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Authors Posts by Jack Phillips

Jack Phillips

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Mr. Phillips is responsible to assist the association with health policy, which primarily includes member communication and advocacy with the Governor’s office, General Assembly, and state regulatory agencies. Mr. Phillips was most recently at the Pennsylvania Department of State as Director of Legislative Affairs.

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They’re getting closer, but state budget negotiators haven’t quite reached a deal yet. Still, the word coming out of both General Assembly chambers is that the fiscal year 2020-2021 state budget should be wrapped up by Thursday.

State lawmakers have gotten a thumbs-up from the federal government to use the remaining $1.3 billion in CARES Act funding to offset General Fund budget items (mostly wages for front-line workers such as those of the Departments of Health and Corrections). This approval will make the process of finishing the final seven months of the 2020-2021 state budget easier (though some lawmakers, particularly Democrats, had a wish list of items – including support for front-line workers and businesses impacted by COVID-19 – on which to spend those dollars).

The CARES Act funding, along with an improved revenue situation, some money – maybe half – from the state’s $340 million Rainy Day Fund, a continuation of enhanced federal matching payments for the state’s Medicaid program (which lawmakers had initially thought would end), maybe a few targeted cuts, and possibly some dollars from a couple of state special funds, should close the budgetary gap left by the impact of COVID-19 and mitigation efforts to slow the virus spread, say those close to the budget discussions. Those same sources have said that increased spending will be limited, for the most part, to areas that involve mandatory spending, such as state debt payments and human services programs, with the rest of the budget changing little from the spending totals of the fiscal year 2019-2020 budget.

Source: Capitolwire: Under The Dome, November 18, 2020

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On Tuesday, State Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine announced additional “targeted efforts” to slow the spread of COVID-19. However, most of the “efforts”, the department acknowledged, still come down to people choosing to do what the department is telling them to do.

Acute care hospitals were sent a memo from Levine outlining expectations to care for Pennsylvanians who need care. However, those expectations seem to be no different from those under which the state’s health care systems have been operating since the spring.

Anyone who visits from another state or returns to Pennsylvania from another state is required to have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to entering the state. If they can’t or won’t get a test, they are required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Pennsylvania, which is an upgrade from the recommendation put in place in early July that these actions be taken if traveling from or returning from states with a high number of virus cases. Still, Levine noted that it is mostly up to the individual to self-quarantine since the state can’t stop every person at the border to demand a test report and then watch each individual who should be under quarantine for 14 days.

Dr. Levine also announced a “strengthened” masking requirement – Pennsylvania already has a mask-wearing mandate – that now includes masking indoors when away from home and even masking in your own home if there are people present who are not members of your household. This mandate is recommended regardless of social distancing (being six feet apart). This is an order that is, again, only as good as the voluntary compliance of individuals.

Finally, Dr. Levine recommended that colleges and universities implement a testing plan for when students return to campus following the holidays.

“We must remain united in stopping COVID-19,” said Dr. Levine, who later, when asked about the possibility of more stringent mitigation efforts, said she can’t predict the future, but there are currently no plans to go back to the closures of the spring.

Source: Capitolwire.com, November 18, 2020

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The state Senate met in a voting session on Monday with the Senate Appropriations Committee and then the full Senate as well as the state House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee advancing legislation that is expected to be part of the package of bills needed to complete Pennsylvania’s state budget of which there are still seven months for which to provide. Senate Bill 1350 is currently a supplemental appropriations bill for the 2020-2021 General Fund budget, a legislative vehicle that could be amended at some point – GOP staff remain hopeful that it will be this week – when budget conversations produce a final product. The bill was reported out of the House Appropriations Committee yesterday and has already had its first day of consideration by the full House, positioning it for potential amendment when the House is in voting session on Wednesday with the possibility of a final vote on Thursday. No solid details have emerged regarding the budget other than that it’s not likely to have too much additional spending beyond what was spent throughout the prior year given the state’s current fiscal situation due to COVID-19 and the mitigation policies pursued with the goal of slowing the spread of the virus. There could be some areas that see targeted spending cuts, though with the sizable amount of mandatory expenditures in Pennsylvania’s budget, areas that can be cut are limited.

