Notice2022-13632
Request for Information (RFI): HHS Initiative To Strengthen Primary Health Care
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Published
June 27, 2022
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services Department
Abstract
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) requests input from persons, communities, health care providers, purchasers and payers, educators, researchers, and other members of the public about what the federal government could do to strengthen primary health care in the United States. Improving access to health care, advancing health equity, and improving the health of the Nation are top priorities for the Biden- Harris Administration and HHS. Access to high-quality primary health care has been shown to improve health equity and health outcomes, and is essential for addressing key priorities, including: the COVID-19 pandemic; mental and substance use disorder prevention and care, including suicide and overdose prevention; prevention and management of chronic conditions; gender-based violence; and maternal and child health and well-being. However, our nation's primary health care foundation is weakening and in need of support: primary health care is under-resourced; the workforce is shrinking; workforce well-being is in peril; and many practices face reimbursement challenges that may result in financial instability. The HHS Initiative to Strengthen Primary Health Care (the Initiative) aims to establish a federal foundation for the provision of primary health care for all that supports improved health outcomes and advanced health equity. The first task is to develop an initial HHS plan for strengthening primary health care that will delineate specific actions that HHS agencies and offices may take to achieve the aims, within the current legislation and funding environment. In addition, the plan will include actions that establish an infrastructure in HHS to continue its focus on strengthening primary health, developing subsequent HHS plans that build on the initial plan, and monitoring progress and impact. The purpose of this RFI is to provide OASH with diverse perspectives, experiences, and knowledge that may inform the development of the initial plan for HHS, as well as future steps for the Initiative. OASH seeks information about successful approaches and innovations that improve primary health care payment, delivery models, service integration, access, workforce education, training and well-being, digital health and primary care measurement and research. OASH also seeks information about barriers to implementation of such innovations and how they could be overcome, including specific ideas for possible HHS action. OASH encourages respondents to address health equity, and is particularly interested in information from community-based settings, such as public housing, personal homes, group homes, and assisted living facilities where older adults and people with disabilities may live, and about populations traditionally underserved by current primary health care.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 122 (Monday, June 27, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 122 (Monday, June 27, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38168-38170]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-13632]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Request for Information (RFI): HHS Initiative To Strengthen
Primary Health Care
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the
Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Notice of Request for Information.
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SUMMARY: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of
the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) requests input from persons,
communities, health care providers, purchasers and payers, educators,
researchers, and other members of the public about what the federal
government could do to strengthen primary health care in the United
States. Improving access to health care, advancing health equity, and
improving the health of the Nation are top priorities for the Biden-
Harris Administration and HHS. Access to high-quality primary health
care has been shown to improve health equity and health outcomes, and
is essential for addressing key priorities, including: the COVID-19
pandemic; mental and substance use disorder prevention and care,
including suicide and overdose prevention; prevention and management of
chronic conditions; gender-based violence; and maternal and child
health and well-being. However, our nation's primary health care
foundation is weakening and in need of support: primary health care is
under-resourced; the workforce is shrinking; workforce well-being is in
peril; and many practices face reimbursement challenges that may result
in financial instability. The HHS Initiative to Strengthen Primary
Health Care (the Initiative) aims to establish a federal foundation for
the provision of primary health care for all that supports improved
health outcomes and advanced health equity. The first task is to
develop an initial HHS plan for strengthening primary health care that
will delineate specific actions that HHS agencies and offices may take
to achieve the aims, within the current legislation and funding
environment. In addition, the plan will include actions that establish
an infrastructure in HHS to continue its focus on strengthening primary
health, developing subsequent HHS plans that build on the initial plan,
and monitoring progress and impact. The purpose of this RFI is to
provide OASH with diverse perspectives, experiences, and knowledge that
may inform the development of the initial plan for HHS, as well as
future steps for the Initiative. OASH seeks information about
successful approaches and innovations that improve primary health care
payment, delivery models, service integration, access, workforce
education, training and well-being, digital health and primary care
measurement and research. OASH also seeks information about barriers to
implementation of such innovations and how they could be overcome,
including specific ideas for possible HHS action. OASH encourages
respondents to address health equity, and is particularly interested in
information from community-based settings, such as public housing,
personal homes, group homes, and assisted living facilities where older
adults and people with disabilities may live, and about populations
traditionally underserved by current primary health care.
DATES: To be assured consideration, comments must be received at the
email address provided below, no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time
(ET) on August 1, 2022. HHS will not reply individually to responders
but will consider all comments submitted by the deadline.
