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DHS Issues RFI for Vendors to Help Monitor Payments

Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services (DHS), which administers the state’s Medicaid program, is seeking information from vendors that offer data mining and predictive analytics that might help the state monitor Medicaid and other payments.
pa dhsDHS seeks to use such services to “…detect patterns of waste, fraud, and abuse in its programs on a prospective or retrospective basis.”
Among the challenges such vendors might address in their responses, as stated in the RFI, are:

  • Identifying claim review strategies that efficiently and proactively prevent or address potential errors (e.g., prepayment edit specifications or parameters).
    Providing mechanisms to investigate patterns that may indicate abuse of services by clients.
  • Producing innovative views of utilization or billing patterns that illuminate potential errors.
    Maximizing recoveries by identifying high volume or high cost services that are widely over utilized.
  • Identifying areas of potential errors (e.g., services which may be non-covered or not correctly coded) that poses the greatest risk or vulnerability.
    Establishing baseline data to enable DHS to dynamically recognize unusual trends, changes in utilization over time, or schemes to inappropriately maximize reimbursement. Adapting systems, rules, and algorithms on an ad hoc basis in order to be responsive to emerging trends, patterns, and issues as they are identified.
  • Clearly distinguishing which applications are standardized as part of the product package and which applications will need to be purchased as a system enhancement.
  • Establishing baseline data and recommendations to improve the client experience related to access to services and the quality of the services received.

The call for vendors is a request for information (RFI) and not a request for proposals (RFP) but it appears likely that the state will issue an RFP after it has had an opportunity to review the information submitted to it.
RFI submissions are due on November 9. See the RFI document here.

2015-09-17T06:00:51+00:00September 17th, 2015|Meetings and notices|Comments Off on DHS Issues RFI for Vendors to Help Monitor Payments

Healthy Pennsylvania Medicaid Benefits Posted

Bookshelf with law booksThe Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has published materials describing Medicaid benefits under the state’s Healthy Pennsylvania Medicaid expansion.
A Medical Assistance Bulletin (#99-15-02) describing the “Interim Healthy Benefit Plan” can be found here and tables comparing the benefits packages under the “Healthy” (low risk), “Healthy Plus” (high risk), and Private Coverage Option plans (PCO) can be found here.

2015-01-22T06:00:53+00:00January 22nd, 2015|Healthy PA, Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Medicaid laws and regulations|Comments Off on Healthy Pennsylvania Medicaid Benefits Posted

MAAC Meets

The Medical Assistance Advisory Committee that works with the Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare met recently in Harrisburg.
Among the subjects discussed during the meeting were the state’s recently passed budget, the Medical Assistance program, the prospects for Medicaid expansion, and more.
Read the official state file note summarizing the meeting hereHarrisburg, PA capital building.

2013-08-07T06:00:18+00:00August 7th, 2013|Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania state budget issues|Comments Off on MAAC Meets

Health Law PA News

The Pennsylvania Health Law Project has published its January 2013 newsletter, which includes articles on the state’s budget process (including a schedule of upcoming budget hearings), the continued expansion of HealthChoices, changes in Medicaid-covered behavioral health and substance abuse services, limits on Medical Assistance benefits, the overall benefits of Medicaid expansion for Pennsylvania, and more.
Go here to download the Pennsylvania Health Law Project’s Health Law PA News.

2013-02-08T06:00:35+00:00February 8th, 2013|Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania state budget issues|Comments Off on Health Law PA News

DPW Announces Fee Schedule Changes

The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare has issued a Medical Assistance Bulletin detailing changes in the fee-for-service fee schedule.  The changes take effect immediately.
 
Read the bulletin with the changes hereBookshelf with law books.

2012-12-19T06:00:54+00:00December 19th, 2012|Medical Assistance Bulletin, Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Medicaid laws and regulations, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on DPW Announces Fee Schedule Changes

DPW Issues DSH Notice

The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) has published a notice “announcing its intent to allocate funding for several classes of disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments made to qualifying Medical Assistance (MA) enrolled acute care general hospitals.”  These allocations include funding for FY 2013 critical access, OB/NICU, trauma, burn center, academic medical center, and other supplemental DSH payments.
Find the complete Pennsylvania Bulletin notice here.

DPW Issues Bulletin on Peritoneal Dialysis

The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) has issued a new Medical Assistance Bulletin titled “Information Regarding Peritoneal Dialysis Treatment.”  The stated purpose of the bulletin is “to provide information to providers regarding the use of peritoneal dialysis (PD) in treating beneficiaries with kidney failure, the potential benefits of PD over hemodialysis, and the screening of beneficiaries for PD suitability.”
The new bulletin is available hereBookshelf with law books.

2012-09-20T06:00:28+00:00September 20th, 2012|Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Medicaid laws and regulations|Comments Off on DPW Issues Bulletin on Peritoneal Dialysis

DPW Issues Medical Assistance Bulletins

The Department of Public Welfare (DPW) has issued a number of new bulletins governing Pennsylvania’s Medical Assistance program.
These new regulations include an amendment to the state’s Medicaid plan for children with disabilities; the process for prior authorization of pituitary suppressive drugs; the process for prior authorization of erythropoiesis stimulating protein; the process for prior authorization of benign prostatic hyperplasia treatments; the process for prior authorization of antibiotics (GI); and the process for the prior authorization of platelet aggregation inhibitors.
In addition, DPW formally announced the expansion of HealthChoices to 13 counties in western Pennsylvania and the termination of ACCESS Plus in those counties effective October 1 and its intention to publish in the near future a new bulletin adding growth factors to the Medical Assistance program’s list of items requiring prior authorization.

2012-08-27T06:00:55+00:00August 27th, 2012|Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Bulletin, Pennsylvania Medicaid laws and regulations, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on DPW Issues Medical Assistance Bulletins

DPW Updates Dependence Treatment Procedures

The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) has issued a new Medical Assistance Bulletin updating its procedures for seeking prior authorization for opiate dependence treatment.
The new bulletin, which can be found here, applies to all licensed pharmacies and prescribers enrolled in the state’s Medical Assistance program that provide services through the Medical Assistance fee-for-service program.
An update of the Medical Assistance handbook for prior authorization of these services can be found hereBookshelf with law books.
The new policy takes effect on September 10.

2012-08-10T06:00:06+00:00August 10th, 2012|Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Medicaid laws and regulations, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Uncategorized|Comments Off on DPW Updates Dependence Treatment Procedures

DPW Publishes Bulletin Addressing Preventable Conditions

The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) has posted a new Medical Assistance Bulletin presenting the state Medicaid program’s policies governing the reporting of “provider preventable conditions” effective July 1, 2012.  The policy applies to providers that serve Medical Assistance recipients enrolled in the fee-for-service and ACCESS Plus programs.
Find the Bulletin hereBookshelf with law books.

2012-06-20T06:00:09+00:00June 20th, 2012|Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Medicaid laws and regulations, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on DPW Publishes Bulletin Addressing Preventable Conditions
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