Dr. James W. Lock from East Central Miss. Health Care was recently inducted into the University of Southern Mississippi's Hall of Fame. Dr. Lock received his bachelor's degree in medical technology from USM in 1978. He went on to earn his medical degree from Meharry Medical College. Dr. Lock became a board-certified hypertension specialist in 2013, and his clinic in Walnut Grove was designated as a Hypertension Referral Center. At the time of designation, the clinic became one of only eight free-standing hypertension clinics in the country. Dr. Lock has spent the last 17 of his 30-year career working at East Central Mississippi Health Care.

Beginning this year, consumers will have an extra 30 days to review and choose health plans through Open Enrollment, which will run from November 1, 2021, through January 15, 2022, on HealthCare.gov. CMS is also expanding services provided by Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) Navigators—experts who help consumers, especially those in underserved communities, understand their benefits and rights, review options, and enroll in Marketplace coverage.

CMS will re-launch its “Champions for Coverage” program. (click here to sign up to be included). The program currently includes more than 1,000 local organizations that are active in providing outreach and education about the Health Insurance Marketplace and how consumers can enroll in coverage through HealthCare.gov, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

On September 9, 2021, The Biden Administration announced they will require COVID-19 vaccination of staff within all Medicare and Medicaid-certified facilities to protect both them from COVID-19. Under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), FQHCs are considered a “facility” and will need to comply as a condition for participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Register here.

On October 18, 2021, the Senate Appropriations Committee released the remaining FY22 appropriations bills, including the Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education Bill, ahead of the December 3, 2021 deadline to fund the government. The Labor-HHS spending bill included $1.8 billion for health centers, an increase of $110 million from FY21, and $150 million for the National Health Service Corps, an increase of $30 million from FY21. The bill also included over $50 million in direct spending (earmarks) to benefit health centers. However, the bill continues to face obstacles as Republicans oppose the discrepancy between non-defense and defense spending increases and the lack of inclusion of the Hyde amendment, which prevents federal programs from covering abortions. If Congress cannot agree on the annual appropriations bills, a continuing resolution would have to be passed to keep the government open.

President Biden has gotten progressively more involved in negotiations, meeting with House and Senate Leadership, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), as well as progressive and moderate Members of Congress as the October 31, 2021 deadline to vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and partisan reconciliation, Build Back Better (BBB) Act, approaches. Moderate lawmakers have indicated they support funding fewer programs more generously, while progressives have argued for funding more programs at lower levels and extending those programs in the future. As Congress negotiates the final top-line number to a $1.5T to $2.5T range, Democrats are now deciding how to cut the legislation. Ask Members of Congress to keep CHCs' $10B for capital funding and $6.3B in primary care workforce funding in the bill. 

Congratulations to the Mississippi CHCs awarded Ending the HIV Epidemic Primary Care HIV Prevention Awards: Central Mississippi Health Services, Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Services, Mallory Community Health Center, Family Health Care Clinic, Jefferson Comprehensive Health Center, and Outreach Health Services.

On Oct. 1, 2021, HHS issued a final rule rescinding the Trump Administration's final rule, "Implementing of Executive Order on Access to Affordable Life-Saving Medications," initially released in December 2020. This new final rule will become effective Saturday, Oct. 30. As the underlying Executive Order 13937 remains in effect, HRSA is exploring non-regulatory options to implement the Executive Order. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

On Oct. 4, 2021, HHS finalized the Title X regulation rolling back the Trump Administration's "gag rule." The final Title X rule will go into effect on November 8, meeting the Administration's goal to finalize the proposal by early fall before the 2022 Title X funding is awarded in December. NACHC and PACHC appreciate our members submitting comments to strengthen the Title X program and encourage the Administration to have more alignment between the Health Center Program and Title X. NACHC will provide guidance on health center compliance under the new rule in the upcoming weeks.

OCR Issues Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccinations and HIPAA

The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance to help the public understand when the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule applies to disclosures and requests for information about whether a person has received a COVID-19 vaccine.

FDA has authorized several COVID-19 monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatments for emergency use. For health centers that provide mAb treatment directly, instead of referring patients to receive it, HRSA has shared the following information about coverage and payment:

For additional information, see HRSA’s Coronavirus-Related Funding FAQs or American Rescue Plan Funding for Health Centers FAQs.

To learn more read the memo here.

CEs available. Learn More here.

Check out the Vaccines Plus Program page for information promoting CHC clinics. See videos of health center providers. Updated weekly.

Access it https://linktr.ee/CHCAMS

For those who missed the live discussions, recordings of the meetings and other information are now available at the CHCAMS COVID-19 Clearinghouse.

Mississippi's CHCs were invited to send in clips of clinic providers giving messages of encouragement and advice about primary care and COVID-19 vaccinations. These videos will be featured throughout the month of November on the CHCsofMS Facebook page here. Please consider 'friending' CHCAMS to follow.

CHCs are invited to upload open position announcements to CHCAMS' recruitment partner website ReEmployedllc.com . This recruiter will send qualified applicants back to your health center for review and assist in follow-up with potential candidates.