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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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Now, more than ever, health and human service providers need to be proactive in supporting elected officials work towards common sense solutions in the areas of workforce, tax, regulation, health care, and human services.

The Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association Political Action Committee (RCPA-PAC) is asking members to assist RCPA with raising funds for RCPA-PAC. RCPA is advocating for our members with regard to telehealth, regulations, and legislation. RCPA-PAC funds are utilized to attend legislative fundraisers in order for RCPA to lobby legislators face-to-face on health and human service issues.

We need you and your staff to donate to RCPA-PAC because it provides an avenue for our members and staff to make a meaningful impact on the political process. Any funds that you and your staff can contribute will be greatly appreciated. Please note that RCPA-PAC cannot accept corporate checks. Personal checks should be made payable to RCPA-PAC.

Interested in learning more about RCPA-PAC or in donating now? Please visit our website, download the PAC FAQ Card, Donation Card, or email Jack Phillips, RCPA Director of Government Affairs.

Your participation in the RCPA-PAC is completely voluntary, and you may contribute as much or as little as you choose. Donations are not tax-deductible and will be used for political purposes. You may choose not to participate without fear of reprisal. You will not be favored or disadvantaged by reason of the amount of your contribution or decision not to contribute.

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Pennsylvania’s 2021 municipal primary took place yesterday (Tuesday, May 18). Statewide, Pennsylvania officials sent out 820,757 mail and absentee ballots. As of 5/18, voters had returned roughly 69% of these ballots. With vote tallying still ongoing, all results are UNOFFICIAL.

Statewide Ballot Questions

Four statewide ballot questions were on the primary election slate for Pennsylvania voters to decide; including three that would make changes to the state’s constitution. The questions included two specific referendums that address how future state of emergencies will be handled in Pennsylvania.

  • Question one asked voters to amend the state constitution to limit all state of emergencies issued by a governor to 21 days. 53.61% voted YES. 
  • Question two asked voters to give the state’s General Assembly authority to extend or terminate a governor’s initial order. 53.58 % voted YES 
  • Question three asked voters to amend the state constitution to specifically prohibit restricting or denying a person’s equal rights on the grounds of race or ethnicity. 71.36% voted YES
  • The last question asked voters to authorize permission for paid municipal fire and medical rescue companies to apply for loans from a state program that currently provides funding only for volunteer fire and EMS agencies. 72.19% voted YES 

Statewide Judicial Races (Candidates leading in RED)
Justice of the Supreme Court: 2021- One Vacancy

  • Democrat Maria McLaughlin was running unopposed in the primary and will advance to the General Election.
  • Paula Patrick, Kevin Brobson and Patricia McCullough were running for the Republican nomination. Brobson will advance to the General Election.

Judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania: 2021- One Vacancy

  • Jill Beck, Timika Lane and Bryan Neft were running for the Democrat nomination. Lane will advance to the General Election.
  • Republican Megan Sullivan was running unopposed in the primary and will advance to the General Election.

Judge of the Commonwealth Court: 2021- Two Vacancies

  • Lori Dumas, Sierra Street, David Spurgeon, Amanda Green Hawkins were running for the Democrat nomination. Dumas and Spurgeon will advance to the General Election
  • Republicans Drew Crompton and Stacy Marie Wallace were running unopposed in the primary and will advance to the General Election.

Special Elections- State House & State Senate (Candidates leading in RED)
Four special elections were held during the primary to fill vacant seats in the General Assembly. Once election results are certified, the winners will be sworn-in and immediately take over the vacant seat.

  • A special election was held for the 59th House District left vacant after the death of state Rep. Mike Reese, R-Mt. Pleasant. The district includes parts of Westmoreland and Somerset counties. Democrat Mariah Fisher, Republican Leslie Baum Rossi and Libertarian Robb Luther were on the ballot. The unofficial winner is Leslie Baum Rossi.
  • A special election was held in the 60th House District left vacant after the retirement of Rep. Jeff Pyle, R-Ford City. The district includes parts of Armstrong, Butler and Indiana counties. Republican Abby Major, Democratic Frank Prazenica, and Libertarian Andrew Hreha were on the ballot. The unofficial winner is Abby Major.
  • A special election was held in the 48th Senate District left vacant after the death of Sen. Dave Arnold. The district includes Lebanon and parts of Dauphin and York counties. Republican candidate Christopher Gebhard, Democrat Calvin Clements, Independent Ed Krebs and Libertarian Tim McMaster were on the ballot. The unofficial winner is Christopher Gebhard.
  • A special election was held in the 22nd Senate District left vacant after the retirement of Sen. John Blake, D.  The district includes parts of Lackawanna, Luzerne and Monroe counties. Republican Chris Chermak, Democrat Marty Flynn (current state representative), Libertarian Nathan Covington and Green Party Marlene Sebastianellli were on the ballot. The unofficial winner is Marty Flynn.

