Capitolwire: Legislative Report Suggests Rewrite of Landmark 1966 Law
DHS
OMAP Announces Bulletin 08-24-04: Revisions to FQHC/RHC Handbook
The Medical Assistance Bulletin 08-24-04, issued by the Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP), provides updates to the PROMISe (Provider Reimbursement and Operations Management Information System) Provider Handbook 837, Professional/CMS-1500 Claim Form, specifically focusing on Appendix E – FQHC/RHC (Federally Qualified Health Center/Rural Health Center) Handbook. Released on March 1, 2024, the bulletin outlines revisions to Federal and State requirements for FQHCs and RHCs in Pennsylvania participating in the Medical Assistance (MA) Program.
Notable changes include the addition of pharmacists and licensed dietician-nutritionists as eligible practitioners for billable encounters starting March 1, 2024. The revision addresses group therapy encounters and introduces guidelines for telehealth, telemedicine, and teledentistry in FQHC and RHC services. A new section on alternative payment methodologies is included, along with updates to the MA Cost Reporting and Wraparound Reporting sections. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ clarification designates “hospital” as an allowable place of service for FQHC and RHC services. Providers are encouraged to review the revised handbook for detailed information on these changes.
If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
Save the Date for “Closing the Gap: Achieving a Workforce With Different Abilities”
All sessions are scheduled from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm.
- Tannersville, PA, Northampton Community College: June 5, 2024
- Butler, PA, Monarch Institute: June 12, 2024
- Malvern, PA, PaTTAN East: June 18, 2024
- Bellefonte, PA, Central Penn Institute of Science and Technology: June 26, 2024
In this second annual ODP Employment Regional Symposium, participants will hear from employers about how, what, and why they hired individuals with developmental disabilities. Individuals who are employed and their teams will describe how having a job made a difference in their lives and the lives of their families. Representatives from the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), and the Bureau of Special Education will discuss collaboration across systems and offices with a focus on things that you thought might not be possible.
Who should attend?
Anyone interested in advancing the employment of individuals with developmental disabilities including but not limited to: current and future employers, self-advocates, local education authorities, intermediate units, ODP employment/community participation support/residential providers, supports coordinators, administrative entities transition counselors, regional employment coalitions, and OVR business liaisons.
Boxed lunches will be provided. Morning beverages and snacks are on your own.
Registration information will be sent in a separate ODP Announcement.
HHS Releases Statement on Cyberattack on Change Healthcare
As noted in a previous alert from the Department of Human Services (DHS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has also been providing updates regarding the recent cybersecurity incident that impacted Change Healthcare (a unit of UnitedHealth Group). HHS has noted that their first priority is to help coordinate efforts to avoid disruptions to care throughout the health care system.
On March 5, 2024, HHS announced immediate steps that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking to assist providers to continue to serve patients. CMS will continue to communicate with the health care community and assist, as appropriate. Providers should continue to work with all their payers for the latest updates on how to receive timely payments.
Capitolwire: House DHS Budget Looks at Mental Health Funding
Capitolwire: Senate DHS Budget Hearing Looks at Provider Wage Boost
DHS Shares Resources for Providers Affected by Change Healthcare Outage
The Department of Human Services (DHS) has shared several available resources to address providers’ concerns regarding the Change Healthcare outage. The system remains unavailable due to a current cyber-attack. You can read the full press release, which details resources and short-term solutions.
If you have any questions, please contact Fady Sahhar.
Early Bird Registration Extended for Children’s Interagency Conference
The Early Bird registration deadline for Pennsylvania’s 21st Children’s Interagency Conference has been extended to March 15, 2024. From April 22 – April 25, 2024, the event will be held at the Penn Stater Hotel in State College, PA, focusing on the theme “Shining The Light on Mental Health: Building Youth Wellness & Resilience.” Keynote speakers Dani Bowman, Anthony Cammilleri, and Victor Armstrong will address attendees on April 22, 2024. The conference is organized by the PA Department of Human Services, Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health Services, and the PA Care Partnership. Registration is now open at the 21st Children’s Interagency Conference Registration web page. For more information about the conference, visit the conference website. For assistance, contact conference planner Katrina Harris.
If you have any further questions, please contact Jim Sharp, RCPA Mental Health Policy Director.
Legislative Task Force Releases Report on Delivery of State Services Relating to ID/A
House Resolution 212 (2021), which was adopted June 29, 2022, created a legislative task force on services provided to individuals with intellectual disability, developmental disability, and autism. It directed the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on the impact of the Commonwealth’s current needs and system capacity for providing opportunities for individuals with intellectual disability, developmental disability, and autism.
The Commission was further directed to establish an advisory committee to assist in its study. The advisory committee included representatives from the Commonwealth agencies, who were charged with the responsibility of overseeing these services, namely the Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR). Other representatives included individuals and family members of individuals who are receiving home and community-based services or who are on waiting lists for services. Service providers, advocates, self-advocates, a physician, and a representative of the Pennsylvania Association of County Administrators of Mental Health and Developmental Services, as well as other interested persons, were also on the advisory committee. Richard Edley, President and CEO of RCPA, and several RCPA members served on this committee.
The committee has completed their work, resulting in their finalized report and one-page summary.
Registration Now Open for DHS ID Connect Public Town Hall on March 27
Multidrug Resistant Organisms in Medically Complex Adults Living at Home, Non-Institutional, Shared Living
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Register for this event!
This webinar is for all interested stakeholders. Presentation topics from Dr. Rabea Khadimi and Dr. Antonie Auguste will include multidrug resistant organisms in medically complex adults living at home, non-institutional settings, and shared living.
Presenters:
Rabea Khedimi, MD
Rabea Khedimi, MD, is a faculty member and ID Specialty Physician with UPMC/ID Connect. Rabea served as the Chief of the Infection Prevention and Control at the NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst and as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She has been involved in the management of patients with suspected infectious diseases since she joined the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Khedimi completed her internal medicine training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai/Elmhurst and her Infectious Diseases Fellowship training at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Her career as a Clinician-Educator and Clinician-Administrator includes leadership roles at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine/Elmhurst Hospital in Queens and Montefiore/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. She was an Assistant Professor of Medicine and an Infectious Disease Attending at Montefiore Medical Center. She also served as a Co-Director of Microbiology/Infectious Diseases courses at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Khedimi has experience in both teaching and providing clinical care to patient with HIV, Hepatitis B and C, STDs, and other infectious diseases. She also has expertise in infection control and was most recently the Chief of the Infection Prevention and Control Department at the NYC HHC/Elmhurst Hospital.
Antonie J. Auguste, MD, MPH
Dr Antonie J. Auguste has been recognized as an IDSA Fellow (FIDSA). Dr. Auguste serves the ID division at UPMC/ID Connect. Her primary role focuses on providing inpatient on infectious diseases consultation services via the Infectious Diseases Telemedicine service to multiple additional sites across telemedicine sites and rounding on the in-person services at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. Additionally, she provides telemedicine infection prevention and control consultation to various telemedicine sites. Antonie earned her medical degree from the State University of New York Upstate Medical University at Syracuse, and she completed her residency in Internal Medicine and her Fellowship in Infectious Disease at the State University of New York at Stony Brook University Hospital and School of Medicine. She obtained her MPH degree from Columbia University School of Public Health and has a BA degree in biology from Columbia University.
Kate Gass, RN, BSN, CIC
With a varied background in clinical nursing and nursing management, Kate has spent time working in intensive care, emergency departments, and the cardiac cath lab. Earning her ASN from Butler County College and BSN from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, she is certified as a cardiac invasive specialist and is also certified by the Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology.
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