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Authors Posts by Jim Sharp

Jim Sharp

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In accordance with DHS rebranding and the Governor’s Office Customer Service Transformation Initiative, the Office of Medical Assistance Programs will be implementing changes to the old URLs to reach PROMISe hosted applications and websites. The old URLs, using a domain naming convention of dpw.state.pa.us, will be changing to dhs.pa.gov in phased implementations beginning August 7, 2024, and wrapping up in October 2024. Please review the PDF listed below, containing the impacted production environment URLs.

See document for specific PROMISE activity URL updates.

Who is Impacted?

  • CWOPA users and registered business partners with active assigned PROMISe role permissions for each URL
  • External persons accessing the Physician Provider Directory Search
  • Providers accessing the Electronic Enrollment Application or logging into the MA and LiHeap Provider Internet Portals

When is this happening?

  • The first URL, Project Workbook access, is scheduled to change on August 7, 2024
  • The remaining URLs will be implemented in phases
  • All phases to be completed by October 1, 2024

How will these changes be communicated?

  • CWOPA users and business partners with active assigned PROMISe role permission to access URLs today will receive targeted email communication shortly before each URL change is implemented
  • Broadcast messages will run on the MA Provider and LiHeap Internet Portals
  • Providers will receive the same messaging via the ListServ
  • For a limited time after implementation, if a user tries to access an old dpw.state.pa.us URL, a redirect message will pop-up for 5 seconds instructing users to save/bookmark the new URL, then continue to the new dhs.pa.gov URL
  • The DHS Communications Office will be making pre-identified updates from old URLS to the new URLs throughout the various DHS website pages

What can I do to aid this transition?

  • The Old PROMISe URLS have been in place for a long time. We are asking for your assistance, post implementation, in identifying any remaining reference to the old URL. These references could be found on DHS SharePoint, HealthChoices Extranet, and DHS web pages or downloadable documents
  • If you discover remaining usage of the old URLs post implementation, please send a message to this email for correction. Be sure to document the exact site location of the reference and include a screen shot to aid in correction efforts.

If you have further questions, please contact the above OMPA Ra account or your respective RCPA Policy Director.

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On July 19, 2024, the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) presented a Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Provider Technical Assistance Webinar. The webinar, developed and presented by OMHSAS and their partner Mercer, provided an excellent overview of the VBP landscape and valuable guidance for providers to consider future efforts to incorporate VBPs into their service matrix.

OMHSAS supports providers interested in pursuing VBP programming to contact and collaborate with their respective BH-MCOs on VBP options. The Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Provider Technical Assistance PowerPoint provides an outline of the information covered in the webinar. Should you have any questions or comments, please contact the OMHSAS VBP Resource Account via email.

If you have any additional questions, please contact RCPA Policy Directors Jason Snyder or Jim Sharp.

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Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

The Department of Human Services has released a new Request for Information (RFI) to assist in determining possible implementation needs for the Commonwealth’s proposed 1115 Demonstration Waiver titled, Bridges to Success: Keystones of Health for Pennsylvania. This RFI will help inform a potential scope of work for private, public, and nonprofit organizations that could serve in the future as a program administrator for the program. If approved and implemented, Keystones of Health would bring new resources to Pennsylvaniaʼs Medicaid program to address health-related social needs (HRSN) that have a direct impact on health care spending and health outcomes. Responses to the RFI are due August 19, 2024 by 12:00 pm.

The proposed Keystones of Health program seeks to expand tools available to address critical health care needs of Pennsylvanians in four main areas: reentry supports, housing resources, food and nutrition services, and continuous health coverage for children under the age of six. This RFI seeks information to assist DHS in implementing the proposed housing, food, and nutrition services for beneficiaries. Through this RFI, the department is seeking knowledge about potential program administrator responsibilities and capabilities for administering these HRSN services. The RFI will also inform aspects of the DHS implementation plan that is currently in development, while the Commonwealth collaborates with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to secure approval. The department encourages respondents and other interested parties to provide feedback by responding to the RFI.

Section 1115 of the Social Security Act gives the federal government the ability to waive certain federal rules that govern Medicaid to allow states to design and evaluate new state pilot projects that promote the general goals of the Medicaid program, helping people live healthier lives. Section 1115 waivers are a major pathway for state innovation in the Medicaid program that many states have leveraged. If approved, and the necessary state funds are appropriated, it would allow DHS to introduce innovative programs and services that address health-related social needs that can improve health and quality of life for Pennsylvanians who access health care through Medicaid.

