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Text of March 18 press release.

Harrisburg, PA — Health care professionals licensed under any of the Department of State’s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA) licensing boards can provide services to patients via telemedicine during the coronavirus emergency.

“Telemedicine provides health care professionals flexibility to continue treating their patients while following best practices on social distancing as outlined by the Department of Health,” Secretary Boockvar said. “The department requested, and Governor Wolf granted us, the authority to allow health care professionals from out-of-state to treat Pennsylvania residents using telemedicine, when appropriate, due to COVID-19.”

This new guidance applies to the following boards:

o Chiropractic
o Dentistry
o Medicine
o Nursing
o Optometry
o Pharmacy
o Podiatry
o Psychology
o Osteopathic Medicine
o Nursing Home Administrators
o Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure
o Physical Therapy
o Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors
o Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
o Veterinary Medicine

Currently, no Pennsylvania law prohibits the practice of telemedicine.

Additionally, the department is working with the Governor’s office, the Department of Health, and Department of Human Services to identify regulations and requirements that can be suspended to give medical providers and facilities the flexibility they need to respond to the crisis. We will publish these notifications on our website as they become available.

Governor Wolf also granted the department’s request for a suspension to allow licensed practitioners in other states to provide services to Pennsylvanians via the use of telemedicine, without obtaining a Pennsylvania license, for the duration of the emergency. Out-of-state practitioners must:

o Be licensed and in good standing in their home state, territory, or country.

o Provide the Pennsylvania board from whom they would normally seek licensure with the following information prior to practicing telemedicine with Pennsylvanians:
• their full name, home or work mailing address, telephone number and email address; and
• their license type, license number or other identifying information that is unique to that practitioner’s license, and the state or other governmental body that issued the license.

Please submit the information requested above to the appropriate board resource account listed on the BPOA website.

All practitioners using telemedicine in Pennsylvania must remain informed on all federal and state laws, regulations and guidance regarding telemedicine, including a practitioner’s obligations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and recent guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Authorization to engage in telemedicine from a professional licensing standpoint is separate and apart from any insurance coverage/payment issues that fall under the Department of Health, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Insurance, or any other state or federal agency.

The Department of Human Services issued guidance for Behavioral Health Services Telemedicine here. The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs released Telehealth guidance for their programs and providers here.

Questions, please contact Jack Phillips.

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RCPA has been hearing from members regarding supplies they need to combat the COVID-19 epidemic. We have heard from members that they are running short on masks/respirators, hand sanitizers, gloves, etc. Regarding masks/respirators, RCPA understands there is a shortage of these items. Providers are in need of masks/respirators to take care of residents in group homes, inpatient facilities, etc. If a resident in one of these facilities is stricken with COVID-19, then staff will have to follow CDC protocol and be required to use masks/respirators. If providers do not have any to give to staff, then providers will have to transport the resident to the hospital. We understand hospitals would rather keep individuals in their current location.

In most instances, providers are working with their local hospitals to get masks/respirators, but there are limited quantities, if any. To try and combat this shortage, providers should contact their County Emergency Management office. RCPA understands that the mask/respirator issue is a major concern for providers and we are working with our state partners for assistance.

If providers are experiencing any other shortages such as medicine, food, or other supplies, please contact a member of the RCPA staff as soon as possible or as needs arise, so we can inform the applicable state agency. Questions, please contact Jack Phillips.

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RCPA was contacted by some of our Drug and Alcohol members asking about staffing ratios.  Specifically, the question asked was, will DDAP require providers to maintain inpatient ratios and outpatient group size limits? If so, providers believe treatment capacity may be severely limited.

RCPA reached out to DDAP leadership and asked if they will be providing a temporary waiver of staffing ratios to offset the likely loss of staff due to COVID-19 exposure. DDAP responded that this issue has been discussed in DDAP leadership meetings. Ultimately, DDAP has decided they will not be issuing blanket waivers for staffing ratios; however, they will consider waivers on a case by case basis.

Questions, please contact Jack Phillips.

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OMHSAS and RPCA continue to work together to offer guidance to our provider community in ensuring we are all meeting the community’s needs. OMHSAS and RCPA have been working with the Behavioral HealthChoices partners to further coordinate care for all, and providers should continue to coordinate with their partners to jointly decide what services and modalities are needed to serve our behavioral health community. OMHSAS will be releasing an FAQ shortly to assist behavioral health partners and stakeholders. If you have questions, concerns, or feedback please contact RCPA Policy Directors Sarah Eyster or Jim Sharp.

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Harrisburg, PA – To help make the public aware of COVID-19 preparedness and procedures, the Wolf Administration has created a library of free outreach materials for businesses, organizations, and anyone interested in displaying important messaging on COVID-19.

The materials are available at PAcast.

“The goal is for everyone to have access to and be encouraged to share the information important to stopping the spread of COVID-19,” Gov. Wolf said. “Please help us share awareness while using caution and protecting yourself.”

Posters are available in multiple sizes and every Pennsylvanian is encouraged to make them accessible to their community of friends, community or religious group members, and business associates to print and post. The administration also expects the posters to be available in newspapers across the state for residents to tear out and post throughout their communities.

Properly sized graphics are available at PAcast for social media. Gov. Wolf also encourages everyone to make use of COVID-19 social media content on the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

The most up-to-date information, including video graphics, footage of all of the governor’s press conferences and b-roll, is also available at 08PAcast. Additional materials will be added to the library as they become available and as the situation evolves.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyndsay Kensinger, 717-783-1116

# # #

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The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) provides information on common issues employers and employees face when responding to influenza, pandemics, or other public health emergencies, and their effects on wages and hours worked under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Use this link to view the recently posted guidance on WHD’s website.

Also, the Department issued a press release with links to this guidance, as well as guidance from OSHA and OWCP.

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Over the past several days, RCPA has been in contact with numerous DHS and Department officials to brainstorm issues and ideas in this time of crisis. There have been some emergency relief efforts already released (e.g., ODP, OCYF), and there are no doubt more to come from other departments.

Many providers have also brought their ideas to RCPA and we have, in turn, incorporated them in submissions to DHS.

Most importantly, we are emphasizing the following:

  • This is not “business as usual.” If there was ever a time to put aside standard rules and operations, it is now.
  • The Governor has declared this an “emergency.” So let’s take emergent action.
  • Waive rules around alternative ways to reach out to individuals, such as paying for all telehealth and telephonic contact.
  • Implement alternative payment mechanisms (e.g., via BH-MCOs) to allow providers to do what is necessary to outreach to individuals and keep them engaged.
  • Understand that if traditional services decrease (e.g., program closures, increased no- shows), then billable units disappear along with cash flow. Measures need to be taken immediately to ensure that agencies are solvent and services – even non-traditional – are available for consumers.

We are also urging as streamlined an approval process as possible. It is a fluid situation and we cannot wait days, let alone weeks, to discuss these ideas.

If any providers have specific ideas or suggestions, please reach out to RCPA and we can, in turn, bring them forward. We are hopeful that our discussions with DHS will lead to some creative and critically needed solutions.

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