and prescriptions are often not covered under the plans. (Source: The New York Times; Photo: Martha Dominguez on Unsplash) More »
  • First Confirmed Wisconsin Death Caused By Synthetic Weed (08/01/2018)
    Wisconsin health officials have confirmed a death in Milwaukee County related to the use of synthetic cannabinoids, also called fake weed, K2, or spice. These products are tied to dozens of cases of Vitamin K-dependent coagulopathy (severe bleeding) in Wisconsin. Health officials are urging emergency departments and urgent care clinicians to be prepared for similar cases. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has targeted advice for physicians and local public health departments to deal with the outbreak. According to scientists at the CDC, state health departments across the country have reported 255 cases of overdose from fake weed since July 13th, 2018. That number includes eight deaths associated with synthetic cannabinoids that contain brodifacoum, an ingredient used in rat poison. (Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services and National Public Radio; Photo: Lance Cpl. Damany S. Coleman/Wikimedia) More »
  • $100 Million FCC Pilot Program Would Support Rural Telehealth (08/01/2018)
    From patient monitoring programs to mobile health applications, telehealth and telemedicine technologies equip rural residents with remote access to health services. Still, for some in rural areas, these health services are inaccessible because the broadband infrastructure to support them isn't there.  On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will meet to vote on a $100 million proposal to enhance rural broadband infrastructures across the country. The Connected Care Pilot Program, which was proposed by FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr in mid-July, will help eligible providers with telemedicine and telehealth activities.  The program comes after the FCC voted to increase the spending cap for another telemedicine initiative, the Rural Health Care Program, earlier this summer. That vote increased the annual cap from $400 million to $571 million, and was the first time the funding cap was indexed for inflation since its founding in 1997. (Source: RCR Wireless News and the Federal Communications Commission; Photo: Anna Demianenko on Unsplash) More »
  • Commuting, Rurality, and Public Heath (07/31/2018)
    A new policy brief entitled "Addressing Commuting as a Public Health Issue: Strategies Should Differ by Rurality" used recent County Health Rankings data to examine rates of commuting by car and its relationship to demographic factors. The analysis finds that across all county types, over three quarter of workers drive alone to work. It also finds that those in rural counties not adjacent to metropolitan areas have the lowest rate of long commutes.  Long commuting distances are a public health issue, since regular commutes of more than 30 minutes are associated with financial expense, sedentary behavior, and increased environmental pollutants. Read the whole brief here. (Source and Image: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center) More »
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