Submit feedback to DHSʼ Request for Information. The full application, including information on feedback received through public comment, is available on the Keystones of Health web page.

RCPA is reviewing the RFI internally and will meet with interested members on the RFI in the coming week. If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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Drexel University Division of Behavioral Healthcare Education has announced a Call for Proposals for the Virtual 32nd Annual Forensic Rights and Treatment Conference on December 4 – 5, 2024. Complete the Proposal Application, which includes an Award Nomination Referral Form, to submit your proposal. Applications must be received no later than August 31, 2024. If you have any questions regarding this email, please feel free to contact Anna Auch.

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The PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) announces that registration is now open for the 2024 Statewide Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Symposium. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at the Wyndham Garden State College. PCCD, in partnership with Center County CIT, has developed an agenda for a day of training and networking opportunities. For more information, including registration, agenda details, and session descriptions, visit the CIT Symposium web page.

If you have any other questions, please contact RCPA COO and Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) Deputy Secretary Jen Smith recently provided an update on the federal four walls rule. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule, or Notice of Public Rulemaking, that could create exceptions to the existing four walls requirement for IHS/Tribal clinics, behavioral health clinics, and clinics located in rural areas.

The official language posted to the federal register can be found on page 15 of the Federal Register, which is scheduled to be published on July 22, and is copied below.

“This proposed rule includes a proposal to create exceptions to the Medicaid clinic services benefit four walls requirement, to authorize Medicaid payment for services provided outside the four walls of the clinic for IHS/Tribal clinics, behavioral health clinics, and clinics located in rural areas. Our current regulation at 42 CFR § 440.90(b) includes an exception to the four walls requirement under the Medicaid clinic services benefit only for certain clinic services furnished to individuals who are unhoused. We believe these proposed exceptions would help maintain and improve access for the populations served by IHS/Tribal clinics, behavioral health clinics, and clinics located in rural areas.”

As a reminder, this is a proposed rule intended to announce and explain CMS’s plan to address the problem. As such, all proposed rules must be published in the Federal Register to notify the public and give them an opportunity to submit comments. The proposed rule and the public comments received on it form the basis of a final rule. More information on the final rulemaking process is available here. Interested parties should provide public comments on this proposed rule to the addresses listed in the federal register by September 9, 2024.

While CMS works through this process, OMHSAS, RCPA, and the PA General Assembly continue efforts to address this through the recently released HCO 3450 legislation that will address the psychiatric outpatient in-office requirements and the Medicaid “4 walls” standards. RCPA will work with our members and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing on developing public comments for submission regarding this proposed rule. If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO and Mental Health Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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On July 8, 2024, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced $27.5 million in funding opportunities to enhance women’s behavioral health across the US. The initiatives include the $15 million Community-Based Maternal Behavioral Health Services Program, which improves access to maternal mental health and substance use treatment by strengthening community referral pathways and ensuring seamless care transitions for at-risk pregnant women. Additionally, the $12.5 million Women’s Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Center will boost provider capacity to address diverse women’s behavioral health needs through training and technical assistance. SAMHSA also awarded nearly $1 million in grants to two recipients under the Services Program for Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women.

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The Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health Services is pleased to invite stakeholders to an informational webinar. This webinar, scheduled for Thursday, July 25, 2024, at 1:00 pm, will highlight significant sections of the proposed Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) regulations prior to the public comment period. Please note that comments and questions will not be addressed as part of this webinar but may be submitted during the public comment period.

The proposed PRTF regulations will codify the minimum licensing standards and Medical Assistance (MA) participation requirements and payment conditions for PRTFs that provide medically necessary behavioral health treatment to children, youth, or young adults under 21 years of age with a behavioral health diagnosis. Questions/comments about this webinar should be submitted electronically. If you have any additional questions, please contact RCPA CCO and MH Policy Director Jim Sharp.

View the details below to join the webinar:

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The Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) is offering free behavioral health training opportunities. A training session on Co-Occurring Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders for PACHC members will take place on July 25 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, focusing on evidence-based practices and medication-assisted treatment. Registration is free; register here to attend.

Additionally, PACHC is partnering with the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) for a five-part webinar series on Suicide Safer Care July – August 2024, which is aimed at equipping health center staff with strategies to support patients and staff at risk. Sign up for the series at the Webinar Series for Suicide Safer Care for Health Center Staff Registration page or browse ACU’s Suicide Safer Care resources.

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