Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals Archives - Page 4 of 14 - Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania

Medicaid Expansion Brings Improvements to Expansion States

States that expanded their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act have experienced fewer hospital admissions, shorter lengths of stays in the hospital, and lower hospital costs, according to a new Health Affairs study.

Specifically, they experienced:

a 3.1 percent decline in inpatient days
a 3.5 percent decrease in discharges for conditions considered “ambulatory care-sensitive,” such as diabetes, chronic respiratory problems, and pneumonia
a reduction of nearly three percent in hospital costs.

Pennsylvania is one of those expansion states, and Medicaid expansion has greatly enhanced the ability of Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals to serve their communities.

Learn more about how Medicaid expansion has improved the health of the population in states that expanded their Medicaid programs in the Health Affairs study “Medicaid Expansion Associated With Reductions in Preventable Hospitalizations.”

PA Safety Net Admin2019-11-06T06:00:14+00:00November 6th, 2019|Affordable Care Act, Federal Medicaid issues, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals|Comments Off

Safety-Net Hospitals Gird for Loss of Medicaid DSH Money

Safety-net hospitals and others will lose a significant portion of their Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) payments on November 22 unless Congress delays implementation of the cut in those payments that was mandated by the Affordable Care Act.

And hospitals that receive these payments are now preparing for the worst.

The Medicaid DSH cut was included in the 2010 health care reform law in anticipation of a great reduction in the number of uninsured people leaving hospitals providing much less uncompensated care and therefore not in need of as much DSH money. The law’s reach has not proven to be as great as anticipated, however, and two developments since the law’s passage have put a damper on the expected rise in the number of insured Americans: a court decision that made it optional for states to expand their Medicaid program and the repeal of the requirement that everyone purchase health insurance.

Four times Congress has voted to delay the Medicaid DSH cut because so many people remained uninsured. Now, however, the most recent delay in implementation of the cut, via a provision in the continuing resolution currently funding the federal government, expires on November 21, and hospitals – many of them already with razor-thin margins – are preparing for the worst: a major reduction of their federal Medicaid DSH money.

Pennsylvania’s safety-net hospitals would face potentially major harm if this cut were to be implemented, so last month SNAP asked members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to support a bipartisan movement in Congress to delay the Medicaid DSH cut for two years.

Learn more about the prospect of a major Medicaid DSH cut later this month, how it might affect safety-net hospitals – including the kinds of private safety-net hospitals represented by NASH – and what some hospitals are doing to prepare for the possibility in the Stateline article “Rural and Safety Net Hospitals Prepare for Cut in Federal Support.”

PA Safety Net Admin2019-11-04T06:00:59+00:00November 4th, 2019|Federal Medicaid issues, Medicaid supplemental payments, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals|Comments Off

PA Safety-Net Hospitals Step Up When One of Their Own Closes

A core group of safety-net hospitals, led by SNAP members, has filled the gap left by the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital, another safety-net hospital, in Philadelphia.

Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania logo The Philadelphia Business Journal reports that since Hahnemann’s closing was announced during the summer, ER volume has risen 15 percent, admissions have risen 12 percent, and births have risen more than 50 percent at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, a SNAP member. Meanwhile, SNAP member Pennsylvania Hospital has seen its ER visits rise nine percent, SNAP member Penn Presbyterian Medical Center has seen its ER volume increase five percent, and SNAP member the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania has seen its ER volume rise five percent.

Patient volume also has risen significantly at Temple University Hospital.

Learn more about how Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals, including SNAP members, have filled the void left by the closing of another safety-net hospital in the Philadelphia Business Journal article “Hahnemann fallout: Nearby hospitals see uptick in ER visits, admissions.”

PA Safety Net Admin2019-10-25T06:00:53+00:00October 25th, 2019|Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals, Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania|Comments Off

PA to Invest in Philadelphia Community Served by Safety-Net Hospitals

Pennsylvania will spend more than $4 million on health-related services in the North Philadelphia Enterprise Zone, an area in which nearly 13 percent of the state’s Medicaid population resides.

