Pennsylvania Auditor General Tim DeFoor recently visited Erie to speak with pharmacists locally on the struggles they face and talk about the reform needed. DeFoor released a performance audit in August that outlines how Pennsylvania taxpayers paid $7 million more for Medicaid prescription drug benefits than they should have in 2022. Read more.

On September 12, Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro’s office announced Executive Order (EO) 2024-03, which outlines a statewide housing action plan on affordable housing aimed at addressing homelessness. The Housing Action Plan will be a data-driven statewide plan with recommendations to the governor for increasing housing supply and supporting the preservation of existing housing.

Legislation intended to help recognize and respond to perinatal and postpartum depression (PPD) is on Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro’s desk. House Bill 2127 directs the Department of Health to centralize information on symptoms and treatment for PPD online and on fact sheets available in doctors’ offices, including an up-to-date list of organizations that provide counseling. The Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved the legislation. The House on Wednesday voted to concur to amendments made by the Senate. Maternal mental health conditions are the leading cause of pregnancy-associated death in the commonwealth, according to the Pennsylvania Maternal Mortality Review Committee. Nearly 75% of mothers affected receive no treatment.

From Law 360

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and two other agencies unveiled proposed regulations that for the first time would require private health insurers to cover the full cost of over-the-counter contraception, including male condoms and the morning-after pill, without a prescription.

The DOL, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Treasury Department jointly unveiled the proposed rules, which would also require insurers to eliminate cost sharing on more FDA-approved prescription birth control and force new disclosures to people enrolled in private health plans to let them know they can get no cost-sharing coverage.

The White House said in a facesheet describing the proposal that if finalized, the policy would expand free birth control coverage for 52 million American women of reproductive age who are covered by private health insurance.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is taking action against the state’s high maternal mortality rate through the development of a statewide Maternal Health Strategic Plan.

In partnership with the office of Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro, the health agencies involved in plan development include the departments of Health, Human Services, Drug and Alcohol Programs, and Insurance.

The vision for Pennsylvania’s Maternal Health Strategic Plan is a Pennsylvania where every pregnant and birthing person has easy access to high-quality perinatal, birth and postpartum care that is person-centered, comprehensive, equitable, and affordable and that results in healthy outcomes and long-term good health and well being.

Your voice matters in decisions that affect maternal health. You are invited to share your voice on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Maternal Health Strategic Plan survey.

The survey is available through November 4, 2024.

Important Notice for Physicians Renewing Licenses in Pennsylvania

Help Us Maintain Accurate Provider Data

Your Role in Addressing Workforce Shortages

Why Accurate Data Matter:

Maintaining accurate and current information on providers is essential for effectively analyzing, designing, and designating areas with health care workforce shortages across Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Primary Care Office (PCO) relies on these data to ensure that health care resources are allocated where they are needed most.

How Your Participation Makes a Difference:

• Support Workforce Analysis: Accurate provider data help identify regions with health care provider shortages, ensuring targeted interventions and support.
• Improve Health Care Access: By updating your information, you contribute to a more efficient allocation of health care resources, improving access to care for underserved populations.
• Enhance Statewide Planning: Your data help the PCO and other stakeholders design effective strategies for addressing health care needs in various regions.

How We Collect and Update Provider Information:

The PCO uses several methods to ensure that provider data remains accurate and up to date:

• Self-Reported Survey Responses: When you renew your license, please provide detailed and accurate information about your practice, including address, office hours, specialty, and patient care details. The information from licensure surveys is the most critical of all data sources.
• Annual Medicaid Claims File: We obtain practitioner information from Medicaid claims, which helps verify and update provider data.
• Statewide Organization Input: We receive periodic updates from various organizations, which contribute to our data accuracy.
• Direct Outreach: Occasionally, PCO staff may contact you directly to collect and verify practice-related information.

While the PCO can update existing provider information, we cannot add new providers to the computer system used for shortage designation. Your updates are crucial for maintaining the quality of data used in health care planning.

How You Can Help:

1. Respond to Surveys: Provide thorough and accurate responses to surveys at the time of your license renewal.
2. Keep Information Current: Go to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services website to update your practice details in the National Provider Identifier system regularly to reflect any changes in address and specialty.
3. Participate in Outreach Efforts: Engage with PCO staff during direct contact initiatives to verify and update your practice information.

