- Telehealth Study Recruiting Veterans Now
- USDA Delivers Immediate Relief to Farmers, Ranchers and Rural Communities Impacted by Recent Disasters
- Submit Nominations for Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) Committees
- Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation of the Medicare Program (Executive Order 14192) - Request for Information
- Dr. Mehmet Oz Shares Vision for CMS
- CMS Refocuses on its Core Mission and Preserving the State-Federal Medicaid Partnership
- Social Factors Help Explain Worse Cardiovascular Health among Adults in Rural Vs. Urban Communities
- Reducing Barriers to Participation in Population-Based Total Cost of Care (PB-TCOC) Models and Supporting Primary and Specialty Care Transformation: Request for Input
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- Secretary Kennedy Renews Public Health Emergency Declaration to Address National Opioid Crisis
- 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Proposed Rule
- Rural America Faces Growing Shortage of Eye Surgeons
- NRHA Continues Partnership to Advance Rural Oral Health
- Comments Requested on Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit Draft
- Q&A: What Are the Challenges and Opportunities of Small-Town Philanthropy?
Barriers to Medicaid and CHIP Enrollment
The Biden Administration has announced a Request for Information (RFI) related to healthcare access through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The RFI’s aim is to better understand barriers to enrollment. A list of questions to inform responses is available and responses are due by April 18, 2022.
Pennie Assisters
Pennie has helpful quick reference guides and tools available at www.agency.pennie.com/assisters. Bookmark this page for tips and easy access to assister-specific materials. The latest addition is the Special Enrollment Period Quick Reference Guide. The guide provides detailed information on all special enrollment period effective dates, needed documentation and self-attestation rules. This guide and other Qualifying Life Event instructions are available on the Feb. 18 Pennie Lunch and Lunch.
2022 Outreach and Enrollment Peer Networking
PACHC’s February 2022 Outreach and Enrollment Peer Networking call was recorded and is available on our Outreach and Enrollment Slack page. Topics of discussion included Final Open Enrollment 2022 Pennie numbers, assister reporting, upcoming trainings and Medicaid enrollment. Be sure to review the recording for observations, trends and news. Questions, contact Tia Whitaker, Statewide Director, Outreach and Enrollment.
Supreme Court Won’t Hear Challenge to State Mask Mandate
The Supreme Court again rejected an opportunity to hear arguments in a lawsuit that sought to challenge Maine’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. The Supreme Court had already rejected the Maine challengers in October, when, over three dissents, the justices refused to intervene on an emergency basis. Maine is one of three states, along with New York and Rhode Island, that require vaccination of healthcare workers and allow exemptions only for medical reasons. Although the Supreme Court has limited the federal government’s power to require COVID-19 shots or tests, the justices have allowed state and local mandates, even without religious exemptions. The court left in force New York’s requirement in December.
Do Your Part to Protect 340B Program
Please keep up your efforts to expand the list of PROTECT 340B cosponsors. We’re told that the current list of 71 cosponsors “is definitely getting the Senate’s attention.” With the possibility of Congress addressing other 340B issues, it becomes even more important to show support for the protections for covered entities in this bill. Here are resources to support your advocacy:
- PROTECT 340B toolkit
- Text of H.R. 4390, the PROTECT 340B Act
- Two-page overview of issue and bill
- Spreadsheet with detailed info on each House member
- List of co-sponsors
There are currently five Pennsylvania co-sponsors: Reps. Matt Cartwright, Glenn Thompson, Dwight Evans, Susan Wild and Fred Keller.
State Supreme Court Chooses New Congressional Map
On Wednesday, Feb. 23, Pennsylvania’s highest court chose a new congressional districting map. By a 4-3 vote, the commonwealth’s new 17-district map—one less district than the 2010 map due to the 2020 census results—largely sticks to current lines and is expected to provide for eight Republican-leaning districts, six Democratic-leaning districts and three districts that could be considered toss-ups. The map also pits two incumbents—U.S. Reps. Fred Keller and Glenn Thompson—against each other in central Pennsylvania. With the prolonged finalization process, the court decided to extend the petition-gathering schedule but keep the May 17 primary date.
Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers Events
It’s Time to Register!
We hope that you are planning to join us for one or more of these upcoming March events that will be held in-person at the Best Western Central Hotel in Harrisburg:
- C-Suite Forum, March 23 – health center executive teams will gather for a day focused on addressing pandemic fatigue from the executive management perspective
- Emergency Preparedness Summit, March 24-25 – representatives from health centers across the state will meet to ensure compliance with CMS requirements and strengthen emergency planning
Visit the Events page of PACHC’s website for more information on the events and to register. Questions? Contact Amanda Tekely, Events and Communications Manager
Guide to Support Ambulatory Care
The Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ) has created a guide to support ambulatory care settings of all types in the design and implementation of successful Patient-Generated Health Data (PGHD) programs. The guide is organized into six folios that help ambulatory care practices navigate the many steps from design, to launch, to maintenance of a successful, sustainable PGHD program. Learn more and access the guide. AHRQ will also be offering a webinar, Transforming Health Care Through Patient-Generated Health Data Integration, on Feb. 22, at 1:00 pm. Learn more and register
Increases in Reported Syphilis
During Calendar Year (CY) 2021, Pennsylvania (exclusive of Philadelphia) reported a 28% increase in Early Syphilis from CY 2020. The reported 1,418 cases in CY 2021 represents the highest number of Early Syphilis cases in more than 30 years. Additionally, during CY 2021, there was also a reported 36% increase in Early Syphilis cases in females of whom 90% were child-bearing age. Read more.
Electronic Exchange Requirements Move Closer to Reality
After several COVID-related delays, the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) has set a December 31 deadline for the healthcare industry to support apps that store records electronically, such as Apple Health. This is part of the 21st Century Cures Act, and it works both ways: Health IT developers will need standardized APIs and FHIR technology to support data exchange and interoperability, and providers will be expected to use APIs and FHIR technology. Patients won’t be required to use apps, but medical offices will at least have to support electronic exchanges using the FHIR standards. What remains to be seen is how this will be enforced.