Hospital building This area is served almost exclusively by Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals and recently suffered a major loss when one of those providers, Hahnemann University Hospital, closed its doors. According to a SNAP analysis, more than 50 percent of the patients previously served by Hahnemann will now turn for care to SNAP members Thomas Jefferson University Hospital (18.3 percent), Pennsylvania Hospital (11.3 percent), the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (nine percent), Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (4.7 percent), Jefferson Health Northeast (4.1 percent), and Mercy Hospital Philadelphia (3.2 percent).

The $4 million will be spent on expanded home visiting services for families with children, eviction prevention assistance for low-income families, and programs that help residents move from public assistance to jobs.

Learn more in the Philadelphia Business Journal article “State Invests in North Philadelphia’s Health Enterprise Zone.”

PA Safety Net Admin2019-10-22T06:00:28+00:00October 22nd, 2019|Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals, Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania|Comments Off

Safety-Net Hospitals Rally to Fill Void When Safety-Net Hospital Closes

When a safety-net hospital in Philadelphia closed recently, many predicted a crisis.

But there was no crisis.

Instead, patients previously served by Hahnemann University Hospital, a Pennsylvania safety-net hospital that served especially large numbers of Medicaid and uninsured patients, are now being served by other safety-net hospitals in Philadelphia: mostly, Jefferson Health, the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Einstein Healthcare Network, and Temple University Hospital. All report increased volume in their emergency rooms, more ambulance arrivals, and more inpatient admissions, but at least so far, they also report that they are comfortably handling the increased patient volume created when Hahnemann closed its emergency room and discharged its last patients in July.

Learn more in the Philadelphia Inquirer article “Hahnemann’s end was expected to be a crisis. But that’s not what happened, Philly health officials say.”

PA Safety Net Admin2019-10-07T06:00:40+00:00October 7th, 2019|Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals|Comments Off

SNAP Asks PA Delegation to Support Another Medicaid DSH Cut Delay

In a letter to members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, SNAP has asked those members to support another two-year delay of Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) cuts mandated by the Affordable Care Act.

In the message, SNAP notes the important role Medicaid DSH payments play in helping private safety-net hospitals care for the many uninsured patients who continue to turn to them for care.

If the cut is not delayed, Pennsylvania will see its Medicaid DSH allotment from the federal government fall 40 percent in FY 2020 and 80 percent annually from FY 2021 through FY 2025.

See SNAP’s message to PA delegation members here.

PA Safety Net Admin2019-10-04T06:00:52+00:00October 4th, 2019|Federal Medicaid issues, Medicaid supplemental payments, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals, Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania|Comments Off

SNAP Thanks PA Delegation for Supporting Short-Term Medicaid DSH Cut Delay

SNAP has written to members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to thank them for voting for a temporary delay of Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) cuts mandated by the Affordable Care Act.

The Medicaid DSH delay was included in a continuing resolution that Congress passed to fund the federal government temporarily while legislators continue to negotiate an FY 2020 federal budget. The continuing resolution and the Medicaid DSH cut delay run through November 21.

Medicaid DSH cuts mandated by the Affordable Care Act have already been delayed several times by Congress, but if not delayed again, Pennsylvania will see its federal Medicaid DSH allotment fall 40 percent in FY 2020 and 80 percent a year from FY 2021 through FY 2025.

See SNAP’s thank you note to Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation here.

PA Safety Net Admin2019-10-03T06:00:35+00:00October 3rd, 2019|DSH hospitals, Federal Medicaid issues, Medicaid supplemental payments, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals|Comments Off

CMS Adopts Methodology for Medicaid DSH Cuts

Medicaid DSH money will be allocated among states based on a new methodology under a regulation adopted this week by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

But it is not clear when that new methodology may actually be used.

Cuts in Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (Medicaid DSH) allotments to states were mandated by the Affordable Care Act based on the expectation that the law would greatly reduced the number of uninsured Americans. While this has been the case, the decline in the number of uninsured has not been as great as expected. For this reason, Congress has on several occasions delayed the required Medicaid DSH cut.

