Pennsylvania Governor Wolf Administration’s Opioid Command Center announced the availability of the Statewide Naloxone Allocation Request Portal. The portal allows eligible organizations serving high-risk populations the ability to request additional naloxone nasal spray. This portal will supplement the Central Coordinating Entities’ (CCEs) efforts through the Naloxone for First Responders Program (NFRP) with a dedicated supply of naloxone focused on supporting distribution efforts to reach high-risk and high-need populations. Eligible organizations must utilize naloxone provided through this portal to support one or more of the following priority populations:

• Individuals using Syringe Service Programs (SSPs) and harm reduction services
• Individuals leaving state prisons and county jails
• Individuals engaged in and/or leaving treatment or detox and those who are in recovery
• Individuals who have experienced a nonfatal overdose
• Other high-risk populations identified by the organization (i.e., pregnant/post-partum women with a history of opioid use disorder, individuals experiencing homelessness, etc.)

Dental practices across the country are using quality improvement methods to develop synchronous teledentistry service lines to better meet their patients’ needs. Learn how three organizations used teledentistry to provide preventive dental services, support patient self-management, reduce no-show rates, and developed a business case that will provide excellent patient care now and into the future during this NNOHA-sponsored webinar on April 14 at 4:00 pm. One CDE will be offered. Registration is required.

On March 18, the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) issued an Informational Bulletin providing 2021 guidelines for the federal poverty level (FPL). These guidelines are used by states to determine eligibility for their Medicaid and CHIP programs.

The HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) announced in the Federal Register that the effective date of the 340B/Insulin/EpiPen regulation will be delayed by another 120 days, until July 20, 2021. BPHC received 198 comments on the proposed delay, of which 187 were supportive. Their two main justifications for the extension aligned with the two main points that PCAs/FQHCs raised in their comments: a further delay is consistent with the Biden Administration’s Regulatory Freeze, and a further delay is appropriate given the critical role that FQHCs have been assigned since January in vaccinating hard-to-reach populations. This suggests that comments from the health center community were effective in getting to this outcome. While much of PCA/FQHC community would have preferred for BPHC to rescind the regulation entirely, rescinding the reg was not an option for BPHC at this time.

Pennsylvania APPRISE, Senior Medicare Patrol, and PA Health Law Project will be hosting a series of Medicare Public Meetings throughout March and April 2021. The events are open to people on Medicare who live in Pennsylvania and their caregivers. Topics will include programs that help with Medicare costs, Medicare coverage of COVID-19 vaccine and treatment and fraud prevention.

• March 29, 2:00 – 3:00 pm: Click here to Join; call in number: 1-301-715-8592; meeting ID: 897 8344 8093
• April 7, 10:00 – 11:00 am: Click here to Join; call in number: 1-646-876-9923; meeting ID: 842 4667 8595
• April 12, 2:00 – 3:00 am: Click here to Join; call in number: 1-301-715-8592; meeting ID: 842 0730 0972
•  April 16, 11:00 -12:00 pm: Click here to Join; call in number: 1-301-715-8592; meeting ID: 836 3275 8126