Neighborhood well being facilities are a nationwide community of safety-net main care suppliers serving low-income, medically underserved communities. Along with offering complete main care companies, well being facilities have aided in nationwide, state, and native responses to the coronavirus pandemic by offering a variety of companies designed to gradual the unfold and reduce the severity of COVID-19. Primarily based on findings from a nationwide survey of well being facilities, this transient examines how the pandemic has affected well being heart sufferers and companies in addition to the continuing challenges well being facilities and their sufferers face. Key findings embody:
Affect of the Pandemic on Well being Middle Sufferers and Providers
- Well being facilities elevated their use of telehealth companies in response to the pandemic. The pandemic necessitated a speedy enlargement of well being facilities’ telehealth companies as sufferers averted in-person care as a result of threat of an infection, federal steering to keep away from nonessential care, and social distancing necessities. Whereas in-person visits have rebounded, well being facilities’ use of telehealth companies continues to be increased than earlier than the pandemic.
- Well being facilities reported a rise within the variety of sufferers in search of housing, meals and diet, and transportation companies as a result of financial disruptions attributable to the pandemic. Well being facilities present a variety of social and supportive companies to enrich main care. In comparison with earlier than the pandemic, over half of responding well being facilities stated they noticed a rise within the variety of sufferers in search of housing companies, meals and diet companies, and transportation companies. A majority of responding well being facilities reported offering well being literacy (71%) and transportation companies (63%) on-site, whereas a minimum of 4 in ten reported offering SNAP, WIC, or different dietary companies (44%) and wholesome meals choices, akin to a meals pantry or meal supply (42%), on-site.
- Within the wake of a rising want for psychological well being and substance use dysfunction (SUD) companies in the course of the pandemic, well being facilities added new companies. Because the begin of the pandemic, 64% of well being facilities reported including a minimum of one new psychological well being or SUD service (together with new telehealth choices). Nevertheless, well being facilities indicated that staffing shortages and sufferers’ incapability to entry companies by way of telehealth (e.g., as a result of lack of web entry or computer systems/telephones) as the most typical challenges to offering psychological well being and SUD companies.
- The share of well being facilities offering medication-assisted remedy (MAT) for treating opioid use dysfunction (OUD) elevated in the course of the pandemic. Roughly half of well being facilities (48%) noticed a rise in sufferers with OUD in comparison with the beginning of the pandemic. The variety of well being heart sufferers nationally who obtained MAT for OUD grew by 27% from 2019 to 2020, spurred by an infusion of federal grants for behavioral well being companies at well being facilities within the years main as much as the pandemic and the continuing want for these companies.
Key Points to Watch
- Well being facilities face ongoing challenges recruiting and retaining employees and monetary implications associated to adjustments to the 340B Drug Low cost Program. Amongst responding well being facilities, recruiting new staff and retaining present staff have been cited as prime challenges by 78% and 54% of responding well being facilities, respectively, and are in step with challenges reported in earlier years. Trying forward, well being facilities might face monetary challenges as they transition out of the pandemic. A majority of well being facilities reported that sure actions by pharmaceutical producers and pharmacy profit managers (PBMs) associated to entry to and reimbursement for 340B medicine have had a unfavourable impact on income.
- The unwinding of the Medicaid steady enrollment requirement may result in protection disruptions for a lot of well being heart sufferers and income declines for well being facilities. The lack of Medicaid protection amongst well being heart sufferers may result in a rise in uncompensated care prices for well being facilities. On the similar time, the non permanent infusion of federal COVID-19 grant funding for well being facilities will finish and federal funding for some packages that helped well being facilities in the course of the pandemic, such because the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program, faces an unsure future.