FAST STATS Photo credit: Gargonia | stock.adobe.com


total child COVID-19 cases were reported by 49 states


380,174 501


cases per 100,000 was the overall rate of children in the population


179,990


new child cases were reported from July 9 to August 6 (200,184 to 380,174), a 90% increase in child cases over four weeks


3 TO 12 percent of total state tests were done for


children, and 3.7 to 18.6 percent of children tested were positive


0.5 TO 5.3


percent of total reported hospitalizations were children, and 0.3 to 9 percent of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in hospitalizations


0 TO 0.4 percent of all COVID-19 deaths were


children, and 19 states reported 0 child deaths


15,000+


cumulative child cases were reported in 7 states


5,000+


child cases were reported in half of the states


Reference: Children and COVID-19: State Data Report: A joint report from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association Summary of publicly reported data from 49 states, NYC, DC, PR, and GU Version: 8/6/20: https://downloads.aap. org/AAP/PDF/AAP%20and%20CHA%20-%20Children%20and%20 COVID-19%20State%20Data%20Report%208.6.20%20FINAL.pdf


6


NEWSWIRE


Premier, Inc. restructures eliminating dual-class structure to simplify ownership


Premier, Inc. announced that it has completed a corporate restructuring to eliminate its dual-class ownership struc- ture, through an exchange under which Premier’s member-owners converted their Class B units in Premier Healthcare Alliance, LP and corresponding Class B shares of Premier into shares of Premier Class A common stock, on a one-for- one basis thus simplifying its financial reporting. The company also terminated its Tax Receivable Agreement (TRA) with its member-owners by accelerating those payment obligations at a discounted value as provided in the TRA. The company noted that members representing more than 99 percent of its member-owner gross administrative fees agreed to the corporate restructuring and termination of TRAs. The company also announced that, separately, it has entered into amended Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) agreements with the vast majority of its member-owners. The amended GPO agreements are expected to support sus- tainable, long-term growth of net admin- istrative fees revenue and enhance the companys eibility to invest in strategic initiatives to deliver additional value for members and stockholders.


Federal initiative to transform rural healthcare announced The Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (CHART) Model has been announced as part of the Improving Rural Health and Telehealth Access and Cen- ters for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) Rethinking Rural Health initiative. Collectively, the administration aims to ensure individuals in rural America have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare. The CHART Model also ties payment to value, increases choice and lowers costs for patients. CHART will empower rural communities to develop a system of care to deliver high-quality care to their patients by providing support through new seed funding and payment structures, operational and regulatory eibilities and technical and learning support. Americans living in rural areas have worse health outcomes and higher rates of preventable diseases than the over 57 million Americans living in urban areas. Impediments, such as transportation chal- lenges, disproportionately impact rural Americans and their access to care. Rural providers also experience challenges. For example, many rural healthcare facilities


September 2020 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • hpnonline.com


experience healthcare workforce short- ages, and operate on thin margins, and more than 126 rural hospitals have closed since 2010. Many rural hospitals also have difficulty recruiting and retaining medical professionals to rural areas. Meanwhile, value-based payment models have accel- erated nationally, though rural healthcare providers have been slow to adopt these models.


Providers interested in the CHART Model have two options for participation. 1. Community Transformation Track: An investment of up to $75 million in seed money to allow up to 15 rural commu- nities to participate in the Community Transformation Track. The upfront investment empowers communities to implement care delivery reform, provide predictable capitated payments, and offer operational and regulatory eibili- ties to build a sustainable system of care. Through these eibilities healthcare providers across the community will be able to pursue care transformation, such as expanding telehealth to allow the beneficiarys place of residence to be an originating site and waiving certain Medicare hospital conditions of partici- pation to allow a rural outpatient depart- ment and emergency room to be paid as if they were classified as a hospital. The model also allows participant hospitals to waive cost-sharing for certain Part B services and provide transportation sup- port and gift cards for chronic disease management.


In September, CMS will select up to 15 rural communities to participate in this track, with the winners being announced in early 2021 and the model starting in summer 2021. 2. Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Transformation Track: This track offers upfront investment to assist rural health- care providers in improving outcomes and uality for rural beneficiaries. This track builds on the success of the ACO Investment Model (AIM), which has saved $382 million over three years. Providers participating in the ACO Transformation Track will enter into two-sided risk arrangements as part of the Medicare Shared Savings Pro- gram (MSSP) and may use all waivers available in the MSSP program. CMS anticipates releasing a Request for Appli- cations in spring 2021 and selecting up to 20 rural ACOs to participate in this track starting in January 2022. CMS also has:


•Taken steps in the CY 2021 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule published on August 4, 2020 to extend the avail-


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