SNAPShots

SNAPShots

SNAP Comments on Proposed Medicaid Observation Care Payment

The Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania has written to the state’s Department of Human Services about DHS’s proposal to establish a payment policy for hospital observation services covered by the state’s Medicaid fee-for-service program.
While SNAP has long supported the concept of a Medicaid fee-for-service rate for observation services and welcomes DHS’s decision to create such a rate and associated policies, it expressed a number of concerns about DHS’s proposal, including about:

  • Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania logothe proposed observation rate
  • the classification of observation care as an outpatient service
  • the manner in which the state proposes financing observation care
  • program integrity issues

To learn more about SNAP’s concerns, see its entire comment letter to DHS here, on the SNAP web site.

2016-06-20T06:00:37+00:00June 20th, 2016|Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid laws and regulations, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on SNAP Comments on Proposed Medicaid Observation Care Payment

New MLTSS Program Delayed Six Months

The launch of Community HealthChoices, Pennsylvania’s new approach to the delivery of managed long-term services and supports for seniors eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, will be delayed six months.
community healthchoicesThe program was scheduled to begin in southwestern Pennsylvania on January 1, 2017 but state officials recently announced that they have pushed back the start date to July 1, 2017.
In a message to interested parties, state officials wrote that

The decision to extend our start date builds on this approach and allows more time for the 420,000 Pennsylvanians who will ultimately benefit from CHC to understand the program adjustments that will occur, including how access to and receipt of home- and community-based services will be improved. We will continue to work with all stakeholders, such as the Area Agencies on Aging and Centers for Independent Living, on a robust CHC education and outreach effort to ensure that we reach as many consumers and caregivers as possible.

The time-frame for implementation in other parts of the state remains unchanged.
To learn more about what Community HealthChoices is and why its launch has been delayed, see this Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article.

2016-06-15T06:00:05+00:00June 15th, 2016|Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off on New MLTSS Program Delayed Six Months

PA Medicaid: One Year, 625,000 New Beneficiaries

Last week marked the one-year anniversary of Pennsylvania’s Affordable Care Act-authorized expansion of its Medicaid program.
In that year, nearly 625,000 Pennsylvanians enrolled in the program.
Among them,

  • 46 percent are under the age of 35
  • 109,000 are parents
  • 300,000 are employed

pa healthchoices regions
If past Medicaid utilization patterns hold true, most of these new Medicaid beneficiaries will receive most of their health care benefits from the state’s private safety-net hospitals.
Learn more about Pennsylvania’s Medicaid expansion, who has taken advantage of it, and how the program has changed in the past three years in this state news release.
 

2016-05-04T06:00:05+00:00May 4th, 2016|Affordable Care Act, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals|Comments Off on PA Medicaid: One Year, 625,000 New Beneficiaries
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