Pennsylvania Rural Health Transformation Archives - Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania

PA Health Policy Update for May 8

The following is an update of selected state health policy developments in Pennsylvania from May 4 –May 8 (Some of the language used below is taken directly from state documents).

Rural Health Transformation Program

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania held a public hearing on PA’s Rural Health Transformation Program and its implementation and utilization of federal RHTP funds. The Penn Capital-Star reported on the hearing, sharing a summary of some of the topics discussed such as EMS and the 988 hotline.

General Assembly

The House and Senate held session earlier this week addressing the following healthcare related issues:

Tuesday
- The House Communications & Technology Committee passed HB 1925 out of committee with amendment with a 19-7 vote. This bill would provide regulation and standards of AI use in healthcare.
Wednesday
- The House Health Committee held an informational hearing on the Uniform Healthcare Decision Act.
- The House Insurance Committee convened a voting meeting on HB 2427; consolidation of utilization management statutes, HB 2464; replacing outdated references in PA’s Insurance Law, and HB 2473; repealing obsolete insurance laws and completed statutorily required studies. All three bills advanced unanimously out of committee.
- The Senate Banking & Insurance Committee advanced SB 1321 which would prohibit state funds from being used for certain gender affirming care services.
- HB 1251 was signed into law as Act 12 of 2026, which allows nurse midwives to refer patients to pelvic floor therapy.
- SB 507 was signed into law as Act 14 of 2026, which implements licensure for certified midwives and modernizes other midwifery practices.
Thursday
- The Senate Institutional Sustainability and Innovation Committee held a hearing on SB 792, which would provide for an increase in the Research & Development Tax Credit program in PA.

The following are healthcare-related bills or cosponsor memos released by legislators this past week:

Rep. Bridget Kosierowski introduced HR 513 which would direct a study on the financial impact of outdated hospital regulations on Pennsylvania hospitals.
Rep. La’Tasha Mayes introduced HR 517 recognizing May 2026 as Preeclampsia Awareness Month in Pennsylvania.
A co-sponsor memo was filed by Rep. Kristin Marcell for legislation requiring insurance coverage for Ovarian Cancer Screening.

The House and Senate will now break from session until June to accommodate Pennsylvania’s upcoming Primary Elections on Tuesday, May 19^th.

Department of Aging

The Department announced an RFP for a READY Community funding collaborative to help support the implementation of PA’s Aging Our Way PA strategic plan. The collaborative will work across the Shapiro Administration and Pennsylvania philanthropic leaders to support funding opportunities to advance the Aging Our Way PA plan. The RFP closes on Friday June 12, and the department will host a webinar for prospective applicants on Tuesday, May 19 at 1:00pm.

Department of Human Services

Check out DHS’ Human Services Helpers, on the Substack platform – a media platform for video, podcasts, etc. – that will cover updates on DHS programs, news from the agency, and how organizations and partners can help their communities.

DHS released a bulletin notice with its methodology for determining case-mix rates for nonpublic nursing facilities across several peer groups in State Fiscal Year 25-26.

The Department issued a bulletin notice detailing its annual Nonpublic and County Nursing Facility Per Diem Rates for State Fiscal Year 25-26.

DHS issued a notice of Implementation of the Qualitrac® Provider Portal for Prior Authorization and Program Exception Submissions.

Stakeholder Meetings

The Department of Health’s Statewide HIV Planning Group will hold a public meeting on May 20^th from 9am to Noon.

Federal Update

Click here for a review of this week’s federal activities.

PA Safety Net Admin2026-05-08T20:21:37+00:00May 8th, 2026|Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Bulletin, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Rural Health Transformation Program|Comments Off

PA Health Policy Update for May 1

The following is an update of selected state health policy developments in Pennsylvania from April 27 –May 1 (Some of the language used below is taken directly from state documents).

Rural Health Transformation Program

Applications are being accepted today for providers to submit their RHTP eligibility certification and required documentation to show they meet all of the qualifications for providers:

Licensed as a hospital, health care provider, or rural health facility;
Currently in operation in Pennsylvania at the time of application and at the time funding is received;
Located in one of the RHTP-eligible rural counties or in a HRSA-defined rural census tract of a county of the second class A or third class.

DHS released FAQs to help address provider questions. Submissions can be made via email to: RA-HHRRLHLTHTRNSPLAN@pa.gov.