County/local Races Receiving Statewide Attention

  • In Allegheny County, Pittsburgh voters headed to the polls to choose their party’s candidate for Mayor. Shortly after midnight, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto conceded defeat to state Rep. Ed Gainey in a four-way Democratic primary race for mayor, positioning Gainey to become the first Black mayor in the city’s history.
  • In Dauphin County, there was a 5-way contest for the Democrat nomination for Harrisburg mayor. Incumbent Mayor Eric Papenfuse, seeking a third term, City Council President Wanda Williams; former city Councilman Otto Banks; retired media executive Dave Schankweiler; and Kevyn Knox. The sole candidate on the Republican ballot is businessman Timothy Rowbottom. The unofficial winner of the Democrat primary is Wanda Williams. As of this 11a.m. this morning, Williams was holding a 56 vote lead over Papenfuse.
  • In Philadelphia, voters picked their party nominee for district attorney, city controller, and several judgeships. Incumbent DA Larry Krasner will win the Democrat nomination for District Attorney.

Link to results.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2021

Harrisburg, PA – The Departments of Human Services, Labor & Industry, and Education today announced the availability of the federal Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB), a program that will assist eligible households in paying for internet service and certain electronic devices.

The EBB, which is administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is a temporary program that provides a discount of up to $50 per month off a qualifying household’s internet bill and associated equipment rental. Additionally, eligible households can receive a one-time discount of up to $100 towards a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer, provided that the household contributes more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. The EBB is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household, and the discount will be provided by the FCC directly to the service provider.

“The past year has shown us just how essential internet access is in order to connect with our loved ones, our workplaces and schools, and even to basic needs like telehealth and grocery delivery. We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for many to keep up with bills and expenses, so we are glad that the FCC is providing this benefit to people who need it,” said Acting DHS Secretary Meg Snead. “Assistance programs like this exist to help get you through tough times. I encourage anybody who has struggled to pay their internet bills to apply for this benefit.”

A household is eligible if one member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:

  • Receives benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision, or did so in the 2019–2020 school year;
  • Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
  • Experienced a substantial loss of income since February 29, 2020, and the household had a total income in 2020 below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers;
  • Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating internet provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program; or,
  • Qualifies for the FCC’s Lifeline program.
    • Households qualify for the federal Lifeline program if their income is less than 135% of the federal poverty guidelines or if they or their child participate in programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA), or other federal programs. Eligible participants can receive Lifeline and EBB at the same time.
    • DHS has partnered with the FCC to provide a real time data exchange that verifies whether an individual is already receiving SNAP, Medicaid or SSI so that individuals receiving these programs will be able to more easily qualify for this new benefit as well as Lifeline.

“Strong, reliable access to the internet is a necessity for workers because today’s job search and hiring process is conducted almost exclusively online,” said L&I Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier. “The Emergency Broadband Benefit will help struggling Pennsylvanians apply for jobs, communicate with hiring managers, and engage in online training programs that will help lift them out of poverty.”

“Access to the internet could be considered a school supply; a critical resource that supports learning beyond classroom walls,” said Acting Secretary of Education Noe Ortega. “The Emergency Broadband Benefit serves as another means to bridge the digital divide and create digital equity for students and families across the state.”

Applications for this program open today and will end once the funds are exhausted or six months after the federal Department of Health and Human Services declares the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Service providers will be required to give notice on the last date when the EBB program will end.

To apply for the EBB program, contact your participating broadband service provider, or visit Get Emergency Broadband to apply online or print a paper application to mail in.

More information on the EBB can be found here. For more information on other public assistance programs, visit the DHS website.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Erin James, DHS
Sarah DeSantis, L&I
Kendall Alexander, PDE

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2021 ASAM Criteria Skill Building Training Now Open for Registration
June 24–25, 2021 from 8:30 am–4:30 pm
This two-day application-focused training provides participants with an in-depth look at the theoretical foundations of the Criteria, including clinically driven services, bio-psychosocial assessment, the six dimensions, continued stay, and transfer/discharge criteria. Incorporating the use of the new edition of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Criteria, participants have opportunities for skill practice at every stage of the treatment process: assessment, engagement, treatment planning, continuing care, and transfer or discharge.

