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Wolf Presents Health Care Reform Proposal

Governor Wolf has unveiled a health care reform plan with the goal of making health care more affordable, supporting sustainable growth and transformations of health systems and corporations, and addressing health inequities across Pennsylvania.  The plan includes three major components:

  • An Interagency Health Reform Council charged with developing recommendations on how to identify and capitalize on efficiencies in the existing health care system.
  • Regional Accountable Health Councils convened by Medicaid managed care organizations to assess community needs and develop regional transformation plans.
  • A Health Value Commission charged with setting spending targets for payers in the areas of primary care, behavioral health, and value-based purchasing. The commission also would perform public interest reviews of proposed large provider mergers, acquisitions, and changes in ownership.

Although it requires legislation to move forward, the third component of the governor’s plan appears to have the most potential to affect Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals

Learn more from the Wolf administration’s news release announcing the plan.

2020-10-07T06:00:03+00:00October 7th, 2020|Health care reform|Comments Off on Wolf Presents Health Care Reform Proposal
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Payer Mix to Change, Providers Anticipate

Health care providers expect to serve higher proportions of Medicaid and uninsured patients in the coming year, according to a new survey.

The shift will be driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, which as unemployment remains high is leading to fewer patients with commercial insurance and more with Medicaid or no insurance all, according to provider financial executives.

Such a shift would be especially challenging for Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals because they already serve higher proportions of Medicaid and uninsured patients than the typical community hospital.

Learn more about the reimbursement changes health care providers expect to see over the next twelve months in the Healthcare Dive article “Provider finance execs bracing for unfavorable shift in payer mix, survey finds.”

2020-10-05T06:00:21+00:00October 5th, 2020|Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals|Comments Off on Payer Mix to Change, Providers Anticipate
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MFAR is Dead

At least for now.

The controversial Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Regulation, slated for implementation this fall over the objections of many health care stakeholders, will not move forward at this time.

In a tweet earlier this week, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma wrote that

We’ve listened closely to concerns that have been raised by our state and provider partners about potential unintended consequences of the proposed rule, which require further study.  Therefore, CMS is withdrawing the rule from the regulatory agenda.

If implemented, opponents maintained, the regulation would have:

  • Deprived states of important, established policy-making prerogatives.
  • Created major new administrative burdens for state governments and hospitals.
  • Inappropriately regulated financing of the state share of Medicaid spending.
  • Introduced new, unspecified standards for state Medicaid programs.

While CMS maintained that MFAR would have enhanced the transparency of state Medicaid programs, the rule’s opponents maintained that it could lead to a major reduction of resources for serving the Medicaid population.

SNAP was among those opponents, arguing that the regulation could have hurt Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals and others that serve low-income communities by inappropriately regulating how states can finance their Medicaid programs.  CMS proposed the rule last November; SNAP submitted formal comments expressing its opposition in January; and SNAP rallied Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to oppose the rule in February, March, and July.

It is worth noting that in “withdrawing the rule from the regulatory agenda,” Verma did not preclude the possibility of reintroducing MFAR at some point in the future.

Learn more from article “Trump administration backing off Medicaid rule that states warned would lead to cuts” in the online publication The Hill.

2020-09-17T06:00:46+00:00September 17th, 2020|Federal Medicaid issues, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals, Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania|Comments Off on MFAR is Dead
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Medicaid Enrollment on the Rise

More people are enrolling in Medicaid, and much of the increase is driven by the COVID-19 emergency.

Or so reports the organization Families USA in a new study.

Pennsylvania State MapAccording to the study,

Over half of the 38 states reporting monthly enrollment through May or later have seen greater than 7% growth in enrollment since February. For the eight states reporting August enrollment, their average enrollment growth since February is approximately 11%.

But the implications are even greater, according to the analysis, which found that in large part because of COVID-19 job loss,

Medicaid enrollment among the 38 states reporting has already increased by 4.3 million people and is poised to increase much more in the near future. Analysis by Health Management Associates projects that up to 27 million people will lose their job-based insurance this year and that Medicaid will see an increase in enrollment of up to 18 million people by the end of 2020, depending on the severity of the economic downturn.

