For several years, RCPA has worked in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Leadership Council (PPLC). Most recently the PPLC expanded its activity and interest in supporting and promoting child psychiatric services and psychiatrists in rural Pennsylvania.
Behavioral health issues rarely occur in a vacuum. Many individuals with behavioral health needs also suffer from chronic physical ailments, including diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. This CHCS blog, The Thrust to Integrate Behavioral Health Services in Medicaid, highlights how policymakers are increasingly focused on the need to better coordinate care for this population. It outlines emerging state and federal efforts that are moving toward whole-person care on many fronts — including programs to integrate physical and behavioral health services, reduce homelessness, end the cycle of repeat jail visits, and, ultimately, improve this vulnerable population’s overall quality of life.
The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) is conducting a comprehensive statewide needs assessment designed to meet and satisfy the state plan requirements in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. As part of this assessment, the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University is asking Pennsylvania employers and workforce professionals to complete a brief survey to identify how OVR can better support employers and employees across Pennsylvania.
This project is being conducted in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Rehabilitation Council and with the assistance of the Institute on Disabilities. If you are an employer or a workforce professional you are encouraged to complete this brief survey by Monday, August 1. Once you’ve completed the survey, you can enter in a drawing to win a $20 Target gift card.
The Institute on Disabilities is also seeking employer stakeholders to participate in brief phone interviews and share their expertise with the Institute. Interested employers can email or call 215-204-9544.
Integration is a hot topic and buzzword in health care. And, integrated primary and behavioral health care is the best approach to care for people with complex health care needs. But do you have an elevator speech when someone asks you about integrated care? What do you tell new staff during orientation and how do you communicate the value to potential partners and your board of directors? Join this webinar to go back to the basics of primary and behavioral health care integration and learn how to effectively communicate the importance of integrated care and the benefits to the people you serve.
Last week Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller reiterated to consumers that enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) is a priority for her department. Miller also encouraged consumers to understand what benefits they are entitled to under the law and to file complaints with the Insurance Department if they believe they are not getting proper insurance coverage. “The Pennsylvania Insurance Department takes this law very seriously, and we will us our statutory authority to enforce parity requirements on plans over which we have jurisdiction,” said Commissioner Miller.
The MHPAEA of 2008 requires health insurance plans to contain the same level of coverage for mental health and substance use disorders as for medical or surgical care. This coverage includes quantitative limitations (copays, deductibles, and limits on inpatient or outpatient visits that are covered) and non-quantitative limitations (pre-authorizations, providers available through a plan’s network, and what a plan deems “medically necessary”).
One important step toward a well-integrated system of health care, both physical and behavioral, is full implementation of the letter and spirit of MHPAEA. RCPA is actively working with health care advocates as part of the state’s Parity Coalition to assure consumers and providers/practitioners that Medicaid, CHIP, and private health plan coverage include quantitative and non-quantitative parity.
For more information on the MHPAEA or to file a complaint or ask a question, visit the insurance department website or call 877-881-6388.
Your feedback is greatly needed. The US Department of Labor (DOL) has issued its final overtime rule which increases the threshold related to the overtime exemption. This has caused great concern among RCPA members as there is no additional funding being proposed to cover the cost of this change. RCPA will be submitting testimony and testifying in front of the Senate Labor and Industry and Senate Appropriations Committees on Tuesday, June 21 regarding this issue. In preparation for this important Senate hearing, we are asking members to complete this SURVEY no later than Wednesday, June 15, so that we have data to present in addition to our concerns.
If you have already taken the survey, you do not need to provide feedback again. We appreciate your attention and input regarding this very important issue. Thank you.
Please contact RCPA Director of Government Affairs Jack Phillips with any questions.
The commencement of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics through Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services, and the growing movement of individual providers to create medical homes to provide clients with co-located mental health and primary care providers in one facility, holds tremendous promise and opportunity for the coordination and enhancement of delivery of care to clients. These new provider relationships in shared office and facility spaces create new legal issues for providers under the federal Stark law and Anti-kickback statute. Providers must ensure that they do not inadvertently run afoul of these important federal fraud and abuse laws.
RCPA will offer a webinar presented by Renee H. Martin, JD, RN, MSN, a partner in the firm of Dilworth Paxson, LLP. This webinar will describe the legal requirements providers must be aware of under these federal laws and help to apply that knowledge in structuring financial relationships for use of these shared spaces. The webinar is intended for provider organizations’ executive staff, project planners, and legal counsel.
Stark Law and Integrated Health Care Webinar
Wednesday, June 29
12:00 – 1:00 pm
Register today
Presenter: Ms. Martin exclusively practices health care law and advises both individual and institutional health care providers on regulatory and transactional matters. A significant portion of her practice centers on mental health and substance abuse law, including HIPAA, informational privacy, and fraud and abuse compliance. Ms. Martin has assisted in the formation of regional health information centers and mental health medical homes, working closely with federally qualified health centers and mental health providers.
RCPA will now distribute INFOS and ALERTS covering research, delivery and training models, policy issues, and other topics that will inform our members about collaborative, integrated, and co-located health care. To subscribe to this distribution list, select this link and check “Integrated Care.” This will add to your existing email preference selections.
The Department of Human Services has issued Bulletin 99-16-04, Enrollment of Co-Located Providers. This bulletin informs providers of the process for enrollment or revalidation of providers that are in co-location arrangements. The bulletin addressed the process for Medicaid enrollment and revalidation for service providers that are “using the same distinct street address as a different currently enrolled provider.” It also addresses situations in which a provider is located within another provider’s offices and is accompanied by the department’s Co-Location Attestation form.
To further support members developing or providing co-located service provider relationships in a shared office and facility space, RCPA will conduct a Lunch and Learn webinar on June 29, focused on the legal issues for providers under the federal Stark law and Anti-Kickback statute. This webinar will describe the legal requirements providers must be aware of under these federal laws and apply that knowledge in structuring financial relationships for use of these shared spaces. Look for webinar information and registration in an RCPA INFO.
For providers that may be adding behavioral health services to a primary care practice, you’ll need to be sure you’re getting reimbursed for these new services. That means knowing what you can bill for, learning a web of new codes and numbers, identifying which staff can be reimbursed for providing these services, and training staff to code services appropriately. National Council is inviting primary care providers and their behavioral health partners to join integration experts from primary care centers for a webinar on the practical ins and outs of billing for behavioral health services, to a variety of third-party payers, including Medicare and Medicaid.
Participants need to be ready to discuss the menu of billing options available that can match your center’s needs. After this webinar, participants will:
This webinar will be held on Monday, June 6, at 2:00 pm. Practitioners and providers can register here.
RCPA will now distribute information on integrated health care. RCPA INFOS and ALERTS will cover research, delivery and training models, policy issues, and other topics that will inform our members (and their physical health care partners) about collaborative, integrated, and co-located health care. To subscribe to this distribution list, select this link and check “Integrated Care.” This will add to your existing email preference selections.
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