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Pennsylvania Health Law Project Newsletter

The Pennsylvania Health Law Project has published its April 2021 newsletter.

Included in this month’s edition are articles about:

  • The impact of the American Rescue Plan on health insurance eligibility.
  • The impact of the American Rescue Plan on “Pennie,” Pennsylvania’s health insurance marketplace.
  • Federal updates on nursing home visitation.
  • Medicare coverage of COVID-19 testing and vaccines.
  • Using the Medical Assistance Transportation program to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Advancing maternal health care coverage in Pennsylvania.

Read about these subjects and more in the Pennsylvania Health Law Project’s April 2021 newsletter.

2021-05-06T11:13:13+00:00May 6th, 2021|Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid COVID-19, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on Pennsylvania Health Law Project Newsletter
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COVID Drives Major Increase in PA Medicaid Enrollment

Medicaid enrollment in Pennsylvania has risen nearly 14 percent in the past year as rising unemployment resulting from COVID-19 drives people to turn to the state for health insurance.

As a result, Pennsylvania has added nearly 400,000 people to its Medicaid rolls in the past year.  Today, 3.2 million Pennsylvanians are enrolled in the state’s program, although among them are approximately 250,000 who would have been dropped from the program except for a federal requirement that the state not drop people from the program in exchange for a major increase in federal aid for the state’s program.

As a result of the increase, the state’s Department of Human Services, which runs its Medicaid program, has asked the legislature for nearly $1 billion in supplemental funding to help finance its services for this expanded enrollment through the rest of the state’s FY 2021 year.

Learn more about the past year’s increase in Medicaid enrollment, who the new enrollees are, and how the state is accommodating them in the Philadelphia Inquirer article “A huge spike in Medicaid enrollment in Pa. shows how devastating the coronavirus has been.”

2021-03-24T06:00:57+00:00March 24th, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid COVID-19|Comments Off on COVID Drives Major Increase in PA Medicaid Enrollment
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PA Health Law Project Newsletter

The Pennsylvania Health Law Project has published its November 2020 newsletter Health Law News.

Included in this month’s edition are articles about:

  • How the renewal of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency declaration extends key Medicaid protections.
  • State planning for children with complex needs.
  • State efforts to connect people to COVID-19 testing and care.
  • An upcoming webinar about challenging Medicaid and Community HealthChoices waiver service denials.

Read about these subjects and more in the Pennsylvania Health Law Project’s November 2020 newsletter.

2020-11-17T15:00:32+00:00November 4th, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid COVID-19, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on PA Health Law Project Newsletter
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Medicaid Enrollment on the Rise

More people are enrolling in Medicaid, and much of the increase is driven by the COVID-19 emergency.

Or so reports the organization Families USA in a new study.

Pennsylvania State MapAccording to the study,

Over half of the 38 states reporting monthly enrollment through May or later have seen greater than 7% growth in enrollment since February. For the eight states reporting August enrollment, their average enrollment growth since February is approximately 11%.

But the implications are even greater, according to the analysis, which found that in large part because of COVID-19 job loss,

Medicaid enrollment among the 38 states reporting has already increased by 4.3 million people and is poised to increase much more in the near future. Analysis by Health Management Associates projects that up to 27 million people will lose their job-based insurance this year and that Medicaid will see an increase in enrollment of up to 18 million people by the end of 2020, depending on the severity of the economic downturn.

The effects of COVID-19 job loss and accompanying loss of insurance already appears to be visible in Pennsylvania, where Medicaid enrollment rose from 2.84 million in March of 2020 to 2.89 million in April, 2.94 million in May, and 2.977 million in June.  Growing Medicaid enrollment poses a challenge for Pennsylvania’s safety-net hospitals because they care for so many low-income patients and payments from the state’s Medicaid program often do not cover the cost of the care they provide.

Learn more about the nation-wide trend in the Families USA report “Rapid Increases in Medicaid Enrollment: A Review of Data from Six Months.”

 

2020-09-16T06:00:58+00:00September 16th, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid COVID-19, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals|Comments Off on Medicaid Enrollment on the Rise
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COVID-19 Update: March 30, 2020

COVID-19-related developments in Pennsylvania as of 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 30.  To receive this daily update directly, sign up for our mailing list at info@pasafetynet.org.