Source: Capitolwire: Under The Dome, November 17, 2020

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Empty vintage congress hall with seats and microphones.

On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus elected its legislative leaders for the 2021-2022 Legislative Session.

The Republican Leadership Team Consists of:

  • Speaker-Designee Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster);
  • Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin);
  • Majority Whip Donna Oberlander (R-Clarion/Armstrong/Forest);
  • Majority Appropriations Committee Chairman Stan Saylor (R-York);
  • Majority Policy Committee Chairman Marty Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter);
  • Majority Caucus Chairman Mike Reese (R-Westmoreland/Somerset);
  • Majority Caucus Secretary Martina White (R-Philadelphia); and
  • Majority Caucus Administrator Kurt Masser (R-Northumberland/Columbia/Montour).

When the House reconvenes for the 2021-2022 legislative session, the Republicans will hold at least a 113-90 majority.

The State Senate will be convening today to elect their leadership for the 2021-2022 Legislative Session. In the State Senate, one state senate race is still to be determined.

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By Robert Swift, Staff Writer, Capitolwire

HARRISBURG (Nov. 11) – Closed or downsized state hospitals, prisons, and centers for the intellectually disabled could potentially find new use as drug treatment centers according to a recent state legislative study.

The study by the Joint State Government Commission identifies more than 40 vacant state-owned sites across Pennsylvania.

The study was conducted amidst the backdrop of an ongoing opioid epidemic that led to 4,415 drug overdose deaths in 2018 and counts more than 287,000 Pennsylvanians struggling with a substance abuse (including alcohol) disorder.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for drug treatment providers who are trying to secure protective equipment, provide quarantine space, and practice social distancing in crowded shelters.

The places considered the “most suitable for use as drug treatment facilities are on the campuses of recently closed or unused buildings at still operational state hospitals, “ the commission study said.

Six state hospitals fall into this category.  They are located at Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County; Wernersville, Berks County; Danville, Montour County; Torrance, Westmoreland County; Warren in Warren County; and Norristown in Montgomery County.

Clarks Summit has two vacant structures; Wernersville has three; Danville has eleven; Torrance has four; Warren has one, which is an unused greenhouse; and Norristown has eight.

“The primary advantage of repurposing state hospitals is that they are already located in areas ideally suited to provide medical care,” the study said.

Norristown State Hospital is cited as an example where a number of human service agencies already lease buildings on the grounds.

The state Department of General Services (DGS) leases space at Norristown to nine county-based providers for a combined rent of nearly $1.8 million annually. These include Carol’s Place, a short-term residential place for adults experiencing an acute psychiatric crisis; and Elwyn/New Beginnings, a residential treatment facility for adults.

A half-dozen non-profit and community organizations use space at Norristown rent- free.

Meanwhile, the study identified Summit Hall at Clarks Summit Hospital and the closed Hamburg Center in Berks County as suitable for conversion into drug treatment centers.

The closed Retreat State Correctional Institution in Luzerne County is also mentioned as a potential treatment center.

Retreat has a long history.  It started out as a state hospital and then was converted into a state prison in the 1980s. Retreat’s closing was delayed for a number of months earlier this year while it was used as a COVID-19 quarantine center for new state inmates.

The corrections department is keeping minimal operations at Retreat in case it’s needed again during the pandemic.

The study also cautions that many factors are involved in determining whether a vacant state-owned building is suitable for a drug treatment center.

“There are no easy means to determine whether unused state property will be suitable for conversion into a drug treatment center,” it said.

The factors to be weighed include location relating to higher overdose rates, local zoning, a building’s physical condition, the capacity of existing utilities, level of community support, and an analysis of whether it’s more efficient to build a new facility than restore an older one.

The study offers several recommendations, including that the General Assembly consider selling, gifting, or renting state property for use as drug treatment centers on a case-by-case basis, that the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs be the contact point for treatment providers interested in using vacant state land, and that DGS continues efforts to upgrade the state property inventory.

“While the report revealed the state lacks information about some of its properties, including their general condition and specific repairs, I’m heartened to learn there are former state hospitals, prisons, and centers for the intellectually disabled that could be repurposed to help those with substance abuse disorders,” said Rep. Jim Gregory, R-Blair, who sponsored the House resolution authorizing the study.

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