That cut is now scheduled to take effect next week, on October 1, but a continuing resolution to fund the federal government, passed last week by the House and now under consideration by the Senate, would delay that cut again – at least until November 22.

Should the cut be implemented, Pennsylvania would lose 40 percent of its Medicaid DSH allotment from the federal government in FY alone and that cut would rise to 80 percent a year from FY 2021 through FY 2025. Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals view Medicaid DSH as an important part of their effort to care for the uninsured and underinsured residents of the low-income communities in which they are located.

Learn more about the new regulation governing the future allotments of Medicaid DSH money to the states and the prospects for Medicaid DSH allocation cuts being made anytime soon in the Healthcare Dive article “CMS finalizes Medicaid DSH cuts, but Congress could still delay” and see the regulation itself here.

PA Safety Net Admin2019-09-25T10:59:52+00:00September 25th, 2019|Affordable Care Act, DSH hospitals, Federal Medicaid issues, Medicaid supplemental payments, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals|Comments Off

SNAP Takes Position on State Medicaid Funding After Hahnemann Closure

Pennsylvania’s Medicaid resources should follow now-closed Hahnemann University Hospital’s Medicaid patients as those patients turn to new providers, the Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania declared in a position statement issued this week.

Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania logo According to SNAP,

…the best way to protect access to care and prevent additional financial strain on Philadelphia hospitals is to ensure that all state resources reallocated in the wake of Hahnemann University Hospital’s closure follow the displaced patients.

In preparation for addressing this challenge, SNAP performed a data-based analysis of where Medicaid patients turned for care upon the closing of St. Joseph’s Hospital, like Hahnemann a high-volume Medicaid provider and located in the same community as Hahnemann, in 2016. This analysis identified where patients went when St. Joseph’s closed and in its position statement, SNAP urges state policy-makers to perform similar analyses and ensure that state Medicaid resources, especially supplemental payments made to hospitals that serve especially large numbers of Medicaid patients, be distributed to the hospitals that actually serve displaced Hahnemann patients. Such an approach, SNAP maintains, is the best way to ensure the future of the health care safety net in Philadelphia.

Learn more in the SNAP position statement “Protecting Philadelphia’s Health Care Safety Net From the Financial Implications of the Closing of Hahnemann University Hospital.”

PA Safety Net Admin2019-09-18T13:24:14+00:00September 18th, 2019|Medicaid supplemental payments, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals|Comments Off

New Public Charge Rule Could Affect Immigrants, Providers

Legal immigrants may become reluctant to seek government-sponsored health care and providers may find themselves delivering more uncompensated care in the wake of the adoption of a new federal “public charge” regulation that seeks to define more narrowly the kinds of individuals who should be granted entry to the U.S. in the future.

The new Department of Homeland Security regulation, while focused on applicants for entry into the U.S., could have the unintended effect of discouraging legal immigrants from enrolling in Medicaid, CHIP, and other government programs and even lead them to disenroll from such programs out of a mistaken concern that participating in such programs could jeopardize their status as legal immigrants. The Kaiser Family Foundation, in fact, estimates that two to three million people will leave Medicaid and CHIP because of the new regulation.

More than a quarter of a million interested parties responded to the proposed regulation, which was published last October, and since its release last week a wide variety of groups, ranging from the American Hospital Association and America’s Essential Hospitals to the American Council of Pediatrics, have noted the new regulation’s potential impact with alarm. Hospitals, in particular, are concerned that if people disenroll from Medicaid and CHIP, they will end up providing more uncompensated care to patients who previously had health insurance through those two public programs.

This could be especially challenging for Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals that are located in communities with large numbers of low-income legal immigrants.

Learn more about the new public charge regulation and health care providers’ reaction to it in the Fierce Healthcare article “Healthcare industry groups warn final ‘public charge’ rule could impact immigrant health, drive up costs.”

PA Safety Net Admin2019-08-16T06:00:19+00:00August 16th, 2019|Federal Medicaid issues, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals|Comments Off

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