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PA Health Policy Update for Friday, December 2

The following is an update of selected state health policy developments in Pennsylvania for the week of November 28 to December 2, 2022. (Some of the language used below is taken directly from state documents.)

Governor Wolf

Governor Wolf has announced the availability of more than $9 million in state grant funding for Single County Authorities to establish or expand crisis stabilization services for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Grants of up to $3 million will be awarded to eligible Single County Authorities and can be applied toward a range of activities, including construction and building infrastructure, staffing, and programming. Learn more about how the state envisions counties using this money from this announcement from the governor’s office.

Governor-Elect Shapiro

The Shapiro-Davis transition team announced that Dana Fritz will serve as chief of staff in a new Shapiro administration. Immediately prior to joining the incoming administration, Ms. Fritz, a long-time aide to Shapiro, served as his campaign manager. Find additional information about the transition here.

Revenue Collection Update

The Department of Revenue has released its monthly revenue update for November. General Fund revenue collections were $201.9 million, or 6.8 percent, below estimate for the month. The shortfall is due, in part, to personal income tax revenue being deposited in December rather than November. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $15.7 billion, which is $183.2 million, or 1.2 percent, above estimate.

Department of Human Services

The Department of Human Services (DHS) has announced its intent to update the qualifying criteria and payment methodology for Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (Medicaid DSH) and supplemental payments to Medical Assistance-enrolled and qualifying emergency departments in acute-care general hospitals by adding references to the report used in determining the eligibility for and the payment amounts beginning FY 2022-2023. This announcement appears to be a codification of current state policy. Learn more from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.
DHS has announced that it plans to expand the Living Independence for the Elderly (LIFE) Program to serve Carbon County and Monroe County as one area and is soliciting expressions of interest in serving this area. Learn more about the LIFE program, DHS’s intentions for Carbon and Monroe counties, and the process for pursuing an opportunity to establish a LIFE program in those counties from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.
CMS has written to states to remind them that with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs will be required to provide coverage for approved adult vaccines recommended by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) without cost-sharing for certain enrollees beginning October 1, 2023. Learn more from this CMS notice.
DHS has circulated the minutes of the October 26 meeting of the Medical Assistance Advisory Committee’s consumer subcommittee. Find those minutes here.

Department of Health

The Department of Health (DOH) issued a press release announcing its plans to distribute approximately $11.7 million in federal CDC funding to help long-term-care facilities build resilience to sustain quality care. The money will be invested for purposes such as workforce development, staff retention, and infrastructure developments that support infection prevention control and emergency preparedness. Eligible applicants include skilled nursing facilities, personal care homes, assisted living facilities, and intermediate care facilities. Learn more about the program and find links to additional information about it here. The deadline for applying for funding is December 31.
DOH has issued a health alert informing health care providers of a recent increase in reports of mushroom poisoning received by poison control centers in the state. The majority of these cases have involved individuals consuming wild mushrooms foraged from backyards, public parks, wooded areas, and other locations in the southeastern part of the state. Learn more from this department health alert.
DOH has updated the guidelines and fees that health care providers and facilities may charge in response to requests for production of medical charts or records. Learn more, including the new fees, from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.
In preparation for the holiday season, DOH has established ten temporary COVID-19 testing and home test distribution sites across the state. Go here for information about the location and hours for these sites.

COVID-19: By the Numbers

According to the CDC, the number of new COVID-19 cases reported daily in Pennsylvania and the number of new deaths has remained steady in recent weeks, with the state averaging about 1400 new daily cases and 16-20 new daily deaths.
According to the Department of Health, the number of Pennsylvanians hospitalized with COVID-19, on ventilators because of the virus, and in hospital ICUs remains relatively steady as well.
The CDC reports a modest decrease in the seven-day rolling average of new daily COVID-19 hospital admissions.
As of November 30, 38 Pennsylvania counties are experiencing high rates of community transmission of COVID-19; 26 are experiencing substantial rates of community transmission; and three counties are experiencing moderate rates of community transmission.

Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council

PHC4 has issued “COVID-19 Disaster Emergency Report,” to provide data on the effect of the COVID-19 emergency on the financial performance of Pennsylvania hospitals and health care facilities. According to the report, Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems reported $206 million in COVID-19 costs, between related expenses and revenue losses, for the period April-June of 2022. Total COVID-19-related expenses and lost revenue reported by Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems through December 2021 are $7.8 billion but these figures do not reflect emergency funding provided under federal or state laws. Learn more from this PHC4 news release and the report itself.

Stakeholder Events

DHS – Medical Assistance Advisory Committee – Managed Long-Term Services and Supports Subcommittee – December 7

The managed long-term services and supports subcommittee of DHS’s Medical Assistance Advisory Committee will meet in Harrisburg on Wednesday, December 7 at 10:00. Interested parties can join the meeting in person or via webinar. For information about the location of the meeting and how to join virtually, see this DHS notice.

DHS – Medical Assistance Advisory Committee – Consumer Subcommittee – December 7

The consumer subcommittee of DHS’s Medical Assistance Advisory Committee will meet virtually on Wednesday, December 7 at 1:00. Go here to register to participate.

Department of Health – Infant Hearing Screening Advisory Committee – December 8

The Infant Hearing Screening Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting in Harrisburg on Thursday, December 8 at 1:00; individuals also may participate virtually. For more information about the meeting, including its location and how to join virtually, see this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.

Department of Aging – Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Council – December 8

The Department of Aging’s Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Council will meet publicly on Thursday, December 8 at 10:00. For information about how to attend in person or virtually, see this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.

Patient Safety Authority – December 8

The board of directors of the state’s Patient Safety Authority will meet virtually on Thursday, December 8 at 1:00. Learn about how to register for and participate in this meeting from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.

DHS – Medical Assistance Advisory Committee – December 8

DHS’s Medical Assistance Advisory Committee will meet virtually on Thursday, December 8 at 10:00. Go here to register to participate.

jsteinbock2022-12-05T13:53:45+00:00December 2nd, 2022|COVID-19, Federal Medicaid issues, Medicaid supplemental payments, Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Bulletin, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid laws and regulations, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy|Comments Off

PA Health Policy Update for the Week of September 6

The following is an update of selected state health policy developments in Pennsylvania for the week of September 6-10, 2021. (Some of the language used below is taken directly from state documents.)

General Assembly

The House of Representatives announced it will return to session a week early to address the Wolf administration’s implementation of a mask mandate for K-12 schools and child care facilities. The House, which was originally scheduled to return on September 27, has added September 20, 21, and 22 as voting session days.

Department of Health

The Department of Health has issued a health alert updating guidance about tuberculin skin testing for tuberculosis for individuals who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The department no longer recommends waiting four weeks from the final COVID-19 vaccination for immune-based TB testing.
The Department of Health has published notices in the Pennsylvania Bulletin authorizing expanded scope of practice for various professionals functioning as part of an emergency medical services agency that has been licensed as a critical care transport ambulance service.
The Department of Health will offer free potassium iodide, or KI, tablets on Thursday, September 16 to Pennsylvanians who are within 10 miles of the state’s four active nuclear power plants. Learn more from this department news release.

