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PA Health Policy Update for May 19

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.

 

2023-05-19T20:25:32+00:00May 19th, 2023|Medicaid Eligibility Redetermination , Medical Assistance Advisory Committee, Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medical Assistance|Comments Off on PA Health Policy Update for May 19
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PA Health Policy Update for May 5

The following is an update of selected state health policy developments in Pennsylvania from May 1 – 5.  (Some of the language used below is taken directly from state documents.) 

Medicaid Eligibility Redetermination 

The Department of Human Services (DHS) published the first section of 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. 

Governor Shapiro

Governor Shapiro signed the first bill of his administration on Monday. Act 1, formerly Senate Bill 8, requires insurers to cover all costs associated with genetic counseling and genetic testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation if a person is diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer or has a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, and also requires insurers to cover all costs associated with a supplemental breast screening by MRI or Ultrasound for women at increased risk of breast cancer. View this press release for additional information.

The Shapiro administration announced today that all commonwealth agencies completed a comprehensive review of their respective licensing, certification, and permitting processes as directed in the governor’s January 31 executive order. The administration will now work to establish “efficient processing times” for all permits and licenses. 

General Assembly

  • The state House and Senate returned to Harrisburg on May 1 for voting session. Below is coverage of selected health-related proceedings.
    • The House Health Committee held a public hearing Tuesday, May 2 on HB 106, the Patient Safety Act, which sets nursing staffing ratios. A recording of the hearing can be viewed here.
    • Representative Jennifer O’Mara (D-Delaware), Representative Eddie Day Pashinski (D-Luzerne) and Senator Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester) held a press conference Wednesday on hospital closure reform. More information can be found here.
    • The House Republican Policy Committee held a public hearing Thursday, May 4 on hospital pricing transparency. A recording of the hearing can be viewed here.
    • The Senate voted to confirm Governor Josh Shapiro’s nominee for the Secretary of Aging, Jason Kavulich, this week. A recording of the confirmation hearing in the Senate Aging and Youth Committee can be viewed here.
    • The Senate Health and Human Services Committee held a voting meeting on Tuesday, May 2 to consider among other bills:
      • SB 100, Establishing the Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Illness Diagnosis and Treatment Act. The bill was unanimously reported as committed.
      • SB 262, Amends the Maternal Mortality Review Committee Act regarding reportable events. The bill was unanimously reported as committed.
      • SB 414, Expanding access to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE). The bill was unanimously reported as committed.
      • SB 500, Provides for Medicaid Coverage for Pasteurized Donor Human Milk. The bill was unanimously reported as committed.
      • SB 549, Requires consent for pelvic, rectal, and prostate exams. The bill was unanimously reported as amended.
      • SB 555, Reducing the loaded mileage requirements for EMS Medicaid reimbursement. The bill was unanimously reported as committed.

A recording of the meeting can be viewed here.

  • The state Senate will return to Harrisburg for voting session Monday, May 8. The state House is recessed and will return to Harrisburg for voting session Monday, May 22. The following are selected health-related proceedings.
    • The House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee will hold an information meeting Wednesday, May 10 at 10:00am to receive updates from local Area Agencies on Aging and to discuss scams targeting older adults. The meeting will be held in Room G-50 of the Irvis Office Building and will be livestreamed here. 

Office of the Attorney General 

Attorney General Michelle Henry issued the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document regarding medication abortion and mifepristone access in Pennsylvania. 

Department of Health 

The Department of Health’s (DOH) Division of Newborn Screening and Genetics, with support of the Newborn Screening and Follow-up Technical Advisory Board, is proposing that Guanidinoacetate Methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency screening be added effective January 1, 2024 to the supplemental conditions mandated for screening. Additional information can be viewed in this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice. 

