The following is an update of selected state health policy developments in Pennsylvania from August 14 – 25.  (Some of the language used below is taken directly from state documents.)

Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Budget Update

The Senate will return to Harrisburg for voting session Wednesday, August 30 at 1:00 p.m. to consider the remaining pieces of the FY 2023-2024 budget. The Senate Republican Caucus spokesperson released the following statement:

“Our work to complete the necessary budgetary implementation legislation continues… We are in communication with House leaders, and we remain hopeful the House will also choose to reconvene before September 26.”

Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward released a statement noting that funding for emergency medical services and hospital and health system relief would be on the agenda when they reconvene. The House has not scheduled voting session days prior to September 26, and it is unclear when an agreement on the final budget implementation language will be reached.  

Governor Shapiro

The Shapiro administration has announced it is taking the first step to implement the Nurse Licensure Compact by allowing nurses with multi-state licenses to practice in Pennsylvania beginning September 5. Learn more by reviewing the Department of Health’s health care facility-specific guidance and the Board of Nursing’s Nurse Licensure Compact website. 

General Assembly

The House Commerce Committee will hold an informational hearing Wednesday, September 6 at 11:00am on HB 1201, which addresses consumer rights for the sharing of personal data by certain businesses and provides the Attorney General with enforcement authority. The legislation includes several exemptions from the provisions of the act including several health-related exclusions in compliance with HIPAA standards. The informational hearing will be held in Room 515 of the Irvis Office Building and will be livestreamed here. 

Department of Human Services 

  • The Department of Human Services (DHS) has announced changes to the Medical Assistance (MA) Program fee schedule. The changes are effective for dates of service on and after September 5, 2023. Learn more in this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.
  • DHS has updated its calendar of mailing dates for Remittance Advices and corresponding electronic transfers and checks through September. Find the updated calendar here.

Department of Health  

The Department of Health (DOH) has updated its staffing calculation tool for long-term care facilities. Use of this tool is not required but may be useful when calculating the required number of nursing hours as well as staff ratios. Click here to download the tool (Excel spreadsheet) and here to download the instructions (Word document). 

Department of Aging

The Department of Aging has announced it is soliciting stakeholder feedback to assist in the development of the state’s Master Plan for Older Adults. The department has partnered with the University of Pittsburgh to distribute a survey in an effort to develop a profile of the needs of older adults and adults with disabilities that will inform the state’s planning process.  

Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs 

The Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs (DDAP) has announced its intent to hold technical assistance webinars regarding substance use disorder (SUD) confidentiality and the impact of Act 33. In preparation, DDAP has requested stakeholders complete their SUD Confidentiality Survey by September 22, 2023. If you are interested in attending one of the webinars, you may email  RA-DAASAM@pa.gov to be notified when they’re scheduled.

Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council

The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Counsel (PHC4) has released a new research brief, Severe Maternal Morbidity in Pennsylvania. The brief examines severe maternal morbidity among patients hospitalized in Pennsylvania for delivery between 2016 and 2022. PHC4’s press release announcing the report may be found here. 

Medicaid Continuous Coverage Unwinding 

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is maintaining an online dashboard with Medicaid continuous coverage unwinding data. The data on this dashboard tracks the renewal process by county and zip code. Additional updates and resources about the Medicaid eligibility renewal process may be found here.

DHS has published the following resources to help providers educate patients about Medicaid renewals and what to do if they are no longer eligible for Medicaid.