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Telehealth

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We invite you to attend an RCPA regional meeting in your area on any of the below dates in August or September 2022. The meetings will focus on RCPA issues, including:

  • Legislative information;
  • Division and conference updates;
  • Department of Human Services (DHS) updates; and
  • Status of the CCBHC/ICWC program in PA.

We will also provide an update to the addiction treatment community on our advocacy efforts to ensure the Opioid Use Disorder Centers of Excellence transition from a DHS-directed payment model to a state plan service is fair and manageable for providers. In addition, ProVantaCare (our sister managed care entity) will review its efforts, goals, and upcoming opportunities.

Immediately following lunch, we invite RCPA members and advocates to participate in the Delta Center Convening on Telehealth. RCPA has collaborated with National Council on bringing together primary care associations (PCAs) and behavioral health state associations (BHSAs) to advance policy, payment, and practice changes that will benefit the millions of people served by health centers and community behavioral health organizations (CBHOs). RCPA is the recipient of grant funds through the Delta Center to cultivate health policy and a care system that is more equitable and better meets the needs of individuals and families.

In this forum, we will engage in roundtable discussions with consumers and practitioners on their opinions on the effectiveness, challenges, and future use of telehealth to deliver behavioral health services. The information gathered will guide the PA Delta Center team in its advocacy for developing regulations, bulletins, and practices that ensure equity and access to services for all communities. Your participation will be key to our ongoing work in establishing a healthy and sustainable telehealth footprint in Pennsylvania. For additional information, please contact Jim Sharp, Director, Children’s Division.

Please see the full agenda here. Registration is required.

Monday, August 1 — RCPA Central Regional Meeting and Delta Center Telehealth Convening
Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel, 4650 Lindle Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111
Register Here

Tuesday, August 2 — RCPA NE Regional Meeting and Delta Center Telehealth Convening
Holiday Inn Wilkes Barre, 600 Wildflower Drive, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
Register Here

Friday, August 19 — RCPA Western Regional Meeting and Delta Center Telehealth Convening
RLA Learning and Conference Center, 850 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry Township, PA 16066
Register Here

Friday, September 16 — RCPA SE Regional Meeting and Delta Center Telehealth Convening
The Alloy King of Prussia, a DoubleTree by Hilton, 301 W. Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia, PA 19406
Register Here

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Except from Morning Times
July 15, 2022

Mental health services are now more easily accessible for Pennsylvania residents under a bill sponsored by Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna) that has been signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf. Act 76 of 2022, formerly House Bill (HB) 2419, allows for the expanded use of telehealth technology in the treatment of mental health patients. The new law removes the statutory requirement of 50% of onsite psychiatric time, giving the Department of Human Services more flexibility in issuing waivers to accommodate individual clinics in providing mental health services virtually.

RCPA thanks our General Assembly members for their partnership and support in ensuring these critical services remain in place for those in need of care. If you have questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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We invite you to attend an RCPA regional meeting in your area on any of the below dates in August or September 2022. The meetings will focus on RCPA issues, including:

  • Legislative information;
  • Division and conference updates;
  • Department of Human Services (DHS) updates; and
  • Status of the CCBHC/ICWC program in PA.

We will also provide an update to the addiction treatment community on our advocacy efforts to ensure the Opioid Use Disorder Centers of Excellence transition from a DHS-directed payment model to a state plan service is fair and manageable for providers. In addition, ProVantaCare (our sister managed care entity) will review its efforts, goals, and upcoming opportunities.

Immediately following lunch, we invite RCPA members and advocates to participate in the Delta Center Convening on Telehealth. These discussions will guide the PA Delta Center team in its advocacy for developing regulations, bulletins, and practices that ensure equity and access to services for all communities. Your participation will be key to our ongoing work in ensuring a healthy and sustainable telehealth footprint in Pennsylvania. For additional information, please contact Jim Sharp, Director, Children’s Division.

Please see the full agenda here. Registration is required.
We hope you will join us for a regional event!

Monday, August 1 — RCPA Central Regional Meeting and Delta Center Telehealth Convening
Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel, 4650 Lindle Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111
Register Here

Tuesday, August 2 — RCPA NE Regional Meeting and Delta Center Telehealth Convening
Holiday Inn Wilkes Barre, 600 Wildflower Drive, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
Register Here

Friday, August 19 — RCPA Western Regional Meeting and Delta Center Telehealth Convening
RLA Learning and Conference Center, 850 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry Township, PA 16066
Register Here

Friday, September 16 — RCPA SE Regional Meeting and Delta Center Telehealth Convening
The Alloy King of Prussia, a DoubleTree by Hilton, 301 W. Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia, PA 19406
Register Here

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On July 7, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for calendar year (CY) 2023. In this proposed rule, CMS is proposing an approximately 4 percent reduction to the base payment factor for all services for 2023. The specific level of adjustment providers may see will depend on changes CMS finalizes to other factors. CMS is also proposing to expand the list of codes that can be provided via telehealth through 2023 to include some therapy codes. Modifications to the Quality Payment Program (QPP), which includes the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), to allow for additional pathways for participation for certain specialties is also being proposed. The proposed rule will appear in the July 29 Federal Register.

