Pennsylvania Medical Assistance Archives - Page 6 of 6 - Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania

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.

PA Safety Net Admin2017-02-10T06:00:00+00:00February 10th, 2017|Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania Medical Assistance, Pennsylvania proposed FY 2018 budget|Comments Off

PA Announces Hospital Quality Incentive Program

Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program has announced plans to launch a new hospital quality incentive program that will focus on measuring preventable hospital admissions and will reward hospitals that improve their performance.
The program, part of a larger effort by the state to move away from volume-driven Medicaid payments and toward a greater focus on value and population health, will measure and reward incremental improvement in reducing preventable admissions and achieving the 25th or 50th percentile benchmark of a state-wide preventable event rate. Hospitals that meet their objectives will qualify for bonus payments from the state funded by proceeds from Pennsylvania’s state-wide hospital assessment.
HealthChoices, Pennsylvania’s Medicaid managed care program, seeks to purchase 7.5 percent of Medicaid services through value-based purchasing arrangements in calendar year 2017, 15 percent in 2018, and 30 percent in 2019. The Hospital Quality Incentive Program seeks to facilitate achieving these goals.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has posted on its web site an explanation of the new program, a presentation on the program, and an FAQ. Find them here.

PA Safety Net Admin2016-08-18T06:00:42+00:00August 18th, 2016|HealthChoices PA, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania Medical Assistance|Comments Off

Hepatitis C Treatment Challenges PA’s Medicaid Program

The cost of treating Medicaid patients who suffer from hepatitis C is posing a challenge to Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program.
As new, more expensive, but more effective hepatitis C drugs reach the market, the state’s costs for treating Medicaid patients with the disease have doubled since 2013.
Meanwhile, the state continues to consider at what point in the progression of their hepatitis C Medicaid patients should be offered the most expensive drugs.
Prescription Medication Spilling From an Open Medicine Bottle Current guidelines are evolving both in the state and nationally, with medical authorities and federal regulators weighing in with their views. Recently, an advisory committee to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services offered its own recommendations for criteria for prescribing the most expensive drugs.
Learn more about the issue, the cost of treatment, and current Pennsylvania Medicaid policy on when hepatitis C patients must be offered the most expensive drugs and how that policy might be changing in this Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article.

PA Safety Net Admin2016-06-14T11:23:40+00:00June 14th, 2016|Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania Medical Assistance, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Pennsylvania Health Law Project Releases Monthly Newsletter

The Pennsylvania Health Law Project has published the April 2016 edition of Health Law News, its monthly newsletter.
phlp Included in this edition are articles about a new, faster process the state has introduced for people to enroll in Medicaid; the awarding of contracts to managed care organizations to participate in the state’s HealthChoices program; an update on the Community HealthChoices program that will help nursing home-eligible seniors remain independent in the community; new funding for the state’s “Money Follows the Person” demonstration program; and more.
Find the latest edition of Health Law News here.

PA Safety Net Admin2016-05-06T06:00:03+00:00May 6th, 2016|HealthChoices PA, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania Medical Assistance|Comments Off

PA Introduces Improvement to Medicaid Provider Enrollment

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has launched a new online portal to facilitate provider enrollment in the state’s Medicaid program.
According to DHS officials, the new portal will enable the state to enroll providers electronically and automate the provider enrollment process. Under the new approach, documents previously transmitted by mail or fax will be uploaded to the portal, providers will be able to view the status of their application, and the time needed to review and process provider applications will be reduced.
Learn more about the new Medicaid provider portal from this state news release.