Pennsylvania Department of Health
Primary Care Office
RA-DHSHRTDESIGNATION@pa.gov

Applications are currently being accepted by the Pennsylvania Department of Health in accordance with the the Request for Applications (RFA) # 67-192.

All questions regarding this RFA must be directed by e-mail to RA-DHLOANREPAYMENT@pa.gov, no
later than 12:00 p.m. ET on October 18, 2024. All questions must include the specific section of the RFA about which the potential applicant is requesting clarification. Answers to all questions will be posted here.

Submit one application via the on-line Pennsylvania Primary Care Loan Repayment Program Practitioner
Application found here. Applications must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on November 15, 2024. Applications can be submitted as soon as they are ready for submission; to prevent late submissions, applicants are encouraged to not wait until this closing date and time.

LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED REGARDLESS OF THE REASON.

We expect that the evaluation of applications and the selection of Grantees will be completed within eight
weeks of the submission due date.

The PBDA would like to remind stakeholders of recent updates to the Pennsylvania Broadband Map, to include posting of BEAD Broadband Serviceable Areas (BSAs). A BSA is a Census Block Group or an aggregation of multiple Census Block Groups, which eligible applicants will use to develop proposed project areas for consideration under BEAD. When opening the map, BSAs are identified on the initial layer. Once you zoom in to a specific area on the map and click on an individual BSA you will find additional information about the selection to include the tentative number of eligible BSLs (Broadband Serviceable Locations), estimated reference cost per BSL, and an estimated cost to build out the entire BSA. Note that these costs are estimated and may differ from applicant’s anticipated costs.

While the eligible BSLs are not yet final for each BSA, this level of detail will help interested BEAD applicants begin to evaluate potential project areas. PBDA is collaborating with NTIA to finalize the list of BSLs, and upon approval by NTIA, the map will be updated with this information and a CSV file of all locations will be available on the PBDA website. The final listing of eligible BSLs will be posted for at least 10 days prior to PBDA beginning to accept applications for the BEAD Program.

This Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) listserv includes the following Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) renewal information:

• Recent CMS Releases
• Updated Toolkit: Reaching Children and Families in School-Based and Early Education and Care Settings
• Free CMS Printed Product Ordering

RECENT CMS RELEASES

In September 2024, CMS released an informational bulletin to provide updated information on the timing and expectations for all states to achieve compliance with all federal renewal requirements, including states that implemented CMS-approved mitigation strategies and those who have since identified areas of non-compliance with renewal requirements. Compliance plans will detail how states will achieve compliance with all applicable requirements no later than December 31, 2026. To accompany the informational bulletin, CMS also released a compliance template, which the state should use to submit the compliance plan and a slide deck to serve as an additional resource on renewal compliance guidance.

• Informational Bulletin: State Compliance with Medicaid and CHIP Renewal Requirements by December 31, 2026
• Compliance Template: Assessment and Plan for Compliance with All Federal Medicaid and CHIP Renewal Requirements
• Slide Deck: Overview of Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility Renewals 

UPDATED TOOLKIT: REACHING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN SCHOOL-BASED AND EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE SETTINGS 

CMS recently updated the Reaching Children and Families in School-Based and Early Education and Care Settings Toolkit on the Medicaid and CHIP Renewals Outreach and Educational Resources page. This update includes evergreen language that education and early education professionals can use to share information about regular Medicaid and CHIP renewals with parents and families. The toolkit includes ready-to-use resources, such as:

• Letter from School/ECE Leadership to Teachers, Nurses, Counselors, etc.
• Letter from Schools/ECE, Teachers, Nurses, Counselors, etc. to Parents/Students
• Social Media Messages
• “Three Things You Can Do” Checklist
• Robocall Script
• No Reply Text/Group Message/Email

FREE CMS PRINTED PRODUCT ORDERING

Select CMS Medicaid and CHIP renewals materials are available to order for free through the CMS Product Ordering website. To order free printed materials, visit the CMS Product Ordering website. If you do not have an account, you will need to request an account on the login page. Once you log into your account, you can enter the term “Unwinding” in the search bar to view the materials that are available for order.

Materials on enrolling in health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace are also available to order for free through the CMS Product Ordering website. Once you log into your account, you can select the tab titled “Marketplace” to view materials related to Marketplace enrollment, Coverage to Care, and more that are available to order.