COVID-19 RURAL DIGEST

MAY 20, 2020

Providers Must Act by June 3, 2020 to Receive Additional Relief Fund General Distribution Payment

• Eligible providers that they have until June 3, 2020, to accept the Terms and Conditions and submit their revenue information to support receiving an additional.
• All providers who automatically received an additional General Distribution payment prior to 5:00 pm, Friday, April 24th, must provide HHS with an accounting of their annual revenues by submitting tax forms or financial statements.
• Read more: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/05/20/providers-must-act-june-3-2020-receive-additional-relief-fund-general-distribution-payment.html

CMS Issues Nursing Homes Best Practices Toolkit to Combat COVID-19

• Nursing homes have been among the hardest hit organizations during the COVID-19 crisis; federal policy makers have sought rules and regulations to confront these challenges.
• The toolkit includes up to date information on state actions, quality improvement steps, and date reporting initiatives.
• Read the full toolkit: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/covid-toolkit-states-mitigate-covid-19-nursing-homes.pdf
• Read the CMS release: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-issues-nursing-homes-best-practices-toolkit-combat-covid-19

HHS Provides $225 Million for COVID-19 Testing in Rural Communities

• These investments will support over 4,500 RHCs across the country to support COVID-19 testing efforts and expand access to testing in rural communities.
• Find state award amounts: https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/coronavirus/rural-health-clinics-covid-19-testing-fy20-awards
• Read HHS press release: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/05/20/hhs-provides-225-million-for-covid19-testing-in-rural-communities.html

COVID-19 challenges healthcare’s status quo: 3 things to know

• The COVID-19 crisis will likely change healthcare for years to come.
• Read the article: https://www.statnews.com/2020/05/19/9-ways-covid-19-forever-upend-health-care/

Prisons in Rural America Threaten to Choke Rural Hospitals

• Along with nursing homes and meat packing plants, correctional institutions are among the hardest hit by COVID-19.
• Rural areas are especially vulnerable to large amounts of cases from a single source like a prison outbreak.
• Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2020-05-14/rural-prisons-threaten-to-choke-rural-hospitals-with-covid-19