Submissions will be reviewed for those providers to receive Rapid Response Stabilization payments of at least $10,000 and up to $1 million to be used for the purchase of supplies, equipment, renovations, or structural improvements in alignment with the goals outlined in the commonwealth’s RHTP application to the federal government.

General Assembly

The House held session earlier this week addressing the following healthcare related issues:

Monday
- The House Aging & Older Adult Services Committee held a public hearing on Rep. Maureen Madden’s HB 2435, providing for dementia training for EMS personnel.
Tuesday
- The House Health Committee passed HB 916, legislation to update the Child Blood Lead Testing Act, as amended by a vote of 14-12.
- The House Human Services Committee unanimously advanced House Resolution 134, a resolution directing a comprehensive review of home & community-based services waiver programs and areas of improvement that can be identified.

The following are healthcare-related bills or cosponsor memos released by legislators this past week:

Rep. Darisha Parker introduced House Bill 2464 which would replace outdated terminology in PA’s Insurance Company Law.
Rep. Anthony Bellmon circulated a co-sponsor memo for a resolution designating May 2026 as Guillain-Barre Syndrome Awareness Month.
A co-sponsor memo issued by Rep. Russ Diamond proposes a resolution designating October 13^th as Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day in 2026.
Rep. Kerry Benninghoff released a co-sponsor memo for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September of 2026.
Rep. Arvind Venkat issued a cosponsor memo for legislation to establish timelines for the processing of Medical Assistance applications in long-term care and another for a resolution directing a study on medical schools and their promotion of careers in primary care.
Rep. Kathy Rapp issued co-sponsor memos for resolutions designating Surgical Technologist Week and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Research Awareness Week.
A co-sponsor memo was filed by both Rep. Tina Davis and Sen. Steve Santarsiero for legislation requiring the sharing of emergency plans and contacts for nursing facilities with local emergency responders.
Sen. Tina Tartaglione issued co-sponsor memos for resolutions designating Mental Health Awareness Month and Older Americans Month.
Sen. Amanda Cappelletti and Sen. Steve Santarsiero released a co-sponsor memo for legislation requiring insurance coverage for breastfeeding and feeding support services.
Sen. Michele Brooks issued a co-sponsor memo for a resolution designating National Hospital Week.
Sen. Judy Ward released a co-sponsor memo for a resolution designating Nursing Week in Pennsylvania.
A co-sponsor memo circulated by Sen. Elder Vogel for a resolution designating May 14^th as IgA Nephropathy Awareness Day in PA.

The House and Senate are scheduled to return to session this upcoming week where the following activity is anticipated:

Tuesday
- The House Communications & Technology Committee will hold a voting meeting to consider HB 1925, which would provide regulations and parameters on the use of AI in Healthcare.
- The House Aging & Older Adult Services and Human Services Committees will hold a joint public hearing on In Lieu of Services.
Wednesday
- The House Health Committee will hold an informational hearing on the Uniform Healthcare Decision Act.
- The House Insurance Committee will hold a voting meeting on HB 2427; consolidation of utilization management statutes, HB 2464; replacing outdated references in PA’s Insurance Law, and HB 2473; repealing obsolete insurance laws and completed statutorily required studies.
Thursday
- The Senate Institutional Sustainability and Innovation Committee will hold a hearing on SB 792, which would provide for an increase in the Research & Development Tax Credit program in PA.

Department of Human Services

Check out DHS’ Human Services Helpers, on the Substack platform – a media platform for video, podcasts, etc. – that will cover updates on DHS programs, news from the agency, and how organizations and partners can help their communities.

The Department released a bulletin notice announcing the approval of doula services’ inclusion in the PA Medicaid State Plan by CMS retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025, as required by Act 115 of 2024.

DHS issued a provider tip for streamlining provider revalidation submissions.

The Department released their latest updated PA Managed Care Directory.

Stakeholder Meetings

The Department of Health’s Organ Donation Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting on May 7^th from 10am-1:30pm.

DOH’s Statewide HIV Planning Group will hold a public meeting on May 20^th from 9am to Noon.

Federal Update

Click here for a review of this week’s federal activities.

PA Safety Net Admin2026-05-01T20:28:03+00:00May 1st, 2026|Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Bulletin, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medical Assistance, Rural Health Transformation Program|Comments Off

PA Health Policy Update for April 3

The following is an update of selected state health policy developments in Pennsylvania from March 30 –April 3 (Some of the language used below is taken directly from state documents).