State Update

Governor Wolf

  • On Saturday the governor requested a major disaster declarationfrom the President to provide additional support for state, county, and municipal governments, certain non-profits, and individuals who are struggling during the COVID-19 outbreak.
  • Over the weekend Governor Wolf expanded his ‘Stay at Home’ order to include three more counties to mitigate the spread of the virus:  Beaver, Centre, and Washington counties.  Today, he added four more counties to the order:  Carbon, Cumberland, Dauphin, and Schuylkill counties and extended the order to April 30 for all 26 affected counties.  The governor’s amended order, the secretary of health’s amended order, and the stay at home guidance are available online.
  • Today Governor Wolf announced that all schools and non-life-sustaining businesses will remain closed until further notice.

Governor’s Daily Briefings

  • Four percent of all cases are health care workers.
  • The COVID-19 death rate is now more than 10 percent. All deaths so far have been adults.
  • Over the weekend nine Pennsylvania counties experienced their first cases, so the total is now cases in 59 counties.
  • There are people with COVID-19 in about five percent of the state’s nursing homes (36 out of 695); most of those cases are in southeastern Pennsylvania.
  • Two field hospitals will be established in southeastern Pennsylvania through an effort led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
  • 40 percent of the state’s ICU beds are currently unoccupied.
  • The state has more than 4000 ventilators in hospitals and other facilities, has an unstated number in its own stockpile, and has purchased more that should be arriving shortly. Governor Wolf said that if the state could add 1400 more ventilators he thinks it would be in good shape.
  • Based on the criteria the state currently employs for who is to be tested, the supply of testing materials in the state is adequate for now.
  • Governor Wolf said there has been no discussion about limiting or prohibiting New Yorkers from entering Pennsylvania.
  • The governor acknowledged reports of residents of New York coming to Pennsylvania for health care and specifically mentioned reports of increased newborn deliveries in Philadelphia by women from New York. He offered no numbers.  He said no hospitals have reported an unmanageable surge of patients as a result.
  • Governor Wolf said that he and his staff are still trying to figure out how much money the latest stimulus law will bring to Pennsylvania and when that money might arrive.  It will come in a lot of buckets, he said.  They expect about $5 billion but have no idea yet on how it might be allocated.

Pennsylvania Department of Health

The Department of Health sent a reminder to providers through its message board to report all initial “Activation of Internal/External Emergency Plan.”  Providers may submit additional reports as updates if necessary and must report under ‘Health Department Reportable Disease’ all COVID-19 positive test results for staff and patients including name, date of birth, symptoms (if known), and date of test results.

Department of Human Services

Protocols for Procuring Difficult-to-Source Personal Protective Equipment

The protocol for procuring difficult-to-source PPEs is:

  • Your first contact should be with your regional health care coalition (HCC).  HCC contacts can be found at the bottom of the web page linked here.
  • The HCC may decide to forward a formal request to the County Emergency Management Agency.  Agency contact information can be found here.
  • At that point, the County Emergency Management Agency may submit a resource request to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA).

Federal Update

The White House

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Department of Health and Human Services

The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) published a statement regarding the discretion the OIG will employ when investigating any conduct during this emergency that may be subject to OIG administrative enforcement. The office also advised providers to contact the OIG for extension of any OIG investigation deadlines during this time.

Food and Drug Administration

Department of Veterans Affairs

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has published its emergency response plan for the COVID-19 emergency.

Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA has published a memo outlining the discretion it intends to exercise in fulfilling its inspection and compliance efforts during the COVID-19 emergency.

Department of Homeland Security

In a new document with guidance on the essential critical infrastructure workforce, the Department of Homeland Security specifies essential jobs within the workforce during the COVID-19 emergency.

Resources to Consult

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

Main COVID-19 Page

COVID-19 Provider Resources

Press Releases

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Main COVID-19 Page

Pennsylvania Emergency Preparedness Guide

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Main COVID-19 Page

FAQ

To receive this daily update directly, sign up for our mailing list at info@pasafetynet.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2020-03-30T17:50:01+00:00March 30th, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Pennsylvania Department of Health and COVID-19, Pennsylvania Medicaid COVID-19, Uncategorized|Comments Off on COVID-19 Update: March 30, 2020
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COVID-19 Update: March 27, 2020

The following is a summary of the major COVID-19-related developments in Pennsylvania as of 4:30 p.m. on March 27.

