If Congress cuts Medicaid funding to states to help extend tax cuts, dental care for adults could be one of the first casualties as legislators and governors re-sort priorities and try to make do with less. All states cover some level of dental services for people over 21, but the generosity of benefits varies, and states already tend to cut or eliminate adult dental benefits when budgets are tight. Comprehensive Medicaid dental coverage is associated with better oral health, and better oral health, in turn, is connected to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, pregnancy complications and other physical health concerns. The lack of dental insurance also pushes people to the hospital for treatment, where it’s more expensive to provide care. Read more.

House lawmakers delved into the complex issue of potential massive cuts in federal Medicaid spending amid increased use of that program during a budget hearing Tuesday, March 4, for the Department of Human Services (DHS). “We must acknowledge uncertainty in federal funding for a number of programs that help create stability and bridges to success for millions of Pennsylvanians,” said DHS Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh in budget testimony before the Appropriations Committee. “Loss of funding or substantial programmatic changes will have significant ramifications for partners in local government, our provider community, and our fellow Pennsylvanians. Today nearly 3 million Pennsylvanians, 23 percent of our population, access health care through Medicaid, including 750,000 who are covered through Medicaid expansion.” The Republican-controlled U.S. House adopted a federal budget resolution last week that instructs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid, to identify at least $800 billion in mandatory spending cuts during the next 10 years. Medicaid is seen as a prime target for cuts since it’s one of the largest federal programs costing more than $600 billion a year. This resolution went to the GOP-controlled U.S. Senate. Any cuts are likely to affect the federal Affordable Care Act providing health insurance to people with low incomes, including seniors, those with disabilities and pregnant women. Click here to read more. Click here to watch the House hearing. Click here to watch the Senate hearings.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Department of Health and Human Services secretary who promised “radical transparency” shortly after his Senate confirmation, 10 days later announced that he was ending a 54-year-old department transparency commitment. On Friday morning, Feb. 28, Kennedy filed a bureaucratic notice headlined as, “Policy on Adhering to the Text of the Administrative Procedure Act.” The notice was first reported by Isabella Cueto at Stat News. As the notice summarizes the action: SUMMARY: The Department of Health and Human Services’ (the Department) Immediate Office of the Secretary is rescinding the policy on Public Participation in Rule Making (Richardson Waiver) and re-aligning the Department’s rule-making procedures with the Administrative Procedure Act. The Administrative Procedure Act — which sets forth the procedures for agency rulemaking, including notice and comment — exempts regulations relating to “public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts” from notice and comment. Learn more.

Mr. Engels previously led HRSA from 2019 to 2021 and brings a wealth of experience, including his work on the White House’s COVID-19 task force and implementing the Provider Relief Fund. He returns to HRSA from his recent role as Sergeant at Arms at the Wisconsin Senate.

Data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths in the United States decreased by 4.0 percent from 2022 to 2023.  The report includes a table with state-by-state numbers for overdose deaths for any opioid, synthetic opioids other than methadone, psychostimulants with abuse potential, and cocaine.  HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy funds a variety of grant programs each year through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, including three Rural Centers of Excellence focused on rural-specific prevention, treatment, and recovery.  See Approaching Deadlines below for new funding opportunities under this program

Democratic members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation railed against the budget blueprint that passed the House on Tuesday night, warning it could result in steep cuts to Medicaid. But Rep. John Joyce (PA-13), who serves on a committee tasked with coming up with $880 billion in savings over the next decade, says he will work to protect what he calls the core mission of the health care program for low-income people and those with disabilities. “I have heard the concerns of many of my constituents about the Medicaid program,” said U.S. Rep. John Joyce, R-Altoona, who serves as vice chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. “I remain committed to supporting Medicaid’s core mission of providing access and care to low-income children, pregnant women and individuals with disabilities, and I will work to protect this core mission throughout the budget resolution process,” Joyce said. Source: Tribune Review

Community health centers (CHCs) face substantial obstacles to participation in value-based payment models, in which payers reward performance on health outcomes. Further, these models rarely measure and reward efforts toward population health equity, a central CHC goal and outcome. In this Issue Brief, PennLDI recommends ways to promote and enhance CHC participation in value-based payment, and strategies to align these efforts with health equity goals. Penn LDI bases these recommendations on a series of focus groups and conversations with frontline CHC leaders, payers, and payment policy experts.

Given the significant uptake in Medicaid and CHIP enrollment during the pandemic (25 percent), the state has still made a net gain in terms of overall public health care coverage, and many of those de-enrolled were able to transition to the wider insurance marketplace. However, Pennsylvania’s failure to cement these gains in coverage still raises concerns, as evidence suggests many individuals across the country were kicked off their health care because of administrative errors, insufficient information on the disenrollment process, and other procedural issues. Source: Newsweek

Pennie and the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue collaborate to connect uninsured tax filers to coverage through Pennie. Path to Pennie allows customers to enroll outside of Open Enrollment in health insurance coverage. When uninsured tax filers complete their Pennsylvania state income tax return, they can fill out Tax Form REV-1882 – Health Insurance Coverage Information Request. The PA Department of Revenue will send the information provided on the form to Pennie to create an account. Pennie will then send a notice with three important pieces of information: an access code to open the newly created Pennie account; an estimate of financial assistance the consumer is likely to receive; and a 60-day Special Enrollment Period to apply, shop and enroll in coverage.