Rural Health Transformation Program

The Department of Human Services held a webinar for PA’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) this week where the Department shared details on Pennsylvania’s approach to dispersing and operationalizing the $193M RHTP funds awarded to the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is soliciting nominations for interested parties to join RHTP Rural Care Collaboratives or the RHTP Advisory Council. Nominations can be submitted here and the deadline for nominations is Friday 4/10 at 5pm. Webinar slides and information on upcoming regional forums can be found here.

Maternal Health

The Shapiro Administration released PA’s Maternal Health Strategic Action Plan called, “Healthy Moms, Vibrant Futures.” The plan was developed collaboratively across DHS, DOH, DDAP, Insurance Department, with feedback from the Black Maternal Health Caucus in the General Assembly, and stakeholders across 16 roundtables statewide.

General Assembly

The following are healthcare-related bills or cosponsor memos released by legislators this past week:

Rep. Jason Ortitay introduced both House Bill 2341, which would provide grants to healthcare facilities to procure standardized threat and risk assessment platforms and House Bill 2342, which would provide consumer protections in the application for or switching of Medicare supplemental plans in PA.
Rep. Lisa Borowski introduced House Bill 2335 which would expand the scope of practice for certified nurse anesthetists.
Senate Bill 1206, introduced by Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, would provide for virtual manufacturer license for prescription drugs and medical devices.

The House will return to session the week of April 13^th and the Senate is scheduled to return the week of April 20^th.

Department of Human Services

Check out DHS’ Human Services Helpers, on the Substack platform – a media platform for video, podcasts, etc. – that will cover updates on DHS programs, news from the agency, and how organizations and partners can help their communities.

DHS issued several Medical Assistance Bulletins for the following areas:

The Department shared their February 2026 HealthChoices Enrollment Report.

DHS published a bulletin notice of the availability of FY 26-27 Social Services Block Grant’s Intended Use Plan. The Department offered a 30-day public comment period.

The Department published final notice of its intent to allocate funding for Disproportionate Share and Supplemental Hospital payments at 55 Pa.B. 6643 (September 13, 2025).

Department of Health

The Department encouraged providers to complete the Respiratory Virus Dashboard survey. The purpose of this survey is to understand how healthcare personnel in Pennsylvania use the dashboard, what they would like to see in future iterations, and how the department can curate data and visualizations for you. Deadline for submission is April 10^th and any questions about the survey can be sent to Hannah Lund at hlund@pa.gov

Independent Regulatory Review Commission

IRRC has either approved or deemed approved the following regulatory packages:

State Board of Medicine # 16A-4960: Education and Volunteer Services
State Board of Osteopathic Medicine # 16A-5337: Education and Volunteer Services
State Board of Pharmacy # 16A-5434: Immunization Updates

Stakeholder Meetings

The Department of Health’s Renal Advisory Committee will hold their quarterly public meeting on April 17^th from 10am-Noon.

DOH’s Special Pharmaceutical Benefits Program will hold a public teleconference on April 30^th from 10am to Noon.

Federal Update

Click here for a review of this week’s federal activities.

PA Safety Net Admin2026-04-03T23:18:45+00:00April 3rd, 2026|Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Bulletin, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Rural Health Transformation Program|Comments Off

PA Health Policy Update for March 27

The following is an update of selected state health policy developments in Pennsylvania from March 23 –March 27 (Some of the language used below is taken directly from state documents).

Budget Update

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jordan Harris has introduced and begun to advance budget bills to kick off the legislative budget process for this year. HB 2400, the General Appropriations Bill, HB 2401, the Capitol Budget Bill, and HB 2402, the Capitol Budget Itemization Bill, were all introduced and moved out of the House Appropriations Committee this week along with other budget-related bills.

Rural Health Transformation Program

The Department of Human Services has released a registration link for their Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) Webinar scheduled for March 31^st at 3:30pm where the Department will share information and details on Pennsylvania’s approach to dispersing and operationalizing the $193M RHTP funds awarded to the Commonwealth. We will be joining to monitor the webinar but we encourage you to sign up as well to hear the Shapiro Administration’s plans to deploy these dollars in Year 1.

