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Authors Posts by Jason Snyder

Jason Snyder

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Anthem Foundation is making up to $30 million available over the next three years to support substance use disorder programs that address an array of care and service options, including prevention and early intervention, crisis response and interventions, long-term intervention, and community resources and recovery supports.

Qualified nonprofit organizations with a history of proven, programmatic community initiatives are invited to apply for funding. Although Pennsylvania has not been specifically identified as a local area of focus, Pennsylvania providers can qualify under the National Programs of Emphasis category. More information about funding guidelines and eligibility is available. The deadline to submit applications is January 31, 2022.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced today that Dr. Michael Lynch, UPMC Health Plan Medical Director of SUD Services, has been named Medical Director of DDAP. DDAP’s announcement follows last Wednesday’s announcement by RCPA of the creation of the new position.

Dr. Lynch, who will continue his full-time role with commercial insurer UPMC Health Plan, is board-certified in emergency medicine, medical toxicology, and addiction medicine.

In this position, Dr. Lynch will advise and assist DDAP in the development of policy and procedures related to medical best practice as well as advances related to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, including:

  • Providing technical assistance to SUD treatment providers and physicians in PA’s system of care, including the application of the ASAM criteria;
  • Developing projects to improve delivery of care to individuals with SUD;
  • Researching and reviewing new technologies and procedures, reviewing pertinent medical literature, and presenting findings and recommendations to appropriate entities regarding SUD, opioid use disorder, and medication-assisted therapies;
  • Educating stakeholders and providers relative to medication-assisted therapies as well as drug, alcohol, and narcotic treatment regulations; and
  • Developing new workflows and processes to increase quality improvement measures for DDAP and treatment providers.

Dr. Lynch graduated from the University of Notre Dame and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine before completing his residency in emergency medicine and fellowship in medical toxicology at the University of Pittsburgh. He is an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh and works in the emergency departments at UPMC Presbyterian and Mercy Hospitals. The toxicology service at UPMC is one of the busiest in the country, seeing patients at five Pittsburgh hospitals as well as providing inpatient addiction and telemedicine treatment. Dr. Lynch is the Medical Director of the Pittsburgh Poison Center and of SUD Services at UPMC Health Plan, and he continues to serve on the Boards of Directors for the PA College of Emergency Physicians and the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

UPMC Health Plan is the commercial insurance arm of UPMC. Community Care Behavioral Health, UPMC’s behavioral health managed care organization, is a sister company and the largest behavioral health Medicaid payer in the commonwealth. Both UPMC and Community Care Behavioral Health are RCPA members.

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Over the last several months, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) has been working toward implementation of a new treatment locator resource called ATLAS® (Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment, and Standards Platform). Pennsylvania is now currently in the data collection phase for all licensed treatment facilities to be included in ATLAS (though provider participation is not mandatory). As the deadline of January 28, 2022, approaches for completion of the Treatment Data Survey (TDS) portion of the initiative, DDAP Secretary Jennifer Smith highlights the value of this resource to treatment providers and patients. You can read Secretary Smith’s letter here.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is making available for public review and comment the proposed renewal application for the extension of the Section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration titled “Medicaid Coverage for Former Foster Care Youth from a Different State and SUD Demonstration” (Project Number: 11-W-003083/3). The effective dates of the current approved demonstration are October 1, 2017, through September 30, 2022. The extension requested will be for an additional five years, through September 30, 2027.

In 2016, the CMS Medicaid and CHIP Managed Care Final Rule eliminated Pennsylvania’s ability to use $55 million in federal funding to pay for residential SUD treatment. However, the Commonwealth was able to preserve the funding through an approved Section 1115 Waiver Demonstration. It is within this waiver that Pennsylvania committed to transitioning to ASAM Criteria as a condition for approval of the waiver.

The following links provide information regarding this extension request, extension application, public input process, schedule of public hearings, and other relevant information:

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