Health Beat: Federal Health Funding Workshop Planned For Delta Nonprofits, Community Groups

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FEDERAL HEALTH FUNDING WORKSHOP PLANNED FOR DELTA NONPROFITS, COMMUNITY GROUPS
The Delta Regional Authority and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will hold a workshop in Memphis on Sept. 24 to help provide health funding opportunities for public and non-profit community-based organizations across the Mississippi River Delta region.

Examples of attendees and applicants who may benefit from this workshop include public and non-profit institutions such as Federally Qualified Health Centers, community colleges, health departments, planning and development districts, Area Agencies on Aging, and economic development organizations, said organizers with the federal department’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Attendance to the event is free, but all registrants are asked to RSVP via this link as space is limited. The workshop will be held at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis.

HHS ISSUES PROPOSED RULES ADVANCING ‘HEALTH EQUITY’ THROUGH AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
The federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a proposed rule that is part of the Affordable Care Act to advance health equity and reduce disparities in health care. The proposed rule,  called “Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities,” will assist some of the populations that have been most vulnerable to discrimination and will help provide those populations equal access to health care and health coverage.

Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) extended civil rights protections banning sex discrimination to health programs and activities. Previously, civil rights laws enforced by HHS’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) barred discrimination based only on race, color, national origin, disability, or age. The proposed rule also extends all civil rights obligations to the Health Insurance Marketplaces and HHS health programs and activities. For more information on the proposed rule, click here.

CDC LAUNCHES NEW DRUG OVERDOSE PREVENTION PROGRAM
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a new program as part of the Obama administration’s plan to help states end the ongoing prescription drug overdose epidemic. The “Prescription Drug Overdose: Prevention for States” will initially make a “strong investment” in 16 states, giving them resources and expertise to help prevent overdose deaths related to prescription opioids.

In fiscal 2015, CDC is committing $20 million to give each state awardee $750,000 and $1 million each year to advance prevention programs. The president’s 2016 budget includes a request to expand the CDC program to all 50 states and launch a national program that will focus on prevention and prescription drug overdose surveillance. Learn more here.