General Assembly

Both the House and Senate were in session this week. Four new members of the House, Ana Tiburcio (D) in HD 22 from Lehigh County, Jen Mazzocco (D) in HD 42 from Allegheny County, Andrea Verobish (R) in HD 79 from Blair County, and Catherine Wallen (R) in HD 193 from Adams County were seated this week following special elections. The House still must fill a vacancy in the 196^th District from York County and will have a new vacancy at the end of the month with the resignation of Stephanie Scialabba of Butler County.

In the Senate, SB 1211, legislation to include Medicaid Fee for Service coverage for biomarker testing, passed unanimously and will now advance to the House Human Services Committee for consideration. The Senate also advanced SB 614, FQHC Preceptorship legislation, which included an amendment to broaden eligible entities and to address role of and opportunity for Rural Health Transformation Program funds to be used for this purpose, among other changes. The bill passed by a measure of 26-23, sending it to the House Health Committee. Lastly, the Senate advanced SB 804 which prohibits usage of IV solutions or medical equipment with certain additives. The bill passed 49-1 and now moves to the House Health Committee.

In the House, the House Health Committee met for a public joint hearing held along with the House Communications & Technology Committee on Tuesday examining the role of AI in Healthcare. The Health Committee met again for a voting meeting on Wednesday to consider several resolutions as well as House Bill 2265, which would require onsite, board-certified or board-eligible Emergency Physicians in all hospital emergency departments. The bill advanced out of committee with an amendment further clarifying some of the bills requirements and aligning with existing regulations, addressing some stakeholder concerns. The House also unanimously passed HB 1851 which would expand midwifery services in PA.

The following are healthcare-related bills or cosponsor memos released by legislators this past week:

Rep. Paul Friel formally introduced HB 2315, legislation to compel the creation of regulations to allow direct primary care providers to submit referrals for individuals covered under HMO plans.
Rep. Justin Fleming introduced a co-sponsorship memo for additional safety measures around the sale and usage of compounded GLP-1 products in PA.
Rep. Bridget Kosierowski issued a co-sponsor memo for legislation to expand insurance coverage of wheelchair maintenance.

The House will return to session the week of April 13^th and the Senate is scheduled to return the week of April 20^th.

Department of Human Services

Check out DHS’ Human Services Helpers, on the Substack platform – a media platform for video, podcasts, etc. – that will cover updates on DHS programs, news from the agency, and how organizations and partners can help their communities.

DHS issued the following notices in the PA Bulletin effectuating special legislative payments for certain nursing facilities as outlined by the Budget and various code bills:

The Department released a bulletin notice for the Nursing Facility Assessment Program for FY 25-26.

Department of Health

DOH shared an announcement from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) regarding the future implementation of Track-Kit, Pennsylvania’s statewide sexual assault kit (SAK) tracking system. This change is in response to Act 122 of 2024, which directed PCCD to establish and operate a statewide system to track sexual assault kits throughout the custody and testing process.

The Department released an RFA for neurodegenerative research with a due date of April 23rd. This funding was a result of new state dollars included in last year’s budget legislation.

Stakeholder Meetings

DOH’s Infant Hearing Screening Advisory Committee will hold their public meeting on March 31^st from 9am-11am.

The Department of Health’s Renal Advisory Committee will hold their quarterly public meeting on April 17^th from 10am-Noon.

DOH’s Special Pharmaceutical Benefits Program will hold a public teleconference on April 30^th from 10am to Noon.

Federal Update

Click here for a review of this week’s federal activities.

PA Safety Net Admin2026-03-27T20:36:44+00:00March 27th, 2026|Federal Medicaid issues, Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Bulletin, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania proposed FY 2027 budget, Pennsylvania Rural Health|Comments Off

PA Health Policy Update for December 31

The following is an update of selected state health policy developments in Pennsylvania from December 22 – December 31 (Some of the language used below is taken directly from state documents).

Rural Health Transformation Program

The Shapiro Administration announced Pennsylvania’s $193 million portion of federal Rural Health Transformation Program funds. As previously shared in other updates, the Administration’s plan focuses on several initiative areas to drive federal investment:

Technology & Infrastructure
Workforce
Maternal Health
Behavioral Health
Aging & Access
EMS & Transportation

Investments will be coordinated through Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance (PREP) organizations, already existing regional economic collaboratives, and coordination with locally created Rural Care Collaboratives steered by regional stakeholders and healthcare leaders. Updates on these investments will be shared as more information becomes available.

Reorganizations

The Shapiro Administration released departmental reorganizations for both the Office of Administration and the Department of General Services.