Pennsylvania Updates

Governor Wolf

  • Today Governor Wolf expanded his ‘Stay at Home’ order to include nine more counties to mitigate the spread of the virus:  Berks, Butler, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Luzerne, Pike, Wayne, Westmoreland, and York counties.  The governor’s amended order, the secretary of health’s amended order, and the stay at home guidance are available online.  The order takes effect for these nine counties tonight at 8:00 p.m. and will continue for all of the affected counties until April 6.
  • Today Governor Wolf approved and signed several bills into law to provide emergency relief to schools (SB 751), unemployment compensation rules (HB 68), delaying the primary election (SB 422), and the $50 million in immediate funding for health care supplies via HB 1232.  We do not yet know how this funding will be distributed but are monitoring it closely.  According to the enabling legislation and a press release Governor Wolf issued yesterday, “The $50 million in funding will be deposited into a restricted account under the governor’s jurisdiction and funds will be used if there are insufficient funds available from the disaster proclamation ‘to buy medical equipment and supplies for health care entities to meet urgent patient and staff needs to address surge demand. Health care entities include hospitals, nursing facilities and emergency medical services’.”

Department of Human Services

  • The Department of Human Services (DHS) has published a reminder that Governor Wolf has signed an executive order prohibiting elective medical and surgical procedures for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.
  • Pennsylvania has been granted a section 1135 Medicaid waiver by the federal government. Key elements of the waiver address:
    • Temporarily suspending Medicaid fee-for-service prior authorization requirements.
    • Extending pre-existing authorizations for which a beneficiary has previously received prior authorization through the end of the public health emergency.
    • Suspending Pre-Admission Screening and Annual Resident Review (PASRR) Level I and Level II Assessments for 30 days.
    • State Fair Hearing Requests and Appeal Timelines.
    • Provider Enrollment.
    • Provision of Services in Alternative Settings.

These waivers will remain in effect until the current health crisis ends.  See the letter from CMS to the state that explains all of these aspects of the waiver in greater detail.

Department of Health

  • During her daily briefing today, Secretary Levine reported that the number of new COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania yesterday declined slightly from the day before, although she dismissed this decline as “not statistically significant.”  There are now COVID-19 cases in 50 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.  While the number of hospitalizations, ICU cases, and patients put on ventilators remain low, she said those numbers remain in line with trends elsewhere in the country and her department’s own projections.
  • The department has revised its guidance prohibiting the provision of dental treatment except for urgent and emergency services.

Department of State

The Department of State requested, and Governor Wolf granted, an extension for 90 days of certain license renewal deadlines that fall between April 30, 2020, and June 30, 2020.  Affected boards include the State Board of Medicine, State Board of Nursing, and State Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators.  Any associated regulations that establish these dates are temporarily suspended.  While the department will provide guidance encouraging licensees to renew on time, if possible, this waiver ensures that if they miss the deadline their licenses will remain valid and they will have an additional 90 days to renew them.

Federal Updates

Congress

The House of Representatives passed the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act passed by the Senate late Wednesday.  It now goes to the president for his signature and he has indicated he will sign it.

President Trump

President Trump sent a letter to governors thanking them for their efforts in fighting the COVID-19 emergency, outlining upcoming federal efforts, and expressing hope for the future.

Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Food and Drug Administration

Resources to Consult

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

Main COVID-19 Page

COVID-19 Provider Resources

Press Releases

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Main COVID-19 Page

Pennsylvania Emergency Preparedness Guide

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Main COVID-19 Page

FAQ

 

 

2020-03-27T17:25:53+00:00March 27th, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Pennsylvania Department of Health and COVID-19, Pennsylvania Department of Health coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid COVID-19|Comments Off on COVID-19 Update: March 27, 2020
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COVID-19 Update: March 26, 2020

The following is a summary of the major COVID-19-related developments in Pennsylvania as of 5:00 on March 26.

Pennsylvania Update

Governor Wolf

House Bill 1232, which includes up to $50 million to help with the state’s COVID-19 response, is now on Governor Wolf’s desk and he is expected to sign it tomorrow, when he also is expected to sign three other bills the legislature passed late yesterday:

  • HB 68 – amends the rules of unemployment compensation during an emergency declaration such as easing work search requirements and extending the length of time that benefits are available.
  • SB 422 – amends the election code to move the Pennsylvania primary election to June 2, 2020.
  • SB 751 – amends the school code to protect employees and address various changes in state education requirements.

