The following is an update of selected state health policy developments in Pennsylvania from May 15 – 19.  (Some of the language used below is taken directly from state documents.) 

Medicaid Continuous Coverage Unwinding 

The Department of Human Services (DHS) has announced it will maintain 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. 

2023 Primary Election

Pennsylvania’s 2023 primary election was held on Tuesday, May 16.  In addition to judicial and municipal elections, Pennsylvanians in two legislative districts voted in a special election to fill vacancies in the state House of Representatives. Democrat Heather Boyd defeated Republican Katie Ford to represent the 163 Legislative District and Republican Michael Stender defeated Democrat Trevor Finn to represent the 108 Legislative District. The outcome of these two special elections enables the Democrats to maintain their one-vote majority in the House. 

General Assembly

  • The House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee held a public hearing on May 18 to discuss access to rural medicine and health care in Pennsylvania. A recording of the hearing can be viewed here.
  • The state House will return to Harrisburg for voting session Monday, May 22. The following are selected health-related proceedings.
    • The House Health Committee will hold a voting meeting Monday, May 22 at 10:00am to consider, among several resolutions, HB 1131 sponsored by Representative Lisa Borowski, which would remove the requirement for counties to operate state health centers in counties establishing their own local health departments. The meeting will be held in Room G-50 of the Irvis Office Building and will be live streamed here.
    • The House Human Services Committee will hold a voting meeting Tuesday, May 23 at 9:00am to consider, HB 849 sponsored by Representative Mike Schlossberg, to allocate funding for the Behavioral Health Commission on Adult Mental Health’s recommendations for funding, and HB 931 sponsored by Representative Eddie Day Pashinski, to establish the Kinship Care Legal Assistance Grant Program. The meeting will be held in Room 523 of the Irvis Office Building and can be live streamed here.
  • The state Senate will return to Harrisburg for voting session Monday, June 5. 

Department of Health 

The Department of Health began to register Temporary Health Care Services Agencies (THCSA) this month, as directed by Act 128 of 2022.  THCSAs are entities engaged in the business of procuring temporary employment in health care facilities for nurse aides, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and direct care staff. The statute requires any person that owns or operates a THCSA to register annually with the department and provide a list of each separate location. An application, instructions, and additional resources can be found on the THCSA website.

Department of Human Services 

  • The Department of Human Services (DHS) released the agenda for the Medical Assistance Advisory Committee’s (MAAC) May 25 meeting. 
  • Personal care homes and assisted living residences are reminded that after May 11, they should report any COVID-19 outbreaks through the department’s Reportable Incident and Condition form for reporting. If a facility experiences a significant outbreak, it can contact the regional licensing office and ongoing assistance with infection prevention and control is available through the LTC-RISE program.
  • DHS has updated its calendar of mailing dates for Remittance Advices and corresponding electronic transfers and checks through June.  Find the updated calendar here. 

Independent Regulatory Review Commission 

The Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) met May 18 and considered the following health-related regulations:

Stakeholder Events

DHS – Medical Assistance Consumer Subcommittee – May 24

The Consumer Subcommittee of the Medical Assistance Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, May 24 at 1:00 pm. Go here to register to participate. 

DHS – Medical Assistance Advisory Committee – May 25

The Medical Assistance Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday, May 25 at 10:00 a.m.  Go here to register to participate.