January 20 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), today announced $103 million in awards to improve the retention of health care workers and help respond to the nation’s critical staffing needs by reducing burnout and promoting mental health and wellness among the health care workforce. These awards will fund evidence-informed programs, practices and training, with a specific focus on providers in underserved and rural communities. The funds, secured through the Biden-Harris Administration’s American Rescue Plan, will be disbursed to 45 grantees.

“I have traveled to many health centers across the country and know that the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified issues that have long been a source of stress for frontline health care workers — from increased patient volumes to long working hours,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “This funding reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to ensuring we have enough critical frontline workers by supporting health care providers now and beyond as they face burnout and mental health challenges. We will continue to promote the well-being of those who have made so many sacrifices to keep others well.”

Read the press release.

January 18 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced the availability of $13 million in funding to increase access to behavioral health care services and address health inequities in rural America, including through evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment for substance use disorder.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused behavioral health challenges for Americans of all ages and backgrounds,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “This investment is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to address the inequities that still exist surrounding behavioral health and advance care in rural America. It will support comprehensive behavioral health prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery interventions in rural communities – furthering the goals of our new overdose prevention strategy.”

HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy will make awards through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) - Behavioral Health Care Support. Eligible applicants include entities such as Rural Health Clinics, federally recognized tribes, tribal organizations, and community- and faith-based organizations.

Read the press release.

Updates Will Result in Additional Services with No Out-of-Pocket Cost, Including Expanded Coverage for Breast Pumps and Adolescent Suicide Risk Screening

January 11 - The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has updated comprehensive preventive care and screening guidelines for women and for infants, children, and adolescents. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), certain group health plans and insurance issuers must provide coverage with no out-of-pocket cost for preventive health services within these HRSA-supported comprehensive guidelines. Among a number of updates, for the first time the guidelines will require such group health plans and insurance plans to provide coverage without a co-pay or deductible for double electric breast pumps.

HHS is also releasing a new report from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) highlighting how the ACA has increased access to preventive care for millions of Americans, including vaccinations, contraception, and cancer screening. The ASPE report estimates that more than 150 million people with private insurance, including 58 million women and 37 million children, are receiving preventive services with no cost-sharing, as required by the ACA.

Read the press release.

Our school-administered loan programs application cycle is open. Eligible undergraduate and graduate schools can receive funding to offer low, fixed-rate loans to students pursuing a wide range of health care careers. Four programs are accepting applications until Tuesday, February 15, 11:59 p.m. ET.

Our Health Workforce Research Center (HWRC) funding opportunity application is now open through Thursday, April 14.

HWRC anticipates funding up to nine cooperative agreements for a $4.95 million investment. The awards will support and disseminate rigorous research that strengthens evidence-based policy and enhance understanding of issues and trends in the health workforce.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is responsible for distributing more than $48 billion in broadband funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was passed in November. The NTIA requests comment from stakeholders across the nation to inform their development of programs for these funds, which will be allocated to states for distribution. 

Submit your comments by Friday, February 4, 5 p.m. ET. 

Certificate of Need (CON) laws are state regulatory mechanisms for controlling the volume of health care resources in specific areas. In states with these laws, certain health care facilities must seek approval from a state agency before initiating a major capital expenditure or expanding their service capacity. A state agency then determines whether there is a community need for the new facility or services—or whether those services may go unused.

Many states had been slowly repealing or pulling back CON oversight throughout the past few years. Relaxation of state oversight, however, happened as states responded to COVID-19, with at least 23 states temporarily waiving or expediting their approval processes during the pandemic. This was primarily out of concern that hospitals would quickly have to expand their bed capacity due to COVID-19 hospitalizations, and CON approval would delay or prohibit rapid expansion.

To learn more, read the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) article. 

HRSA’s National Organizations of State and Local Officials Cooperative Agreement provided support for the NCSL resource.