In January, members of PCG Cares in Albany, Glen Allen, Phoenix, Sacramento, and Troy worked with local organizations to sort and prepare lunches, care packages, and donations to help populations in need. Read on for more details of these inspiring stories in our round-up below.

On February 14, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), outlined a new model for emergency medical triage, treatment, and transportation services. CMS will offer Medicare reimbursement through the new model to transport patients to hospital emergency departments as well as other destinations appropriate to patient needs, such as primary care physicians and urgent care clinics.

On February 11, 2019, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), released proposed rules on appropriate access, exchange, and use of data obtained through electronic health records. ONC’s proposed rules would implement provisions in Title IV of the 21st Century Cures Act, which prohibits improper technical barriers to information exchange, often referred to as “information blocking.”

PCG recently collaborated with its client, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), to publish an article in the February 2019 issue of Policy and Practice Magazine called “Rulemaking that Works: Consensus by the Community for the Community.”