General Assembly

The House and Senate will briefly convene Session on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. House Session will be non-voting. The House shared scheduled Session days through 2026 and Senate Session days are released through June.

Department of Human Services

DHS launched Human Services Helpers, on the Substack platform – a media platform for video, podcasts, etc. – that will cover updates on DHS programs, news from the agency, and how organizations and partners can help their communities.

The Department issued proposed notice for Disproportionate Share and Supplemental Payments to Qualifying Hospitals for 2025-2026.

DHS issued updated Emergency Medical Services Rates for Publicly Owned Providers which will be effective 1/1/2026.

The Department released a Bulletin notice regarding the Medical Assistance Program Compensable Service Change: GLP-1 Drugs to Treat Overweight and Obesity and issued an MA Bulletin notice revising Prior Authorization Requirements for GLP-1 medications.

DHS issued an MA Bulletin updating the EPSDT Periodicity Schedule to reflect vaccine schedule changes.

The Department released an MA Bulletin with guidelines for Hospital-Grade Breast Pumps.

DHS shared an MA Bulletin with updates to Limited English Proficiency Requirements.

Department of Health

The Department published final-form Sexual Assault Victim Emergency Services Regulations listing hospitals that do not provide emergency contraception due to a stated moral or religious belief.

Stakeholder Meetings

The Department of Health’s Renal Disease Advisory Committee will meet for its quarterly public meeting on Friday, January 16, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Department of Health’s Special Pharmaceutical Benefit Program Advisory Council will meet on Thursday Jan. 29, 2026, from 10a.m. to 12p.m. The Council will offer guidance and recommendations to the Department on the program’s drug formulary, covered lab services, drug utilization review, clinical programs, eligibility and program management.

Federal Update

Click here for a review of this week’s federal activities.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2026.

PA Safety Net Admin2026-01-02T17:06:07+00:00December 31st, 2025|Medical Assistance Bulletin, Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Bulletin, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Rural Health|Comments Off

PA Health Policy Update for August 15

The following is an update of selected state health policy developments in Pennsylvania from August 4 – August 15. (Some of the language used below is taken directly from state documents).

Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget Update

While there has been considerable activity surrounding the state budget impasse, the passage of budget and mass transit legislation remains largely about political positioning rather than tangible progress toward a final budget for this fiscal year. It appears likely the budget impasse will extend into September.

The House stands adjourned until September 22 and the Senate until September 8.

Department of Human Services

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is taking steps to inform the commonwealth’s Rural Health Transformation Plan that will be required for submission to the federal government to receive an award of rural health funds that were included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. DHS is seeking feedback in the following areas as well as any ideas that help improve access in rural communities:

maternal health
mental and behavioral health
aging and access
transportation and EMS
rural healthcare workforce

Respondents should use this online form to submit feedback by August 29.

DHS has updated a guidance document for providers participating in the DHS Breast & Cervical Cancer Prevention & Treatment Program.

DHS’s calendar of Remittance Advice Dates has been updated to include September 2025.

Department of Health

The Department of Health (DOH) is looking for feedback on the development and implementation of a virtual and/or hybrid skills assessment examination process for nurse aides entering the long-term care sector in Pennsylvania. DOH is interested in learning about existing models, technologies, operational logistics, training and credentialing frameworks, and regulatory considerations that support successful and scalable virtual nurse aide skills examination solutions. For more information and instructions for how to submit a response to this RFI here.

Around the State

Broad + Liberty discusses the impact of private equity and health care bankruptcies on patient access to care in this article related to the closure of Crozer-Chester hospitals in southeast Pennsylvania.

Spotlight PA in this article highlighted how the legislative action from this past week has only deepened the budget impasse in Harrisburg.

PennLive reported on the Pennsylvania hospitals that were recently included in the U.S. World News & Reports list of best hospitals in the country.

Stakeholder Meetings

OMHSAS – Certified Recovery Specialist Feedback Sessions (Sept-Oct)

The DHS Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is hosting six stakeholder sessions to gather feedback on Certified Recovery Specialists (CRS) services within the Medicaid program. The intended audience includes county mental health providers, CRS, and CRS supervisors. Click here for registration information.

PA Safety Net Admin2025-08-15T20:00:26+00:00August 15th, 2025|Meetings and notices, Pennsylvania Rural Health, Pennsylvania state budget issues|Comments Off

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