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Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

RCPA regional meetings are back! We invite you to attend a regional meeting in your area on any of the following dates in August or September 2022. The meetings will focus on RCPA issues, including:

  • Legislative information;
  • Division and conference updates;
  • DHS updates; and
  • Status of the CCBHC/ICWC program in PA.

We will also provide an update to the addiction treatment community on our advocacy efforts to ensure the Opioid Use Disorder Centers of Excellence transition from a DHS-directed payment model to a state plan service is fair and manageable for providers. In addition, ProVantaCare (our sister managed care entity) will review its efforts, goals, and upcoming opportunities.

The meeting will include lunch. Immediately following lunch, we invite RCPA members and advocates to invite their consumers, children, and families to the Delta Center Convening on Telehealth, which will feature discussions and subsequent recommendations to guide the PA Delta Center team in its advocacy in developing regulations, bulletins, and practices that ensure equity and access to services for all communities. Our previous telehealth forums have been incredibly informative and enlightening as participants share their life experience and perspectives that can shape policy development. Your participation will be key to our ongoing work in ensuring a healthy and sustainable telehealth footprint in Pennsylvania. For additional information, please contact Jim Sharp, Director, Children’s Division.

Please see the full agenda here. Registration is required.

We hope you will join us for this regional event! Please register below:

Monday, August 1 – RCPA Central Regional Meeting and Delta Center Telehealth Convening
Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel, 4650 Lindle Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111
Register Here

Tuesday, August 2 – RCPA NE Regional Meeting and Delta Center Telehealth Convening
Holiday Inn Wilkes Barre, 600 Wildflower Drive, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702
Register Here

Friday, August 19 – RCPA Western Regional Meeting and Delta Center Telehealth Convening
RLA Learning and Conference Center, 850 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry Township, PA 16066
Register Here

Friday, September 16 – RCPA SE Regional Meeting and Delta Center Telehealth Convening
The Alloy King of Prussia, a DoubleTree by Hilton, 301 W. Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia, PA 19406
Register Here

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The Pennsylvania Department of State (DOS) has reversed course and extended its waiver allowing for an initial prescription of buprenorphine without an in-person physical exam. DOS had announced previously that the waiver would expire on June 30, 2022; however, DOS’s waiver will now continue until the last day of the federal public health emergency declaration, unless the exemptions are ended sooner by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) or the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

On Sept. 4, 2020, DOS issued a waiver suspending the State Board of Medicine’s regulation at 49 Pa. Code § 16.92(b)(1), which requires an initial physical examination of a patient prior to prescribing buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder. This waiver was sought specifically to complement the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs’ (DDAP) suspension of 28 Pa. Code § 715.9(a)(4) and “relates to Federal exemptions granted under the Federal public health emergency (PHE) declaration,” specifically the exemptions granted by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).

Therefore, in accordance with section 2102-F(a.3) of the Pennsylvania Administrative Code of 1929 (amended by Act 14 of 2022), the Department of State’s waiver will continue until the last day of the federal public health emergency declaration, unless the exemptions are ended sooner by SAMHSA or the DEA. This waiver will not expire on June 30, 2022. More information about the federal public health emergency can be found here.

It is important to note that, to be considered within the acceptable and prevailing standard of care, the physician/prescriber must be following the applicable SAMHSA/DEA guidelines.

Pennsylvania has not received notification that the PHE will be terminated on July 15. The commonwealth expects the PHE to be extended again. If this occurs, this waiver and others tied to or related to the PHE will be extended until mid-October 2022.

Additional information:

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has been sharing information and bringing awareness about the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program. This new long-term program can assist individuals who use telehealth services to help lower the cost of broadband service for eligible households struggling to afford internet service.

The ACP provides:

  • Up to $30/month discount for broadband service;
  • Up to $75/month discount for households on qualifying tribal lands; and
  • A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet purchased through a participating provider if the household contributes more than $10 but less than $50 toward the purchase price.

The ACP is limited to 1 monthly service discount and 1 device discount per household.

Who’s Eligible?

An individual’s household is eligible for the ACP if the household income is at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or if a member of the household meets at least 1 of the criteria outlined on the FCC’s website.

Individuals can enroll in two steps by:

  1. Going to ACPBenefit to apply online or print a mail-in application; and
  2. Contacting their preferred participating ACP provider to select a plan, who will apply the discount to the patient’s bill.

Some ACP providers may request individuals to complete an alternative application. Eligible households must apply for the program and contact a participating provider to select a service plan.

For Additional Information:

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