NHSC Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program
To combat the nation’s opioid crisis, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) launched the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Program. The program supports the recruitment and retention of health professionals needed in underserved areas to expand access to SUD treatment and prevent overdose deaths. Application Submission Deadline is Thursday, May 6, 2021, 7:30 pm ET.

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Capitolwire: Senate Appropriations Chair Browne Says Governor’s Proposed Budget Doesn’t Do Much About PA’s Structural Deficit; Need More Thought About How to Best Use State’s Assets and Improve Productivity

By Chris Comisac, Bureau Chief, Capitolwire

HARRISBURG (April 23) — The state Senate Appropriations Committee closed the book on another year of state budget hearings Thursday, with one of the more interesting observations made during the multiple weeks of hearings coming on Thursday from committee majority chair Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh, during his closing comments.

With all the talk by Gov. Tom Wolf and his administration about the need to raise taxes, including a 46-percent hike of the state Personal Income Tax, to make more “investments” as well as address the commonwealth’s structural deficit, Browne noted the governor’s plan, ultimately, doesn’t do much about the deficit.

Browne, pointing to information supplied to his committee by the Wolf administration and that it differentiates from Senate GOP appropriations financial data, acknowledged that for about two years the increased revenue from the PIT hike would help with the deficit, but by Fiscal Year 2023-24, the deficit retuned because of continued growth of state spending.

“Taking us out to post-stimulus year [Fiscal year] 2023-24, the growth of expenditures [being] $591 million above the projections that you had provided us – this is a point for us to talk about in terms of our different assumptions – puts us again in fiscal deficit in that year, notwithstanding the fact that we’ve increase our Personal Income Tax by 46 percent,” said Browne. “So, it’s [PIT hike] not a one-time solution. It takes us through a couple years, but it’s just a couple-years solution.”

“At the end of the day, we go through this process of greatly increasing our revenue capacity – I would argue by potentially sacrificing our competitive position – but only taking us two years out to still be in fiscal deficit,” Browne continued. “That leads us to a conversation of where do we go? How do we solve this challenge? Because if it’s just the growth of mandatory expenditures that we want to fulfill for the people for whom we want to fulfill, even with the proposal you’re presenting on behalf of the chief executive, we’re not solving the fiscal challenge.”

Browne noted that some will say the solution is to increase revenue again through additional taxation, but he said it’s his belief there comes a point when taxation begins to produce diminishing returns – lower revenue – even with higher tax rates.

Pointing to Pennsylvania’s growing demographic issues – the state is becoming older with fewer people of working age, meaning more government spending for the state’s aging population but less productivity, and consequently available tax revenue, to pay for that spending due to fewer workers – Browne said, “We’ve got bigger problems to address.”

He said he doesn’t have a solution, but added, “The only thing that I can think we need to work on is how do we use Pennsylvania’s enormous inventory of valuable assets that we have available to us – our higher education institutions, our natural [resource] assets, our cultural assets, diversity – all the things that we have – to maximize their value to increase productivity.”

The state’s revenue picture has improved dramatically from prior estimates – as of the end of March, the state is $1.3 billion ahead of revenue estimates – thanks in large part to the various COVID-19 federal stimulus packages implemented during the past several months, and those figures do not include the potential impacts from the latest $1.9 trillion federal stimulus, of which Pennsylvania state government is expected to get $7.3 billion (with local governments to get another nearly $6 billion).

While some lawmakers argue the federal stimulus dollars should not be used as an excuse to avoid raising taxes to address what they say are the state’s spending needs as well as the structural deficit, others have argued that as the state’s economy and many businesses are still emerging from a COVID-19 environment – with the state still having 319,000 fewer people working than a year ago, and 369,200 fewer available jobs – it’s counterproductive to put on the economy and employers additional fiscal burdens, such as the proposed PIT hike, a new natural gas severance tax, combined profits reporting for the purposes of determining corporation taxes, a substantial hike of the minimum wage and the continued pursuit of a carbon tax on the state’s electricity producers as part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

The current fiscal year ends on June 30, with the new one to start on July 1.

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The following grant opportunities are now open in the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) Egrants System:

Funding Announcement Title: 2021 Drug Court and Pretrial Diversion Initiative
Plan Year: 2020
Release Date: 4/15/2021
Due Date: 6/15/2021
Concept Papers Required: No
Competitive/Noncompetitive: Competitive
Amount Announced: $2,000,000.00

Funding Announcement Title: 2021 County Jail-Based MAT Program
Plan Year: 2020
Release Date: 4/15/2021
Due Date: 6/15/2021
Concept Papers Required: No
Competitive/Noncompetitive: Competitive
Amount Announced: $2,000,000.00

You must be registered with PCCD to access the Egrants System. If you are not registered, go to the PCCD Egrants website and select Register. Once your registration is accepted, select the Login button. Enter the User ID and Password established when you registered, and log into the system through the Egrants Production link. Then you will see the User Management Profile Details page. You must save this information in order to access the system.