Department of Health

  • Secretary Levine has ordered ambulatory surgical facilities to report on specific items for the purpose of managing supplies and equipment.  Portions of the survey are to be updated each day, including the number of procedures they perform and their remaining supplies of personal protective equipment.  Click here for a copy of the survey, which was also shared by the department via email to facility administrators.  Click here to view the Secretary’s order.
  • More information is now available to assist hospitals with complying with Secretary Levine’s March 25 order that they report three times a day on specific data regarding hospital facilities, beds, supplies, equipment, and staffing.  Data will be collected using the Essential Elements of Information (EEI) tool in the Knowledge Center – Health Incident Management System (KC-HIMS).  Hospitals needing onboarding for the Knowledge Center should contact the HAP Readiness Coordinator for their regional health care coalition; that contact information is at the bottom of the webpage here.
  • During her daily briefing, Department of Health Secretary Levine reported the following:
  • More than twice as many new cases today as yesterday.
  • Cases hold steady at about 10 percent requiring hospitalization.
  • Of nearly 1700 cases so far, 56 required ICU and 32 needed ventilators.
  • 46 percent of new cases fall in the 25-40 age group.
  • The state is focused on standards of care and is not contemplating triage for patients getting all the care they need.
  • Those standards of care may evolve as the number of cases rises and the state adds more beds, whether that means new hospital beds or places like ambulatory surgery centers and hotels where people can receive post-acute care when they no longer need acute care.  The Department of Health is working to find such additional beds.
  • The state is doing “everything we can” to support hospitals.
  • Among other measures, Pennsylvania has distributed 678,000 N-95 masks, 380,000 pairs of gloves, and 744,000 goggles and face protectors to hospitals and providers.  The federal government is replenishing the state’s supplies and the state is also looking to purchase more of its own.

Department of Human Services

  • The Department of Human Services (DHS)’ Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has sent an FAQ to HealthChoices behavioral health managed care organizations, fee-for-service providers, and county mental health authorities on the subject of behavioral health Medicaid programs and the COVID-19 crisis. Find that FAQ here.
  • DHS has submitted a section 1135 waiver request to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Such requests seek temporary exemption from federal Medicaid requirements.  Pennsylvania’s request covers requirements involving Medicaid authorization, long-term services and supports, fair hearings, provider enrollment, reporting and oversight, and other matters.  See the state’s 1135 waiver request here.
  • DHS’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning has issued guidance to child care advisors to help them keep children, their families, and staff safe during the COVID-19 emergency. Find that guidance here.
  • The federal government approved Pennsylvania’s request to extend the time that people are eligible to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps). The state also will be submitting a waiver to enable many college students, currently ineligible for such benefits, to participate in SNAP.
  • DHS has published its latest COVID-19 stakeholder update. Find it

Department of State

The Department of State has provided guidance for doctors prescribing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine and pharmacists dispensing it.  See that language here.

Federal Update

Department of Health and Human Services

  • The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will be publishing a “Notice of Designation of Scarce Materials or Threatened Materials Subject to COVID-19 Hoarding Prevention Measures” in the Federal Register on March 30.  The notice gives the Secretary of HHS authority to designate such materials as scarce and to invoke prohibitions against hoarding them.  The notice, which is not a regulation and expires in four months, lists specific medical supplies to which it applies.  Find the notice here.
  • HHS’s Office of Civil Rights has posted notice in response to questions about whether HIPAA requirements permit covered entities to share with law enforcement, paramedics, other first responders, or public health authorities the names or other identifying information of individuals who have been infected with or exposed to COVID-19 without the permission of those individuals.  The notice outlines the specific situations under which such disclosure is permitted.  See the notice here.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

  • The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, signed into law on March 18, includes a temporary 6.2 percentage point increase in the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP:  the rate at which the federal government matches state Medicaid expenditures).  A new CMS FAQ provides information about the state Medicaid expenditures to which the increase applies, its applicability to Medicaid DSH payments, the duration of the supplemental funding, and more.  Find this FAQ here.
  • CMS has approved more section 1135 waivers for states.
  • CMS has published an FAQ on Medicare provider enrollment relief.  Find it here.
  • CMS’s Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight has issued a memo to qualified health plans and stand-alone dental plans offered on the federal exchange and state exchanges on the subject of payment and grace period flexibilities associated with the COVID-19 crisis  See that memo here.