ADDRESSES: Please submit all responses via email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#723d33213a22001b1f13000b3a17131e061a31130017321a1a015c151d04"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="743b35273c24061d1915060d3c111518001c37150611341c1c075a131b02">[email protected]</span></a> as a Word document attachment or in the
body of an email. Include ``Primary Health Care RFI'' in the subject
line of the email.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information, direct
questions to the OASH Primary Health Care Team at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c08f81938890b2a9ada1b2b988a5a1acb4a883a1b2a580a8a8b3eea7afb6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="85cac4d6cdd5f7ece8e4f7fccde0e4e9f1edc6e4f7e0c5ededf6abe2eaf3">[email protected]</span></a> or Sarah Boateng at (202) 401-7003.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Instructions: Response to this RFI is voluntary. Each responding
entity (person or organization) is requested to submit only one
response. OASH welcomes responses to inform policies and actions to
strengthen primary health care. Respond to one or as many prompts as
you choose. Be concise with your submissions, which must not exceed
four pages in 12-point or larger font, with a page number provided on
each page. Responses should include the name of the person(s) or
organization(s) filing the comment.
OASH invites input from members of the public representing all
backgrounds and perspectives. In particular, OASH is interested in
input from individuals; paid and unpaid caregivers; communities;
community-based organizations; health care providers (please state
discipline and specialty, as appropriate); professional societies;
community health centers and Rural Health Clinics; state, local,
tribal, and territorial governments and public
[[Page 38169]]
health departments; educators; academic researchers; global partners;
health insurance payers and purchasers; health technology developers;
and policy experts. Examples of health care providers include, but are
not limited to: family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and
obstetrics and gynecology physicians; physician assistants; nurse
practitioners; nurse midwives; nurses; behavioral health providers;
oral health providers; medical/surgical specialists; community health
workers; social workers; care coordinators; telehealth navigators; peer
recovery specialists; provider practices; and health care systems.
Indicate which of these stakeholder types best fits you as a
respondent, if applicable. If a comment is submitted on behalf of an
organization, the individual respondent's role in the organization may
also be provided. Comments containing references, studies, research,
and other empirical data that are not widely published should include
copies or electronic links of the referenced materials. No business
proprietary information, copyrighted information, or personally
identifiable information should be submitted in response to this RFI.
Comments submitted in response to this RFI may be posted on HHS
websites or otherwise released publicly.
Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by
the Federal Government to form a binding contract. Additionally, those
submitting responses are solely responsible for all expenses associated
with response preparation.
Background: The HHS Initiative to Strengthen Primary Health Care
aims to establish a federal foundation that supports advancement toward
a goal state of the practice of primary health care. In its goal state,
the practice of primary health care:
<bullet> Supports health and wellness through sustained
partnerships with patients, families, and their communities;
<bullet> Equitably provides first contact access to all, as well as
whole person, comprehensive care over time, using interprofessional
teams; and
<bullet> Coordinates and integrates care across systems, including
other health care providers, public health, and community-based health
promotion and social service organizations.
To achieve this goal state, actions and resources addressing
financial, legislative, workforce, public health, technology and data
sharing, and community-based factors are required.
The Initiative was launched in September 2021 by the Office of the
Assistant Secretary of Health (OASH), under the leadership of Assistant
Secretary for Health, Admiral Rachel Levine. The first task of the
Initiative is to develop an initial Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) two to three year plan for strengthening primary health
care that will delineate specific actions that HHS agencies and offices
may take to advance toward the goal state of primary health care,
defined above. In addition, the plan will include actions that
establish an infrastructure in HHS to continue its focus on
strengthening primary health, including developing subsequent HHS plans
that build on the initial plan, and monitoring progress and impact. The
recently released National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine (NASEM) report, Implementing High-Quality Primary Care:
Rebuilding the Foundation of Health Care,\1\ which was developed in
part with resources provided by HHS, will inform the development of the
HHS Plan. This report organizes recommended actions using five domains:
payment, access, workforce, digital health, and accountability. OASH is
working with HHS agency partners and with other federal departments to
develop the HHS plan. These efforts will also be informed by feedback
from external stakeholders and subject matter experts, including
patients, families, providers, researchers, and communities, to learn
about innovative approaches, needs and challenges, to inform the HHS
plan. This RFI will ensure that OASH has obtained broad input, and will
inform the initial HHS plan and subsequent plans.
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\1\ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
2021. Implementing High-Quality Primary Care: Rebuilding the
Foundation of Health Care. Washington, DC: The National Academies
Press.
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Scope and terminology: OASH invites input from all interested
members of the public as outlined in the instructions. OASH encourages
input from traditionally underserved populations. Definitions are
provided for four of the key concepts of the goal state of primary
health care (see above) that may have variable interpretations.