The effects of COVID-19 job loss and accompanying loss of insurance already appears to be visible in Pennsylvania, where Medicaid enrollment rose from 2.84 million in March of 2020 to 2.89 million in April, 2.94 million in May, and 2.977 million in June.  Growing Medicaid enrollment poses a challenge for Pennsylvania’s safety-net hospitals because they care for so many low-income patients and payments from the state’s Medicaid program often do not cover the cost of the care they provide.

Learn more about the nation-wide trend in the Families USA report “Rapid Increases in Medicaid Enrollment: A Review of Data from Six Months.”

 

2020-09-16T06:00:58+00:00September 16th, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid coronavirus, Pennsylvania Medicaid COVID-19, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals|Comments Off on Medicaid Enrollment on the Rise
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Eliminate Medicaid DSH Cut, SNAP Asks PA Delegation

A Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government in FY 2021 should eliminate a cut in federal Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) allotments to the states, and the Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania has written to the state’s congressional delegation asking its members to convey this message to congressional leaders.

Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania logoThe cut was mandated by the 2010 Affordable Care Act but has never been implemented.

In its letter to the delegation, SNAP wrote that

The Medicaid DSH cut was predicated on the expectation that the Affordable Care Act would greatly reduce the number of uninsured Americans, and while it has, millions remain uninsured, including nearly 700,000 Pennsylvanians – a number thought to be rising because of the job loss associated with COVID-19. When these people are sick or injured, most will turn to the state’s 41 private safety-net hospitals for care. These hospitals depend heavily on their Medicaid DSH payments to underwrite the cost of care for their uninsured patients, so they have never needed the resources afforded by Medicaid DSH more than they do today. Congress has always questioned the wisdom of this cut and has never permitted those cuts to go into effect. The most recent delay expires after November 30..

Because they serve so many uninsured and underinsured patients, Medicaid DSH payments from the state are especially important for Pennsylvania’s safety-net hospitals.

Learn more from SNAP’s Medicaid DSH letter to Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation.

2020-09-15T06:00:16+00:00September 15th, 2020|Affordable Care Act, Medicaid supplemental payments, Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals, Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania|Comments Off on Eliminate Medicaid DSH Cut, SNAP Asks PA Delegation
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COVID-19 Update: June 4, 2020

Coronavirus update for Thursday, June 4 as of 2:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania Update

SNAP Advocacy

Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania logoToday SNAP wrote to Pennsylvania senators Robert Casey and Pat Toomey to ask them to pursue legislation with five major COVID-19-related policy initiatives that Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals need:

  1. A 14-point increase in the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP).
  2. An additional $100 billion for hospitals.
  3. Another delay in implementation of Affordable Care Act-mandated cuts in Medicaid disproportionate share (Medicaid DSH) allotments.
  4. Prevention of implementation of the Medicare fiscal accountability regulation (MFAR).
  5. Reduced interest rates and a longer payback period for Medicare payments advanced to hospitals through the CARES Act’s Accelerated and Advance Payment Program.

See SNAP’s letter here.

Governor Wolf

Governor Wolf announced that the Office of State Fire Commissioner will be working to enact recent legislation to provide $50 million in direct financial relief to fire and emergency medical service (EMS) companies hurt by the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.  $6 million of this money is targeted for EMS companies.

Governor Wolf and Secretary of Health Levine signed amended yellow phase orders to include 10 counties (including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties) moving to the yellow phase at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow, June 5 and signed amended green phase orders to include 16 counties moving to the green phase at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow.  With these orders, there are no counties in the red phase. In total, on June 5, there will be 34 counties in the green phase and 33 in the yellow phase.  See the announcement here.

Department of Health – by the numbers

  • Yesterday’s new case and death totals are very similar to those of the previous day.
  • The number of health care workers who have contracted COVID-19 now exceeds 5600.
  • 1174 Pennsylvanians are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 and 257 of them are on ventilators.
  • 45 percent of acute-care beds, 38 percent of ICU beds, and 24 percent of pediatric ICU beds are currently unoccupied, as are 53 percent of hospital isolation rooms.

