Join the PA Immunization Coalition, the PA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (PAAAP), and the American Cancer Society the week of HPV Awareness Day for a CME webinar focused on improving HPV vaccine rates. Register for the March 2, 1:00 -2:00 pm webinar to hear Dr. Danielle Casher, MD, MSHQ and cancer survivor Megan Lesar cover:

• Current HPV data in PA and across the country
• Safety of receiving an HPV vaccine and importance of preventing HPV-related cancer

Strategies to improve and encourage uptake as a provider communicating with patients

Cybersecurity is always a concern, but that concern is now elevated. The Federal government has issued alerts about the increased potential for cyberattacks as tensions escalate between Russia and Ukraine. Experts agree that healthcare providers are a prime target for such attacks, as the on-going strains caused by the pandemic make them particularly vulnerable. Federal officials pointed specifically to concerns about spear-phishing email. Given these concerns, health centers are advised to “adopt a heightened posture when it comes to cybersecurity and protecting their most critical assets.”

The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved is recruiting National Health Service Corps (NHSC) members and alumni interested in advising or mentoring in the NHSC Pipeline Readiness Technical Assistance Initiative. This program will help prepare NHSC pipeline participants to serve communities with longstanding health needs, building their resiliency and capacity to address root causes of health inequities. Sign up to join a committee, help with trainings, or mentor participants or contact ACU with questions.

Ten Pennsylvania FQHCs are substance use disorder Centers of Excellence (COE). Recent changes to the program have raised some questions, including the question PACHC posed to Department of Human Services (DHS) on whether, under the state plan amendment DHS is submitting to CMS, case managers will be considered as eligible FQHC providers. We want to ensure that, due to the uniqueness of FQHCs and FQHC billing methodology, our health centers are being compensated fairly for the services they are providing to patients.

Per DHS: In short, the answer is that, because the FQHC-COEs bill for the G9012 procedure code under the 13-digit MPI associated with their 232 Opioid Center of Excellence provider specialty enrollment, rather than their MPI associated with the FQHC enrollment, and they are paid the $277.22 PMPM rather than their PPS for G9012 code services, case managers may perform the G9012 service that is billed under the 232 provider number, regardless of whether those case managers are considered eligible FQHC providers for PPS purposes.

You either bill as an FQHC or a COE, which are two different entities. For enrollment purposes, the provider specialty codes are different, and you are not “an FQHC that is also a COE.” If acting and billing as an FQHC, then the eligible practitioner SPA page and Appendix E handbook/PPS rules apply. If acting and billing as a COE, then the case manager policies and G9012 payment methodology apply.

PACHC is hosting a call on March 2 for FQHC-COEs to meet with DHS on the changes to COE payment methodology and have the opportunity to ask any additional questions. Please contact Amy Williams, PACHC’s Program Specialist for Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder, with questions.

NACHC’s training workshop, Financial Operations Management 2 (FOM2), is an intermediate-level workshop that provides insight and understanding of the core qualities needed to approach the business aspects of financial operations, management, and service delivery. This is an intermediate-level seminar approved for up to 11.4 CPE credits. The FOM2 training agenda is packed with the essential financial management tools and techniques to help empower health center CFOs, CEOs, COOs and managers to maximize financial performance, engage in contract negotiations and leverage technology for better decision-making. Learn more and register for this May 25-26 virtual training. Early bird registration ends May 11, 2022.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is publishing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM, or proposed rule) around Public Charge. “Public charge” refers to the factors that immigration officials consider when determining if a legal immigrant should be approved for a Green Card; use of certain public benefits is one of these factors. In general, the NPRM proposes to establish in regulation the Public Charge standards that were in place from 1999 through 2018. Under these standards, the only public benefits that may be considered in a public charge determination are cash assistance and institutional long-term care. In 2018, the Trump Administration expanded the list of public benefits to include use of Medicaid, SNAP, and certain housing supports. The Biden Administration withdrew the Trump regulation in 2021, and now is seeking to enshrine the previous standards in regulations as, to date, these standards exist only in sub-regulatory guidance, and therefore can be easily withdrawn without public input.

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 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.