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Photo by Alena Shekhovtcova from Pexels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
April 15, 2021 

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Health today notified all COVID-19 vaccine providers that the pause in administering doses of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine will be extended until April 24 or until updated guidance is provided from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Earlier this week, the department recommended a pause in administering Johnson & Johnson vaccine until April 20 to give the CDC and FDA time to review six incidents of rare blood clots that occurred within two weeks of receiving Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices held an emergency meeting yesterday that ended without taking a vote to change the current recommendation to pause administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Another meeting is expected within 10 days.

During the meeting, the CDC acknowledged that one of the six cases being studied involves a 26-year-old Pennsylvania woman who recovered after treatment at a New Jersey hospital. The CDC is not releasing personal information in the case. These six cases occurred in women between 18 and 48 who were among the 6.8 million Americans who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Out of the more than 6.6 million vaccine doses that have been administered in Pennsylvania, only 247,063 doses have been Johnson & Johnson.

This announcement shows that the federal oversight process of a vaccine’s safety and effectiveness is working, and all steps are being taken to protect Americans. “The safety procedures built into the vaccination process are working and should instill confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the available COVID-19 vaccines,” Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “I urge individuals who have appointments scheduled to receive a Pfizer or Moderna vaccination to keep those appointments.”

People who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks of their vaccination should contact their health care provider. For more information, please see the CDC/FDA guidance.

The department also has sent communications to stakeholder groups and others who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as a part of a special vaccination initiative.

While vaccine supply from the federal government remains limited, the Department of Health is working to ensure the vaccine is provided in a way that is ethical, equitable and efficient. To keep Pennsylvanians informed about vaccination efforts:

The Wolf Administration stresses the role Pennsylvanians play in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19:

  • Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
  • Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
  • Clean surfaces frequently.
  • Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
  • If you must go out, you are required to wear a mask when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.
  • Download the COVID Alert PA app and make your phone part of the fight. The free app can be found in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store by searching for “COVID alert pa”.

Updated Coronavirus Links: Press Releases, State Lab Photos, Graphics

MEDIA CONTACT:  Barry Ciccocioppo

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2021

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Wolf today announced a partnership developed by the departments of Human Services and Corrections that will better connect people who are being released from state correctional institutions with opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, by connecting them to treatment through one of Pennsylvania’s Centers of Excellence (COE).

“When elected, I challenged the Administration to break down silos throughout government and put Pennsylvanians first,” said Gov. Wolf. “This cross-agency partnership will help individuals obtain the necessary services to support their journey after incarceration. By ensuring reentrants have continued access to opioid use disorder treatment we reduce the risk of overdoses as they reenter society.”

“Connecting people to treatment that addresses opioid use disorder is critical in saving lives, and we are proud to work with the Department of Corrections to better facilitate treatment for formerly incarcerated individuals,” said Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller. “The Wolf Administration remains committed to saving lives and helping all people suffering from opioid use disorder get the treatment they need to put them on the path to recovery.”

Individuals who are incarcerated in a state correctional institution who have OUD may receive medication assisted treatment while they are incarcerated, which helps move them toward recovery during their time of incarceration. It is critical for these individuals to have continued access to these prescribed medications upon release in order to maintain their recovery progress.

This partnership will ensure DOC social workers have the appropriate connections through COE staff to connect reentrants with treatment centers across the commonwealth who have demonstrated a commitment to working with returning citizens. This process will provide a seamless transition into community-based treatments, as risk of fatal overdose is high in the weeks immediately following a person’s release from a correctional institution.

“I am immensely excited about this streamlined pathway,” said PA Department of Correction’s (DOC) Medication Assisted Treatment Statewide Coordinator Steve Seitchik. “Reentrants will have access to FDA-approved medications for Opioid Use Disorder, psychosocial interventions, and referral mechanisms from the Centers of Excellence to various community-based providers with systematic follow-up and adjustment of the reentrant’s care plan if they are not improving as expected.”

Traditionally, because formerly incarcerated individuals may be released into different communities with a variety of treatment providers, DOC social workers have had to navigate a different protocol for each provider. A lack of clarity about roles, information, and timelines complicated these referrals and, in the worst cases, resulted in a lapse in care for the individual being released.

For more information, visit the DHS website.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Lyndsay Kensinger, Governor’s Office,
Erin James, Human Services
Maria Bivens, Corrections

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