Department of Human Services/Office of Long-Term Living

Department of Aging

  • The Department of Aging has published guidance for the reopening and operation of adult daily living centers during the COVID-19 crisis in counties that have transitioned to the green phase.
  • The department has created an older adult daily living center reopening checklist for facilities reopening in green phase areas.
  • The department also has created a staff and participant COVID-19 wellness check screening tool for older adult daily living centers that are reopening.
  • The department also clarified that OLTL is requiring LIFE Centers to follow adult daily living center guidance for reopening.

Federal Update

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Food and Drug Administration

  • The FDA has introduced a new web-based resource, Testing Supply Substitution Strategies, that includes detailed information to help support labs performing authorized COVID-19 tests.
  • The FDA has updated the question-and-answer appendix in its guidance Conduct of Clinical Trials of Medical Products during COVID-19 Public Health Emergency with new information about compliance for electronic systems used to generate electronic signatures on clinical trial records.
  • The FDA has issued an alert to providers about the temporary absence of the “paralyzing agent” warning statement on the vial caps of the neuromuscular blocking agents vecuronium bromide and rocuronium bromide, both of which are often used for patients requiring medical ventilation.
  • The FDA has issued emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for five new commercial diagnostic tests for COVID-19. Find them here, here, here, here, and here.

Resources to Consult

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

Main COVID-19 Page

COVID-19 Provider Resources

Press Releases

Pennsylvania Department of Health

Main COVID-19 Page

PA Health Alert Network

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Main COVID-19 Page

FAQ

(To receive this daily update directly, sign up for our mailing list at  info@pasafetynet.org.)

 

2020-09-01T18:36:23+00:00June 5th, 2020|Coronavirus, COVID-19, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals, Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania|Comments Off on COVID-19 Update: June 4, 2020
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MFAR Backlash Continues

Diverse health care and government interests are rallying around their opposition to the proposed Medicaid fiscal accountability rule.

Bookshelf with law booksThe regulation, proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in November would impose new limits on the ability of states to finance their share of their Medicaid spending, potentially jeopardizing provider payments and the ability of high-volume Medicaid providers to operate without suffering great losses.

In all, CMS received more than 4200 written comments in response to the proposed regulation, most of them expressing opposition.  Among those doing so were state governments, the National Governors Association, hospitals and hospital associations, nursing home operators, and health advocacy organizations.  Also among them was the Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania.  In summarizing its opposition, SNAP wrote in a formal comment letter to CMS on behalf of Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals that

SNAP is concerned that this proposed regulation would inappropriately restrict the state’s ability to finance the non-federal share of the Medicaid program, would impose significant additional regulatory burdens – the cost of which would far outstrip their benefit – would inappropriately introduce subjectivity into the application of previously clear and objective regulatory standards, and is beyond the scope of the statutory authority granted to CMS.

See SNAP’s entire letter here.

Learn more about the Medicaid fiscal accountability rule, what it seeks to do, and why so many oppose in the Stateline article “Medical Groups Slam Trump Medicaid Rule.”

 

2020-03-04T06:00:15+00:00March 4th, 2020|Federal Medicaid issues, Medicaid supplemental payments|Comments Off on MFAR Backlash Continues
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340B Déjà Vu: CMS Seeks to Collect Data From Hospitals

For the second time in four months, the federal government has announced its intention to collect data from hospitals and other providers on what they pay for the prescription drugs they purchase through the section 340B prescription drug discount program.

Last week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published a notice announcing its intention to collect this data.  Previously, health care interests sued CMS when it attempted in 2018 to reduce payments to providers for drugs purchased through the 340B program and the court ruled against CMS, maintaining that the agency did not have enough data on hospitals’ acquisition costs for the drugs to justify the proposed payment reduction.  The newly announced data collection effort seeks to rectify that shortcoming as the court considers CMS’s appeal of a similar decision in a lawsuit filed after CMS again proposed reducing 340B payments and was again rebuffed by the courts in 2019.