Department of Human Services

  • The Department of Human Services (DHS) has announced its intent to increase the funding and amend the payment methodology for the COVID-19 disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments for qualifying acute care general hospitals for FY 2022-23. Learn more from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.
  • DHS published final notice of its intent to allocate funding and amend the qualifying criteria and payment methodology allocation for DSH payments to acute-care general hospital trauma centers. These payments will amount to $18.034 million in total funds.  Learn more from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.
  • DHS published final notice of its funding allocation for FY 2022-23 supplemental payments to promote the continuation of quality medical services to individuals enrolled in the Pennsylvania Medical Assistance (MA) Program, and to provide financial relief to hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.
  • DHS published updates to the Medical Assistance (MA) Program Fee Schedule for administration of a booster dose of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine manufactured by Novavax. Learn more from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.
  • DHS has announced the temporary extension of the Alternative Payment Methodology (APM) for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and Rural Health Clinics (RHC) for the administration of COVID-19 vaccines administered during a COVID-19 vaccine-only visit. The APM will be extended beyond the end of the federal PHE to September 30, 2024. Learn more from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.
  • DHS has issued an updated Provider Quick Tip (#263) regarding the electronic submission process in the PROMISe Portal for Office of Medical Assistance Fee-for-Service (FFS) and Office of Long Term Living (OLTL) 180-day exception requests and other claims requiring documentation.

Revenue Collection Update

The Department of Revenue announced Pennsylvania collected $5.7 billion in General Fund revenue in April, which was $51.1 million, or 0.9 percent, more than anticipated. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $37.9 billion, which is $1.2 billion, or 3.3 percent, above estimate. 

Stakeholder Events

DOH – WIC Advisory Board – May 10

The WIC Program Advisory will meet on May 10 from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Additional information and details on how to participate can be viewed in this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice. 

DHS – Managed Long-Term Services and Supports Subcommittee – May 12

The Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee will hold a meeting on Friday, May 12 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in the Department of Education Building’s Honors Suite, 1st floor, at 333 Market Street in Harrisburg, or via webinar. You may register for the webinar here.

DOH – HIV Community Prevention Planning Committee – May 18

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Community Prevention Planning Committee will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, May 17 and Thursday, May 18. For information on how to participate, review this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.

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.

 

2023-05-05T21:19:20+00:00May 5th, 2023|Federal Medicaid issues, Medicaid Eligibility Redetermination , Medical Assistance Bulletin, Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Bulletin, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid laws and regulations, Pennsylvania Medical Assistance|Comments Off on PA Health Policy Update for May 5
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Advocates Seek More State Staff for Medicaid Eligibility Redeterminations

With the continuous Medicaid eligibility that marked the COVID-19 pandemic coming to an end on April 1 and roughly one-third of the 3.6 million Pennsylvanians enrolled in Medicaid thought to be in jeopardy of losing their coverage, health care advocates are asking the state to invest in more staff to help current participants submit the paperwork needed to retain their coverage as part of what has become known as “Medicaid unwinding.”

In a letter signed by representatives of the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, the Pennsylvania Partnership for Children, and others, advocates noted that the county assistance offices that will play a major role in this process are already understaffed and need more help if deserving Pennsylvanians are to avoid falling through the Medicaid eligibility cracks.  The state has acknowledged the staffing problems at its county assistance offices.

PHE-Phase1-Newsletter-HalfPage-Banner-MA-Renewal

The advocates also have asked the state to publish more information about Medicaid eligibility redetermination and to extend Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility for children for another year.

A troubled Medicaid unwinding effort would be a troubling development for Pennsylvania’s safety-net hospitals because those hospitals care for especially large numbers of low-income and Medicaid-covered patients and could face the possibility of finding themselves serving significantly more uninsured and underinsured patients than they already do – without reimbursement for that care.

Learn more about the challenges inherent in the Medicaid eligibility redetermination effort and what the advocates seek from the state in the WESA-FM radio article “With major Medicaid changes ahead, advocates want to see increased staffing for assistance offices.”

2023-02-27T18:49:43+00:00February 28th, 2023|COVID-19, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals|Comments Off on Advocates Seek More State Staff for Medicaid Eligibility Redeterminations
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  • 2020 Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania

Home / About Us / Advocacy / Why Join? / SNAPShots / Contact Us

  • P: (717) 234-6970

  • 2020 Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania

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