As we prepare to release the 2021 Assister Certification Training, the 2020 Assister Certification Training that is hosted on the Marketplace Learning Management System (MLMS), will be taken offline at 6:00 p.m. (ET) on August 28, 2020.  During this “go-dark” period, assisters will not be able to access the certification training.  We anticipate that the 2021 Assister Certification Training will be available later this summer.

Assisters who need to take the current training before the 2021 training is available should complete the 2020 Assister Certification training prior to its removal on August 28.

Please note: this is training for assisters in the Federally-facilitated Marketplace, and assisters in State-based Marketplace  or State-based Marketplace using the Federal platform should follow their state’s training and certification requirements.

Health Outreach Partners, a HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partners (NTTAP), created this free, downloadable publication, Value-Based Care: A Primer for Outreach and Enabling Services Staff, to introduce value-based care and incentive payments to outreach and enabling services staff at community health centers. It describes the role of value-based care in outreach and provides specific examples of value-based care models and the relevance to health center outreach and enabling services staff.

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority, received authorization to operate a Reinsurance Program under section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act, also known as a State Relief and Empowerment waiver, from 2021 through 2025. The reinsurance program will reduce premiums for consumers on the marketplace by approximately 5-10 percent for plan year 2021 and increase affordability and access to quality coverage. Reinsurance programs provide a direct benefit to consumers by paying a portion of provider claims that would normally be paid by consumers through higher premiums.

Legislation that increases transparency and consumer choice in the prescription drug marketplace is now law. HB 943 (Act 67) ends the long-standing “gag clause” imposed on pharmacists, barring them from informing customers of lower-cost alternatives at the pharmacy counter. Such a prohibition stems from language contained in some pharmacy contracts that disallows pharmacists from disclosing any information to their customers that could potentially reduce their out-of-pocket costs for medications. The bill was signed into law July 23 and becomes effective in 60 days.

On July 23, Gov. Wolf signed HB 672 (Act 65 of 2020) into law repealing provisions related to mental health treatment and release of medical records and adding new language providing for consent for voluntary inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment and for release of medical records. The law enables certain minors to consent to medical, dental and health services, declaring consent unnecessary under certain circumstances. The changes become effective in 60 days.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) reported on July 16, 2020, that it will allow additional Medicaid providers to enroll as an opioid use disorder Center of Excellence (COE). Providers who enroll in the Medicaid program as a COE will be eligible to bill managed care organizations (MCOs) for care management services. DHS will continue to monitor the COE care model to ensure that new providers are meeting the standards. For more information, see related article above on PACHC’s call on this OUD-COE opportunity. Access the DHS Opioid Use Disorder Centers of Excellence Bulletin & Application.