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Pennsylvania Health Law Project Newsletter

The Pennsylvania Health Law Project has published its latest Health Law News.
Included in the November edition are articles about:

  • a proposal to impose a work requirement on Pennsylvania Medicaid recipients
  • the CHIP program
  • leadership changes in health care-related state agencies
  • the rollout of the Community HealthChoices program of managed long-term services and supports
  • HealthChoices managed care contracts
  • changes in several state waiver programs

Find these stories here in the latest edition of Health Law News.

2017-11-20T06:00:01+00:00November 20th, 2017|HealthChoices, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on Pennsylvania Health Law Project Newsletter

CMS Guidance on MCO Payments is Good News for PA Hospitals

New guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on the use of directing additional Medicaid resources to hospitals through Medicaid managed care organizations is good news for Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals.
Such payments have been routed through the state’s Medicaid managed care plans for several years, but as the state and hospital industry continue negotiating renewal of the state’s hospital tax – its “Quality Care Assessment” – it was not entirely clear whether the federal government would permit continued use of this mechanism.
An early November bulletin from CMS, however, clarifies that this approach is still permissible, which is good news for Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals and SNAP members hoping to benefit from the state’s hospital assessment.
Go here to see the CMS memo “Delivery System and Provider Payment Initiatives under Medicaid Managed Care Contracts.”

2017-11-16T14:19:15+00:00November 16th, 2017|HealthChoices, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals, Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania|Comments Off on CMS Guidance on MCO Payments is Good News for PA Hospitals

Wolf Vetoes Medicaid Work Requirement

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has vetoed a bill that included a requirement that certain Medicaid recipients either work or search for work.

 Learn more about the governor’s veto, and his reason for doing so, in this Associated Press news report.

2017-10-23T10:00:53+00:00October 23rd, 2017|Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid laws and regulations, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on Wolf Vetoes Medicaid Work Requirement

SNAP Joins Others in Letter to PA Senators

SNAP was among 27 Pennsylvania health care organizations to send a joint letter to senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey pointing out aspects of the House-passed American Health Care Act that could jeopardize access to care for medically vulnerable Pennsylvanians.
Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania logoAmong the issues addressed in the letter are how the House-passed proposal would detract from the role of Medicaid in fighting the state’s opioid crisis; the proposed reduction in tax credits to help purchase health insurance; the challenge posed by a per capita approach to Medicaid financing; the potential loss of health care jobs; the likelihood of large numbers of Pennsylvanians losing their health insurance and state Medicaid costs rising significantly; and the erosion of consumer protections.
See the complete letter here.

Pennsylvania Health Law Project Newsletter

The Pennsylvania Health Law Project has published its May newsletter.

 Included in this edition are articles on new criteria for Medicaid coverage of high-cost hepatitis C drugs and the release of a draft of the state’s proposed Medicaid quality strategy; an update on Community HealthChoices, Pennsylvania’s new program of Medicaid managed long-term services and supports; an overview of Medicaid-covered behavioral health services; a summary of recent federal proposals with implications for the state’s Medicaid program; and a report on the nomination of Teresa Miller to lead the new Department of Health and Human Services that Governor Wolf has proposed establishing.

 Find the newsletter here.

2017-06-02T06:00:28+00:00June 2nd, 2017|Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid laws and regulations, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on Pennsylvania Health Law Project Newsletter

Pennsylvania Health Law Project Newsletter

The Pennsylvania Health Law Project has published its March 2017 newsletter.
Included in this edition are stories about:

  • new starting dates for the beginning of new HealthChoices physical health contracts
  • an update on Community HealthChoices, the state’s planned program of managed long-term services and supports for those who qualify for nursing home care but wish to continue living independently in the community
  • the launch of the state’s ABLE Savings Program through which children and adults with significant disabilities can open special state-sponsored investment accounts
  • the introduction of a new assessment tool for people in need of substance disorder treatment

Find the latest edition of PA Health Law News here.

2017-04-06T06:00:52+00:00April 6th, 2017|HealthChoices, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on Pennsylvania Health Law Project Newsletter

Medicaid Directors Look at Value-Based Purchasing

One of the tools many states are using to attempt to reduce their Medicaid costs and improve the quality of the care delivered to their Medicaid beneficiaries is value-based purchasing.
In a new issue brief, the National Association of Medicaid Directors takes a closer look at Medicaid value-based purchasing:  what it is, how it works, why it is attractive to state Medicaid programs, what alternative payment models the states are employing as part of their value-based purchasing efforts, and what state Medicaid programs need from the federal government to continue such efforts.
Pennsylvania is in the process of introducing more value-based purchasing into its Medicaid program, doing so through new contracts currently being negotiated with the managed care organizations recently chosen to serve the state’s Medicaid population through the HealthChoices physical health program.
For a closer look at Medicaid value-based purchasing, go here to read the National Association of Medicaid Directors’ issue brief “Medicaid Value-based Purchasing:  What Is It & Why Does It Matter?”

2017-02-17T06:00:19+00:00February 17th, 2017|Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on Medicaid Directors Look at Value-Based Purchasing

Governor Proposes FY 2018 Budget

On Tuesday Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf unveiled his proposed FY 2018 budget to the state’s General Assembly.
This budget proposal includes a number of provisions with potential implications for Pennsylvania’s safety-net hospitals.
The Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania has prepared a detailed review of those provisions. Officials of safety-net hospitals who would like to receive a copy of this memo may request one by using the “contact us” link on the upper right-hand corner of this screen.
Find a news release from the governor’s office that outlines the proposed budget here and go here (scroll to the bottom of the screen) for links to budget overviews, the entire budget itself, the Wolf administration’s presentation on its plan to consolidate Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services, Department of Health, Department of Aging, and Department of Drug and Alcohol Services into a single new Department of Health and Human Services, and other related materials.
 

2017-02-10T06:00:00+00:00February 10th, 2017|Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania Medical Assistance, Pennsylvania proposed FY 2018 budget|Comments Off on Governor Proposes FY 2018 Budget

Pennsylvania Health Law Project Newsletter

The Pennsylvania Health Law Project has published its January 2017 newsletter.
Included in this edition are stories about:

  • impending changes in the lineup of managed care providers that serve Medicaid participants in the state’s HealthChoices program for physical health services;
  • the status of the state’s implementation of its Community HealthChoices program of managed long-term services and supports for low-income, elderly Pennsylvanians who seek to continue living independently in the community;
  • the potential impact of a repeal of the Affordable Care Act on Pennsylvanians; and
  • Pennsylvania’s receipt of a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic demonstration grant from the federal government to improve services and care coordination for individuals on Medicaid or CHIP.

Go here for the latest edition of PA Health Law News.

2017-02-08T17:39:17+00:00February 8th, 2017|Affordable Care Act, HealthChoices PA, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on Pennsylvania Health Law Project Newsletter

PA Health Law Project Newsletter

phlpThe Pennsylvania Health Law Project has published its November-December 2016 newsletter.
Included in this edition are stories about a new effort to enroll children in the state’s Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program, the new fees for Medicare Part A and Part B for 2017, a delay in the implementation of the state’s proposed Community HealthChoices program of managed long-term services and supports, and more.
Go here for the latest edition of PA Health Law News.

2016-12-28T06:00:04+00:00December 28th, 2016|Medicare, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on PA Health Law Project Newsletter
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