Food and Drug Administration

  • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published guidance for industry and food staff on the enforcement policy for face masks and respirators during the COVID-19 health emergency.  Find the guidance document here.
  • The FDA has sent a detailed letter to manufacturers and other stakeholders authorizing the emergency use of authorized ventilators, ventilator tubing connectors, and ventilator accessories, including alternative products used as medical devices, during the COVID-19 pandemic subject to the terms detailed in this letter and based on the specific types of equipment and supplies involved as also described in the letter.  Find the document here.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the following documents relevant to health care providers:
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued interim clinical guidelines for the management of patients with COVID-19.  Find those guidelines here.
  • CDC has updated its guidelines for collecting, handling, and testing clinical specimens from persons with COVID-19.  Find those updated guidelines here.
  •  The CDC has developed two checklists that identify key actions that can be taken now to enhance preparedness for potential or confirmed patients with COVID-19.  Find them here.
  • The CDC has developed a spreadsheet-based model that to help providers plan and optimize their use of personal protective equipment for response to COVID-19.  Find a link to that downloadable spreadsheet here.
  • The CDC has updated its guidance on the collection and submission of post-mortem specimens from deceased persons under investigation.  See the updated guidance here.

National Uniform Billing Committee

The National Uniform Billing Committee, the governing body for forms and codes use in medical claims billing in the United States for institutional providers, has published guidance on claims for COVID-19 treatment.  The guidance, which addresses use of the “DR” condition code and use of hospital outpatient bill type for COVID-19 testing locations, can be found here.

Resources to Consult

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

Main COVID-19 Page

COVID-19 Provider Resources

Press Releases

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Main COVID-19 Page

Pennsylvania Emergency Preparedness Guide

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Main COVID-19 Page FAQ

 

 

 

2020-03-27T06:00:57+00:00March 27th, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Pennsylvania Department of Health and COVID-19, Pennsylvania Department of Health coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid COVID-19|Comments Off on COVID-19 Update: March 26, 2020
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COVID-19 Update: March 25, 2020

The following is a summary of the major COVID-19-related developments in Pennsylvania as of 5:15 on March 25.

State Legislature

Today the Senate passed House Bill 1232, as amended, which includes up to $50 million of additional funding to be made available for the state’s COVID-19 response efforts.  The legislation stipulates that funding shall only be used to buy medical equipment and supplies for health care entities to meet urgent patient and staff needs to address surge demand.  It also requires available federal funding and any funding made available through the governor’s disaster proclamation to be used before these funds.  The authority to transfer funds expires on September 30, 2020.

Senate leadership noted that this is the first phase in its crisis response and recognizes that additional funds will likely be needed.  The House is expected to pass the bill as amended today.  The bill will then be signed in both chambers and sent to the governor for consideration and he is expected to sign it.  It would take effect immediately.

The Administration

Governor Wolf

Today the governor added Lehigh and Northampton counties to his stay-at-home order.

Department of Health

Secretary Levine today issued an order requiring hospitals to make daily report of specified data regarding hospital facilities, beds, supplies, equipment, and staffing.  Among the measures hospitals will be required to report daily are available beds, psychiatric beds, number of other beds in facilities, current emergency department capacity, number of COVID-19 patients, expected number of days remaining N-95 masks will last, expected number of days remaining until other personal protective equipment supplies will exhausted, supply of remaining NP specimen collection supplies in days, number of ventilators in facility and in use, and number of employees available for work.  See the secretary’s order here.

Department of Human Services – Office of Medical Assistance Programs

  • The Office of Medical Assistance Programs has issued billing guidance to CHIP managed care organizations on the subject of alternative screening sites related to COVID-19. Find that two-page document here.
  • It issued another policy clarification to CHIP managed care organizations with directions to bypass the prior authorization requirements for chest CT scans for COVID-19 payments. See that policy clarification document here.

Another notice announces a new ICD-10 code for COVID-10 that takes effect on April 1. Find it here.

  • The Office of Medical Assistance Programs has posted an FAQ on Medicaid program coverage of COVID-19 testing and related services. It includes information about what Pennsylvania Medicaid will pay for COVID-19 testing, the services it will cover, and more.  Find it here.

