Coronavirus Vaccines for Kids Under 5 Are Finally Here
ANCOR’s 2022 Policy Summit & Hill Day Registration Now Open
New PROMISe Guidance: Provider Electronic Portal Update
The Department of Human Services (DHS) is pleased to announce new provider enrollment portal enhancements designed to improve a provider’s enrollment experience. Providers will enter the enrollment portal from PROMISe™ using their existing registered login criteria. Upon successful login, providers will have access to these new enhancements:
- Applications for adding additional service locations, revalidations, and reactivations will prepopulate parts of your application;
- After logging into the portal, existing providers will be able to submit change requests to update their provider file without the need to complete a full application; and
- Proof of provider enrollment status with PA Medicaid is available to view and print.
See the PROMISe Quick Tips update for more information. If you do not have an existing login, please select “Register Now” in the Provider Login box and complete the process options. Additional enhancements are planned and will be communicated through future banner alerts and quick tips.
If you have further questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
Providing COVID-19 Therapeutics: Your Questions, Answered – July 12 Webinar
Tuesday, July 12, 2022 • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
The PA Department of Health (DOH), Department of Human Services (DHS) and Management Agency, and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation are jointly hosting an informational webinar on COVID-19 Therapeutics.
Outpatient COVID-19 treatment and preventive therapies can improve patient outcomes and save lives. Oral antivirals (Paxlovid, Lagevrio) and monoclonal antibodies for pre-exposure prophylaxis (Evusheld) are now widely available in Pennsylvania, but more can be done to improve awareness, access, and equity. This session is intended for providers and facility administrators and will cover why, when, and how to prescribe and access outpatient COVID-19 treatment and preventive therapies. The session will include presentations by leaders and clinicians from DOH, DHS, and additional organizations, as well as provide an opportunity for Q&A.
Use this link to register for the webinar scheduled for Tuesday, July 12 at 4:00 pm. See the flyer for more information including registration assistance.
Make your Voice Heard by Legislators as Final Budget Negotiations are Underway
Our legislators are now determining whether to invest in DSP wages or place funds in the Rainy Day fund. Tell lawmakers to increase #DirectCarePA funding in the #PaBudget!
If you haven’t done so already, please reach out and urge lawmakers to increase funding to support human services professionals, so individuals and families in need get the support and care they deserve. Ask your networks to do the same.
Be sure to share our video on your social media pages, too. To share the video, check out our Facebook and Twitter pages where we have the videos posted. Be sure to “like” it and share it with your followers. Don’t forget to tag @directcareworks and use the #DirectCarePA and #PABudget hashtags so we can ensure as many people as possible see it.
It’s so important for us to share the story about how this workforce crisis is affecting individuals and families in need, as well as the providers and professionals who want to serve them.
Most importantly, TAKE ACTION TODAY. Tell lawmakers to increase funding to address the workforce crisis facing Pennsylvania’s health and human services. Thank you for your continued support.
The Value of H.E.A.R.T in Healthcare Management
[From Incite Consulting Solutions]
I was recently at a meeting of behavioral health leaders and the CEO of a large provider organization was there. We got to talking about the workforce and he mentioned all the data his organization can generate now.
He said that if you want to thrive and grow in the health care world, you need to be able to crunch numbers and make tough decisions. I couldn’t help but wonder… are we losing the passion and compassion that drove so many of us into the behavioral health care field by increasingly focusing on having a head for business? How do we focus on metrics while not losing sight of what’s truly important?
It’s no surprise that so much of a behavioral health leader’s time is spent on fiscal and administrative issues. Revenue cycle, productivity, clinical workflows, EMR issues – these can make or break an organization. These are activities that require us to lead with structured, analytical thinking. They call on our strengths of judgment and perspective.
The challenge? For most of us we entered this field with a strong sense of mission. We wanted to help people live better lives. We were, and are, driven by empathy – not clinical expertise, administrative excellence, and management oversight. We’ve undervalued the value of heart, creativity, and empowerment.
What we do is centered on human interactions and relationships, maintaining H.E.A.R.T while advancing healthcare management is important.
You and your staff are passionate about changing the world for good, facing the challenges of providing better behavioral health services and the mission it serves. At times, this can conflict with the time and attention needed to implement business processes to measure our success. In a series of blogs this summer, we will explore how to find balance between these two important aspects of behavioral health work.
Interested in continuing the conversation? We want to know what your successes and challenges have been with H.E.A.R.T in your workforce during these difficult times. Please share your ideas and perspective with us here.
Negotiations on Budget Reconciliation Package Continue on Capitol Hill
ANCOR Stateside Report: June 13, 2022
CMS Understanding Medicare Webinars: June 14–15
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is conducting interactive training webinars that cover Medicare basics today, June 14, 2022, and tomorrow, June 15, 2022, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. The topics and registration links for both days are provided below:
Day 1 (June 14) — Topics will include Medicare enrollment and eligibility; SSA and CMS roles and responsibilities; cost and coverage under Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance); why enrolling on time is important; and an overview of Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policies.
Register for the Day 1 webinar here.
Day 2 (June 15) — Topics will include Medicare drug coverage (Part D); Medicare Advantage Plans; coordination of benefits; how to detect and report suspected Medicare fraud, waste, and abuse; and different resources to help you find answers to Medicare policy and coverage questions.
Register for the Day 2 webinar here.
These webinars will be recorded and posted to the National Training Program (NTP) website. You can view the recordings here.
Long COVID, Variants, and Surges: Ongoing Impacts to People with Disabilities — Free Webinar on June 16
Thursday, June 16, 2022, 11:00 am EDT
REGISTER
This multi-part conversation includes perspectives from the disability community, medical doctors, as well as Allegheny and Philadelphia county health departments. This event is sponsored by the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, the LEND Center of Pittsburgh Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Mayor’s Commission for People with Disabilities in the Office of the Mayor, and the Department of Public Health City of Philadelphia, as well as the Allegheny County Health Department.
AGENDA
11:00 am — Welcome
11:10 am — People in the disability community will share their lived experience with COVID and specific challenges of these times.
11:30 am — Medical doctors will discuss current information about COVID and specific impacts to individuals with disabilities. They will also share new information about something called “Long COVID,” which is COVID symptoms that last beyond a few weeks.
12:00 pm — Department of Health professionals from Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties will give us status/statistics of COVID, what the counties are doing now, how they are assuring accessibility of resources, and how people can stay safe during a surge.
12:30 pm — Home and Community-Based Service (HCBS) policy gaps revealed by COVID will be discussed, including what we can do to close the gaps.
Visit here for more information.
Prev