Department of Human Services

The Department of Human Services has issued a Medical Assistance Bulletin announcing the addition of CPT codes 0003A and 0013A to the Medical Assistance Program Fee Schedule for the administration of a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. See the notice here.
The Department of Human Services has posted a notice announcing FY 2022 rates for selected services provided by the state’s Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS).
The Department of Human Services has announced that it will allocate $255.556 million in total funds in FY 2022 for inpatient disproportionate share hospital (Medicaid DSH) payments to qualifying inpatient acute-care general, psychiatric, and rehabilitation hospitals and qualifying psychiatric and rehabilitation units of acute-care general hospitals, outpatient supplemental payments to qualifying inpatient acute-care general hospitals, and direct medical education payments to qualifying inpatient acute-care general hospitals. The department is not changing the state plan provisions addressing the qualifying criteria or payment methodology for these payments. Learn more from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.
The Department of Human Services has announced its intention to make COVID-19-related Medicaid DSH payments to qualified hospitals and how much it will pay hospitals based on their Medical Assistance days and their degree of Medicaid dependence. See the Pennsylvania Bulletin notice here.
The Department of Human Services is adding and end-dating procedure codes as a result of implementing the 2021 updates published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS). The department also is adding other procedure codes and making changes to procedure codes currently on the Medical Assistance Program Fee Schedule, including fee adjustments. Learn more from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.
The Department of Human Services has published its latest monthly physical health managed care enrollment report. Find it here.

Pennsylvania Rural Health Model

The federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation has posted its first report on the performance of its Pennsylvania Rural Health Model. Find that report here and go here for further information about the program.

COVID-19: By the Numbers

The daily number of new COVID-19 cases remained high this week, including the first day (today) with more than 5000 new cases since mid-April.
The number of new COVID-19-related deaths increased over the past week.
For the week ending September 9 in Pennsylvania, every county in the state is experiencing a high level of COVID-19 transmission. The CDC classifies transmission as follows:
- Low: 0-10 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past week or 0-5% positivity rate
- Moderate: 15-50 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past week or 5-8% positivity rate
- Substantial: 50-100 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past week or 8-10% positivity rate
- High: 100+ new cases per 100,000 residents over the past week or 10%+ positivity rate

The number of Pennsylvanians hospitalized because of COVID-19 has risen 17 percent since the beginning of the month, the number on ventilators has risen 14 percent, and the number in hospital intensive care units has risen 11 percent.
According to the state’s revised figures, 66.8 percent of Pennsylvanians 18 years of age and older are now fully vaccinated – 6.0 million people – up from 66.0 percent last week. Only 11,000 Philadelphians and 65,000 other Pennsylvanians (fewer than last week) completed a vaccine regimen in the past week.

Around the State

The Delaware County Board of Health is now hiring people to staff the county’s new health department, which is scheduled to begin operations in January, the Delaware County Times reports.
The city of Reading has been awarded $3.3 million by the federal government to remove lead paint from homes, according to the Reading Eagle.
The mayor of Scranton will propose legislation to the city’s council to decriminalize possession of fentanyl test strips, which are currently considered drug paraphernalia under state law. The Scranton Times-Tribune explains why.
Children ages 12 and under constituted 12 percent of Allegheny County’s COVID-19 cases in August, the county’s health director told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Independent Regulatory Review Commission

Pennsylvania’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission has rejected regulations proposed by the state’s Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs for the licensure or certification of drug and alcohol recovery houses that receive funds or referrals from the department or a federal, state, or other county agency to ensure that a drug and alcohol recovery house provides a safe environment for residents. See the commission’s explanation of its decision in this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.

Stakeholder Events

The consumer subcommittee of the Medical Assistance Advisory Committee will meet on September 22 at 1:00 pm. Go here to register to participate remotely.
The Medical Assistance Advisory Committee will meet on September 23, 2021 at 10:00 am. Go here to register to participate remotely.
The Patient Safety Authority will hold a virtual public meeting on Thursday, September 23 at 1:00 p.m. and it is open to the general public. For information about how to join the meeting, see this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.

jsteinbock2021-09-10T21:48:42+00:00September 10th, 2021|Coronavirus, COVID-19, DSH hospitals, Medicaid supplemental payments, Medical Assistance Bulletin, Pennsylvania Bulletin, Pennsylvania Department of Health and COVID-19, Pennsylvania Department of Health coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid COVID-19, Pennsylvania Medicaid laws and regulations, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania Medical Assistance|Comments Off

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