<bullet> Whole person care: Whole person care requires an
understanding of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health
and wellness goals of the individual/family served and the context in
which they live and work, and is facilitated by goal-oriented care
plans developed with the patient and primary health care team through
shared decision making.
<bullet> Integrated care: Integrated care expands the health team
by bringing primary health care together with behavioral health (mental
health and substance use disorder services), oral health, public
health, and social and other services and partnerships to optimize
access, coordination of care, and health outcomes.
<bullet> Interprofessional teams: Integrated care requires the
expertise of interprofessional teams and their coordination of care.
Interprofessional team composition is not predetermined or fixed,
instead personalized to meet the needs of the individual and family
served.
<bullet> Community participation, self-reliance, and resilience:
Primary health care practices can support communities' capacities to
achieve self-reliance and resilience by working as a member of the
community to strengthen the health and wellness of individuals,
families, and the communities in which they live.
Information Requested: Respondents may provide information for one
or as many topics below as they choose. OASH welcomes information about
innovations, models, solutions to barriers, and possible HHS actions
that may strengthen primary health care to promote health equity,
reduce health disparities, improve health care access, and improve
health outcomes. Strengthening primary health care requires the
coordination of many partners. Recommendations for collaboration across
HHS and between HHS and other federal departments are welcome.
1. Successful models or innovations that help achieve the goal
state for primary health care, defined above: Describe models or
example innovations that are advancing the health of individuals and
communities through strengthened primary health care, summarize
evidence demonstrating impact, and provide resources, as appropriate.
OASH is interested in action steps that will produce sustainable
change, in addition to pilot programs. Share implementation approaches
and lessons learned. Your response may address but need not be limited
to: examples of new payment models; actions that support the
integration of primary health care with other elements of the health
care systems (e.g., specialty care including behavioral health care,
oral health, hospitals, health systems); actions that support
integration of primary health care with prevention specialists (e.g.,
Drug-Free Communities Coalitions, Community Health Workers, Peer
Support Specialists) in work to reduce risk factors and increase
protective factors associated with substance use and mental conditions;
primary health
[[Page 38170]]
care integration with other clinical services and public health;
primary health care integration with community-based organizations to
provide social services to patients; interprofessional education
strategies; expanded and effective use of health information technology
(IT); strategies to expand primary health care research and its impact;
and measures of primary health care spending, access, quality, and
impact.
2. Barriers to implementing successful models or innovations:
Describe current barriers to implementing innovations or improvements
that would strengthen primary health care, to improve the health of
individuals, families and communities. Also, consider barriers to
advancing primary health care research, as well as barriers to
inclusive services and those targeting youth. For each barrier, you may
provide evidence-based or proposed solutions.
3. Successful strategies to engage communities: Describe models,
approaches or frameworks that HHS could use to obtain ongoing input
from individuals, caregivers, and communities on HHS actions to
strengthen primary health care and their implementation (i.e.,
community engagement strategies), acknowledging the different
approaches necessary to obtain perspectives from youth and adults.
Populations of focus are those traditionally underserved by health
care, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American
persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of
color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities;
persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely
affected by persistent poverty or inequality. Additional populations of
interest are people experiencing homelessness; non-US-born persons;
individuals experiencing gender-based violence; individuals with
chronic illness; older adults and people with disabilities; individuals
with mental and substance use disorders; and people who have had
interactions with the criminal justice system. Share implementation
approaches for community engagement strategies and lessons learned.
4. Proposed HHS actions: Identify specific actions that HHS may
take to advance the health of individuals, families, and communities
through strengthened primary health care. Examples include, but are not
limited to: steps to implement and scale new payment models and
reimbursement approaches, including revising the Physician Fee
Schedule, Relative Value Units, and Current Procedural Terminology
codes and advancing value-based care; increasing payer and national
investment in primary health care and measuring/monitoring spending on
primary care; support for service integration, including integration of
primary health care and public health; and enabling care for complex
needs by integrating behavioral, oral, and primary health care and
integrating access to social services and primary health care through
partnerships; support for primary health care workforce well-being;
policy and programmatic proposals for health workforce programs to
address workforce shortages, geographic maldistribution and to improve
workforce diversity; support for primary health care workforce
education and training; interprofessional education; new technical
assistance needed; advancing the use of certified health IT and
interoperability of electronic health information across the care
continuum; primary health care research infrastructure and investment;
and measurement and stewardship of primary health care. Specify what
barrier the opportunity addresses, and the realistic timing for
implementation: less than two years, two to five years, and six to 10
years.
Dated: June 15, 2022.
Judith Steinberg,
Senior Advisor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health,
Department of Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. 2022-13632 Filed 6-24-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150-28-P
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