Under federal law, CMS must publish a notice declaring its intention to collect such data and seek input from stakeholders.  For this particular notice, stakeholders have until March 9 to respond.

CMS published a similar notice in September of 2019 announcing its intention to collect similar data.  That data collection never took place.

Most Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals participate in the 340B program and consider it a vital tool in serving the many low-income residents of the communities in which they are located.

To learn more about CMS’s 340B data collection effort, see the notice it published in the Federal Register and read the Becker’s Hospital Review article “CMS ready to survey 340B hospitals about drug acquisition costs.”

2020-02-13T06:00:33+00:00February 13th, 2020|340b, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals|Comments Off on 340B Déjà Vu: CMS Seeks to Collect Data From Hospitals
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Wolf Administration Proposes New Human Services Initiatives for FY 2021

New human services efforts to support vulnerable populations are a major part of Governor Tom Wolf’s proposed $36.06 billion FY 2021 budget for Pennsylvania.

The proposed budget, presented to the state legislature earlier this week, includes the following new initiatives:

  • creating pathways to success in the workforce for low-income Pennsylvanians
  • increasing the minimum wage to $15
  • increasing Department of Human Services staffing to support licensing and oversight
  • supporting adults in long-term-care facilities
  • legal services for vulnerable populations
  • direct care worker comprehensive training
  • commitment to performance-based metrics, accountability, and transparency in services and licensing
  • supporting vulnerable populations through home- and community-based services and reducing waiting lists
  • prevention services to support at-risk families
  • improving food security while supporting agriculture

Go here to see DHS’s presentation of these initiatives.

In addition, the Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania has prepared a detailed memo describing the proposed FY 2021 budget’s implications for Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals and the state’s Medicaid program.  For a copy of this memo, use the “contact us” link in the upper right-hand corner of this page.

2020-02-07T06:00:38+00:00February 7th, 2020|Pennsylvania Medicaid, Pennsylvania Medicaid laws and regulations, Pennsylvania Medicaid policy, Pennsylvania Medical Assistance, Pennsylvania proposed FY 2021 budget, Pennsylvania safety-net hospitals, Pennsylvania state budget issues, Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania|Comments Off on Wolf Administration Proposes New Human Services Initiatives for FY 2021
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Medicaid DSH Cut Delayed

Scheduled cuts in Medicaid DSH payments to hospitals will be delayed until at least late May under new federal spending legislation.

The cuts in Medicaid disproportionate share allotments to the states, mandated by the Affordable Care Act and delayed several times by Congress – including twice in FY 2020 alone under continuing resolutions to fund the federal government – are among a number of so-called “extenders” included in spending bills passed by Congress this week and sent to the president for his signature.

Authorization for delaying the cut in allotments to the states, which would have resulted in reduced Medicaid DSH payments for many hospitals – including private safety-net hospitals – would expire on May 22.  Congress is expected to address Medicaid DSH, along with surprise medical bills, the price of prescription drugs, and other health care matters, before that time.

SNAP has argued against Medicaid DSH cuts for a number of years, doing so most recently in an October 2019 message to members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation in which it wrote that

Should the Medicaid DSH cut take effect, Pennsylvania would lose 40 percent of its federal Medicaid DSH allotment in FY 2020 and 80 percent of its allotment each year from FY 2021 to FY 2025. Such devastating cuts could jeopardize access to care for the state’s uninsured and jeopardize the ability of the state’s safety-net hospitals to serve them. It is essential, for the sake of Pennsylvania’s health care safety net and the communities and patients that safety net serves, that the Medicaid DSH cut continue to be delayed.

Learn more about the delay in Medicaid DSH cuts and other aspects of this recent health care spending legislation in the Becker’s Hospital Review article “Congress unveils $1.3T spending deal: 5 healthcare takeaways.”

2019-12-19T06:00:58+00:00December 19th, 2019|Affordable Care Act, DSH hospitals, Federal Medicaid issues, Medicaid supplemental payments, Pennsylvania Medicaid|Comments Off on Medicaid DSH Cut Delayed
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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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