Department of Human Services – Office of Long Term Living

  • The Office of Long Term Living (OLTL) has published guidance on conducting pre-admission screening and resident reviews for applicants to and residents of Medicaid-certified nursing facilities. This includes an explanation of performing such screens by phone or video conference.  See the guidance here.
  • OLTL also has sent a memo to nursing home transition coordination agencies about a new, COVID-19-motivated nursing home transition tenant-based rental assistance process. Find that memo here.
  • OLTL also communicated via its listserv that it is delaying the implementation deadline for electronic visit verification (EVV) until October 1, 2020.

Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs

  • The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) has issued a document clarifying the state’s response to federal guidance on the disclosure of patients’ substance abuse disorder records during the telehealth process. See that policy clarification here.
  • DDAP has issued a policy bulletin addressing telehealth services for gambling treatment. Find that bulletin here.

Department of State

The Pennsylvania Department of State, which is responsible for licensing many health care providers, has announced new guidelines and processes for reactivating the licenses of retired health care professionals such as doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and others.  This new policy supplements previous announcements the department has made on this subject.  Find this updated information here.

Pennsylvania Health Centers Awarded Federal Funds

The federal Health Resources and Services Administration has awarded $100 million in grants to 1381 health centers across the country.  Among them are 43 health centers in Pennsylvania that will share $12.9 million in federal funds.  See a list of those grant recipients here.

Resources to Consult

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

Main COVID-19 Page

COVID-19 Provider Resources

Press Releases

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Main COVID-19 Page

Pennsylvania Emergency Preparedness Guide

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Main COVID-19 Page

FAQ

 

 

 

 

2020-03-26T06:00:31+00:00March 26th, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Pennsylvania Department of Health and COVID-19, Pennsylvania Department of Health coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid COVID-19, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on COVID-19 Update: March 25, 2020
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COVID-19 Update: March 24, 2020

The following is a summary of the major COVID-19-related developments in Pennsylvania as of 4:45 today.

For your convenience, copies of our daily updates are also posted to the SNAP Blog available here.

State Updates

The State Legislature

House Chamber of the State HouseThe legislature continues to deliberate on a number of measures to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.  Among the issues being discussed between the administration and legislature are:

  • Declaring a public health emergency and providing funding to respond to the crisis.
  • Advancing telemedicine legislation.
  • Amending the rules of unemployment compensation during an emergency declaration such as easing work search requirements and extending the length of time that benefits are available.
  • Providing assistance to small businesses and non-profits through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority.
  • Amending the state’s election code to move the primary election to June 2.
  • Amending the school code to protect employees and address various changes in state education requirements.

Department of Health Daily Briefing

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Rachel Levine, M.D., provided her daily COVID-19 briefing.  She reported that the number of cases in the state is doubling every two to three days and she expects the pandemic to spread to additional rural counties.

The state is sharing personal protective equipment and ventilators with providers as providers request them and its stock is being replenished by the federal government.  Despite this, the state continues to seek to purchase more N-95 masks and ventilators.

Direct caregivers, she warned, cannot use homemade masks.  They are not effective.

Turnaround time for COVID-19 testing in the state lab and most hospital labs is 24 hours.  The major commercial testing companies are experiencing a backlog.

Health care personnel are being given priority for COVID-19 testing but only if they show symptoms.

While the state is discussing adapting facilities for post-acute care and other COVID-19-related purposes, Secretary Levine said she thinks it is unlikely the state would reopen Hahnemann Hospital.

People with chronic medical conditions such as lupus are starting to report trouble getting drugs like chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine because of unsubstantiated suggestions that they can help fight COVID-19.  The Department of Health and Department of Human Services are talking to pharmacies about this and working to ensure access for patients who need these drugs for medically approved purposes.

The state is not prepared to consider easing its stay-in-place and non-essential business closure orders at this time.

Department of Human Services

The Department of Human Services (DHS), Office of Child Development and Early Learning has issued two documents.  The first is titled “Infant Toddler Early Intervention Procedures during COVID-19 pandemic” and it describes how early intervention services can be delivered while face-to-face interactions are limited during the COVID-19 crisis.  See the document here.

The second addresses child care program closures, waivers for child care programs to remain open, safety recommendations, and resources for workers who lose their jobs because of facility closures.  Find that document here.

Home Care, Home Health, and Hospice Document Recirculated

On March 21, DOH published COVID-19 emergency response information for home care agencies, home health care agencies, and hospices.  Today, in an effort to broaden the reach of that document, DHS shared it via its long-term care listservs.

