The following is an update of selected state health policy developments in Pennsylvania for the week of January 17-21, 2022.  (Some of the language used below is taken directly from state documents.)

General Assembly

• The Senate held voting sessions on Tuesday (1/18) and Wednesday (1/19) this week and passed, among other bills, Senate Bill 818, which aligns the procedures permitted in ambulatory surgery centers with those permitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and eliminates the need for facilities to request an exception, and Senate Bill 861, which enters Pennsylvania into the EMS interstate compact.  Both bills will now be sent to the state House.
• The Senate Health and Human Services Committee convened on Tuesday and favorably reported Senate Bill 1019, which addresses COVID-19 regulatory waivers and suspensions.
• The Senate Health and Human Services Committee will convene again next week on Tuesday, January 25 to consider the following bills:
• • Senate Bill 152, which provides direction to the Department of Human Services on how to distribute funding intended for women’s health and family planning services.
  • Senate Bill 956, a constitutional amendment that clarifies that there is not a right to an abortion or abortion funding in the state constitution.
  • House Bill 1420, which directs the Department of Human Services to establish a public awareness campaign to provide information regarding the programs and services available for first responders, health care workers, and other frontline workers suffering from mental health issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The Senate Aging and Youth Committee meeting previously scheduled for Tuesday, January 18 has been rescheduled for Monday, January 24 at 12:30 to consider the following bills:
• • Senate Bill 936, which mandates the reporting and tracking of infants born with an addiction to opioids or other illegal substances within the state.
  • House Bill 996, which requires the departments of Human Services and Health to establish protocols to permit residents of long-term-care facilities to receive visits by a member of the clergy during a disaster emergency.
  • House Bill 1737, which enables a county children and youth agency to petition the court for an order to compel a drug screening when there is evidence that substance use may be a contributing cause of child abuse or neglect.

• The House Professional Licensure Committee will convene on Monday, January 24 at 10:30 a.m. to consider the following bills:
  • House Bill 19, which establishes professional licensure for behavioral analysts.
  • House Bill 1440, which provides for the regulation and licensure of medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals.
  • House Bill 1862, which preserves the COVID-19 regulatory waiver that authorizes physicians with an institutional license in a teaching hospital to serve patients at more than just two facilities in a health system.

Department of Human Services

The Department of Human Services has updated its schedule of Remittance Advice (RA) mailing dates and electronic RA delivery dates.  The schedule now extends into early March.

DHS has published final notice of the assessment amount, assessment methodology, and estimated aggregate impact on nursing facilities that will be subject to an assessment under the Nursing Facility Assessment Program for FY 2022.  Find that information in this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.

Department of Health

The Department of Health (DOH) has issued a health alert outlining options for treating patients with the COVID-19 omicron variant.

DOH continues to establish new sites for COVID-19 testing, adding sites this week in Greene and Pike counties.  Find information about these and other state-sponsored sites in this department news release; about plans for a new high-volume site in Hershey; and about another high-volume site in Delaware County.

DOH reports that the state has had 28,475 laboratory-confirmed flu cases and that such cases have been found in all 67 counties.

COVID-19:  By the Numbers

• Daily COVID-19 case counts remain very high but declined over the past week.  Pennsylvania’s seven-day average yesterday (January 20) was 20,958 cases a day; a week ago (January 13) its seven-day average was 26,224 cases a day.
• The number of new COVID-19-related deaths also remains very high but it, too, declined over the past week.  Pennsylvania’s seven-day average yesterday (January 20) was 127 deaths a day; a week ago (January 13) its seven-day average was 120 deaths a day.
• The Department of Health reports that from January 1, 2021 to January 4, 2022, 78 percent of reported COVID-19 cases were in unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated people; 85 percent of reported hospitalizations with COVID-19 as the primary diagnosis/cause of admission were in unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated people; and 84 percent of COVID-19-related deaths were in unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated people.
• The Department of Health also reports that 31.8 percent of all staffed adult ICU beds are COVID-19 patients and 32.4 percent of all ventilators state-wide are in use.
• All 67 Pennsylvania counties continue to experience a high rate of COVID-19 transmission.
• The decline in the number of new COVID-19 cases is reflected in a seven percent decline over the past week in the number of Pennsylvanians hospitalized with the virus.  The number of people on ventilators and in ICUs because of the disease held steady over the past week after two months of steeply increasing numbers.
• As a result of the decline in hospitalizations, there are a slightly more unoccupied adult ICU and medical/surgical beds in the state this week.  While the occupation rate of pediatric ICU beds increased just slightly, occupancy of pediatric and airborne isolation rates rose 7.6 percent and two percent, respectively, over the past week.  There are still only 33 unoccupied pediatric ICU beds and 501 unoccupied adult ICU beds in the state.
• On January 18 the Department of Health elaborated on some of these figures, reporting that 31.8 percent of all staffed adult ICU beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients and 32.4 percent of all ventilators state-wide are currently in use.  Both numbers are almost identical to the previous week’s totals.
• Media reports are mixed but suggest reason for optimism.  Around the state,
  • New cases are declining in Lancaster County but the decline in hospitalizations is more modest.
  • The new case rate is falling significantly in the Lehigh Valley but hospitalizations are down only slightly.  Even so, the city of Easton closed its city hall because of COVID-19 cases and exposures.
  • Erie County hospitals have more COVID-19 patients than at any time since the pandemic began but fewer of them are dying and fewer of them are being treated in ICU beds.  County health officials are concerned that many cases are not reflected in official counts.
  • New case figures are stabilizing in Allegheny County but the number of infants and children hospitalized is rising.
  • Both cases and hospitalizations are declining in Philadelphia and its surrounding suburban counties.

Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4)

PHC4 has issued a legislatively mandated report on the effects of the COVID-19 emergency on the state’s hospitals and health care facilities.  The report notes that “Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems reported $214,055,540 in COVID-19 related expenses and revenue losses for the period July 2021 – September 2021. These expenses and revenue losses were attributable to coronavirus and used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.  Total COVID-19 related expenses and lost revenue reported by Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems through September 2021 (Jan 2020-September 2021) were $6,925,269,148.”  The report does not reflect any offsetting state and federal funding intended to help providers with these expenses and losses.  Find the report here.

Stakeholder Events

Medical Assistance Advisory Committee’s Consumer Subcommittee – January 26

The consumer subcommittee of the Medical Assistance Advisory Committee will meet virtually on Wednesday, January 26 at 1:00 p.m.  Go here to register to participate.

Medical Assistance Advisory Committee – January 27

The Medical Assistance Advisory Committee will meet virtually on Thursday, January 27 at 10:00 a.m.  Go here to register to participate.

Medical Marijuana Advisory Board – January 27

The Medical Marijuana Advisory Board will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday, January 27 at 10:00 a.m.  This meeting will be broadcast live through Commonwealth Media Services.  Check www.medicalmarijuana.pa.gov and click on the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board tab for live streaming information on the day of the virtual meeting.  Learn more from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.

Patient Safety Authority – January 27

The Patient Safety Authority will hold a virtual public meeting on Thursday, January 27 at 1:00 p.m.  For information about how to join the meeting, see this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.

Special Pharmaceutical Benefits Program Advisory Council – January 27

The Statewide Special Pharmaceutical Benefits Program Advisory Council will hold a public teleconference meeting on Thursday, January 27 at 10 a.m.  To participate, call 412-648-8888 or 866-588-4789.  The meeting ID is 487 872 318#.  Learn more from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.

Medical Assistance Advisory Committee – Managed Long-Term Services and Supports Subcommittee – February 2

The DHS Medical Assistance Advisory Committee’s managed long-term services and supports subcommittee will meet virtually on Wednesday, February 2 at 10:00 a.m.  Interested parties can join the meeting here or call in at 914-614-3221, access code 300-175-489.

Organ Donation Advisory Committee – February 3

The Organ Donation Advisory Committee will hold a virtual public meeting on Thursday, February 3 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  The purpose of this meeting is to review progress in the area of organ and tissue donation in Pennsylvania, recommend education and awareness activities, recommend priorities in expenditures from the Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Fund, and advise the acting secretary on matters relating to the administration of this fund.  Learn more about the meeting and how to participate in this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.

Office of Long-Term Living – Financial Management Services Stakeholder Meeting – February 4

The DHS Office of Long-Term Living’s financial management services stakeholder group will hold a virtual public meeting on Friday, February 4 at 1:00 p.m. to discuss upcoming changes for the administration of financial management services under the Community HealthChoices, OBRA                      Waiver, and Act 150 programs.  Go here to participate or join by phone at 1-408-418-9388.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Community Prevention Planning Committee – February 16 and 17

The Statewide HIV Planning Group will hold virtual public meetings on Wednesday, February 16 and Thursday, February 17, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Learn more about the meetings and how to participate from this Pennsylvania Bulletin notice.