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 here
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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.
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 here
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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
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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 here.
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.
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 here.
The new policy takes effect on September 10.
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 here.
Effective July 1, the Pennsylvania Medical Assistance program’s HealthChoices mandatory managed care program will expand to seven new counties: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, and Somerset. At the same time, the state’s ACCESS Plus Medicaid managed care program will cease operations in those same counties.
Further information can be found in a May 25 Department of Public Welfare (DPW) Medical Assistance Bulletin, which can be found here.
The next meeting of Pennsylvania’s Medical Assistance Advisory Committee (MAAC) will be held on Thursday, May 24 in Harrisburg. The MAAC advises the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare on Medicaid policy. Its meetings are open to the public.