Happy Friday! Enjoy your NCMS Morning Rounds!
November 12, 2021
CMS Expands Telehealth for Behavioral Health
CMS updated telehealth policies for 2022 to expand behavioral health services, including treatment of SUD through opioid treatment programs. The policy updates allow patients to receive these services in their homes. CMS is also allowing reimbursement for audio-only services for certain patients, beneficial to rural patients with limited access to high-speed broadband. In addition, for the first time outside of the COVID-19 public health emergency, Medicare will pay for mental health visits furnished by Rural Health Clinics and FQHCs through digital and audio telecommunications.
Three HRSA Health Workforce Loan Repayment Programs Open
HRSA’s NHSC opened its application for three of its loan repayment programs and plans to award a significant number of eligible health professionals. With an additional $800 million made available through the Biden-Harris Administration’s American Rescue Plan (ARP), this year’s awardees will add to the largest number of NHSC clinicians in history.
Eligible clinicians providing primary medical, dental, behavioral health care services, or evidence-based SUD treatment can qualify for loan repayment of up to:
- $50,000 for the NHSC Loan Repayment Program (NHSC LRP)
- $75,000 for the NHSC SUD Workforce Loan Repayment Program (NHSC SUD Workforce LRP)
- $100,000 for the NHSC Rural Community Loan Repayment Program (NHSC Rural Community LRP)
Apply by 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 16.
Building an Inclusive Organization Toolkit
This toolkit responds to common questions and needs of health center staff engaged in efforts to build a more inclusive organization by implementing policies that help to recruit and retain a workforce representative of the patients served. It also includes health center profiles, best practices, and strategies to implement these efforts. The toolkit is produced by ACU’s STAR2 Center, NHCHC, and the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations—all HRSA-funded NTTAPs.
In the News
‘Quite Puzzling’ Results In Alzheimer’s Study Cloud Future of Tau-Targeting Antibody Treatment, STAT, 11-10-21
Learning Opportunity
Medicaid and Social Determinants of Health: Options for Health Centers, Monday, November 15, Noon-1:30 p.m. ET
This webinar will explain recent CMS guidance on SDOH and offer examples of how states are using policy levers to increase integration between healthcare and social service systems.
If you have policies you’d like your NCMS Board of Directors to consider, please complete the Board input form here. Thanks for reading!