Federal Updates

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

CMS issued an FAQ explaining requirements for and distribution of the 6.2% enhanced FMAP stipulated in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.  States should expect to see their first payments no later than tomorrow.  The document explains that the enhanced FMAP doesn’t apply to expansion population, though it does apply to DSH.  It will flow through to the CHIP enhanced FMAP calculation but not in equal percentage point values for all states and the 100% cap on matching remains in effect. States will not need to submit a state plan amendment in order to receive the funding.  The complete guidance document is available here.

Late yesterday the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Center for Clinical Standards and Quality/Quality Safety & Oversight Group issued a 28-page memo to state survey agency directors on the subject of prioritization of survey activities.  During the three-week period following the March 13 declaration of a national emergency, state survey agencies are to have as their priorities complaint/facility-reported incident surveys, targeted infection control surveys, and self-assessments.  They are not authorized to perform surveys on long-term-care facilities, hospitals, home health agencies, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and hospices.  See the CMS guidance letter.

CMS also has issued 11 more section 1135 Medicaid waivers.  They are summarized in a CMS news release.

Health Resources and Services Administration

Today the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded $100 million in grants to 1381 health centers to address screening and testing needs, purchase medical supplies, and boost capacity in response to the COVID-19 crisis.  See an HHS news release here.

National Institutes of Health

The NIH is launching training for health care workers who interact with COVID-19 patients.  The worker-based program will include a web site with training resources.  Learn more from an NIH news release that describes the new initiative.

Food and Drug Administration

The FDA has updated its FAQ on diagnostic testing with new information for providers having trouble obtaining viral transport media.  Read it here.

The FDA also has issued a safety alert addressing the use of fecal microbiota for transplantation and additional safety protections involving COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2.  Find it here.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The CDC has issued new guidance to state and local agencies and service providers on working with their homeless population.  Find it here.

FEMA

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has updated its COVID-19 pandemic advisory.  See the updated advisory here.

Resources to Consult

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

Main COVID-19 Page

COVID-19 Provider Resources

Press Releases

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Main COVID-19 Page

Pennsylvania Emergency Preparedness Guide

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Main COVID-19 Page FAQ

Conclusion

Please let us know if you have any questions or need additional information or resources.

 

 

 

2020-03-25T06:00:19+00:00March 25th, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Federal Medicaid issues, Pennsylvania Medicaid coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid COVID-19|Comments Off on COVID-19 Update: March 24, 2020
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COVID-19 Update: March 20, 2020

The following is a summary of the major COVID-19-related developments in Pennsylvania today as of 5:30 p.m. on March 20, 2020.

Pennsylvania Administration

Since yesterday, the Department of Human Services has issued the following four new guidance documents:

We notified you last night that the governor issued an order to close all “non-life-sustaining businesses.” Below please find two resources for additional information.

  • Any business that would like to seek a waiver to the mandate to close can send a request to this email address:  RA-dcexemption@pa.gov
  • In addition, questions about whether or not your specific business needs to close can be directed to: ra-dcedcs@pa.gov

At the Secretary of Health’s daily update she noted that the number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases in the state doubled in the past two days.

Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania logoFederal

Administration

CMS approved Washington state’s 1135 waiver request.  The approval letter can be found here.

In addition, CMS released two telehealth toolkits:  one for general practitioners that is available here and another for end-stage renal disease providers available here.

Congress

Congress is preparing a combination bill to both combat the spread of the coronavirus and also provide economic stimulus to counteract the negative effects of the state of emergency.  As Congress deliberates, SNAP weighed in today with Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, asking for immediate financial support for hospitals, the elimination of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid DSH cuts, and a moratorium on new regulatory requirements on hospitals.  Find a summary of the bill here and SNAP’s letter to the delegation here.

Resources to Consult

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

Main COVID-19 Page

COVID-19 Provider Resources

Press Releases

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Main COVID-19 Page

Pennsylvania Emergency Preparedness Guide

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Main COVID-19 Page FAQ

Conclusion

Please let us know if you have any questions or need additional information or resources.

 

2020-03-23T06:00:11+00:00March 23rd, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Federal Medicaid issues, Pennsylvania Department of Health and COVID-19, Pennsylvania Department of Health coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid COVID-19, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Uncategorized|Comments Off on COVID-19 Update: March 20, 2020
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  • 2020 Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania

Home / About Us / Advocacy / Why Join? / SNAPShots / Contact Us

  • P: (717) 234-6970

  • 2020 Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania

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