Pennsylvania’s Insurance Exchange, Pennie, opened on Sunday, Nov. 1. Assisters statewide fielded calls and assisted consumers with enrolling in Qualified Health Plans offered by seven Pennsylvania insurers: Ambetter, Capital Blue Cross, Geisinger, Highmark, Independence Blue Cross, Oscar and UPMC. The Pennie call center experienced issues and was not available to consumers or assisters for part of the day on Monday but resumed operations on Tuesday morning. The call center is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 am – 7:00 pm; Saturdays, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm; and closed Sundays and holidays. Customers needing assistance can call 1-844-844-8040. The dedicated Assister Call Center number for troubleshooting and assisting with enrollment is 1-844-844-4440. Learn more about Pennie.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) announced the start of the annual Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) application process for the 2020-21 season. LIHEAP assists with home heating bills so low-income Pennsylvanians can stay warm and safe during the winter months. Assistance is available for renters and homeowners. LIHEAP opened for applications on Nov. 2 and closes April 9, 2021. Pennsylvanians can apply for LIHEAP and other public assistance programs online at www.compass.state.pa.us Those who prefer to submit paper applications can print from the website or request an application by phone at 1-800-692-7462 and mail it to their local County Assistance Office (CAO) or place it in a CAO’s secure drop box, if available. While CAOs remain closed to the public, work processing applications, determining eligibility and issuing benefits continues. Click here for more information on LIHEAP.

President Trump has signed an executive order making it easier for federal agencies to fire and replace career federal policy officials by reclassifying them under a new category of employees called Schedule F. The move could impact attorneys, public health experts, regulators, scientists and other officials not normally subject to change during Presidential transitions. Under the order, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has seven months to decide which of its 80,000 employees to reclassify. Read More.

Pennsylvania Governor Wolf signed SB 273, now known as Act 100 of 2020, into law, amending the Community-Based Health Care Act (CBHC). CBHC established a grant program within the Department of Health for safety-net providers to expand or create new sites. Over the years, this program has been used by many providers to support improvements in access to care. Unfortunately, the legislation imposed an arbitrary statutory cap only on FQHCs to apply for no more than 25% of the grant funding, a restriction that meant the state might not be funding the best applications.

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Labor & Industry Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development Sheila Ireland will host a live panel discussion today on agriculture job training options through Pennsylvania’s three agriculture apprenticeship programs. The discussion will be livestreamed on the Department of Agriculture’s Facebook page today at 2:00 PM.

“Pennsylvania’s $135 billion agriculture and food industry needs 75,000 skilled workers over the next decade,” Redding said. “The jobs are real, and an apprenticeship removes one barrier for jobseekers by allowing them to earn as they learn. The hope is that apprentices will continue to grow in the field and move up the ladder to other in-demand jobs.”

The virtual panel is being held in recognition of the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Apprenticeship Week, November 8-14, to share this unique way Pennsylvanians can acquire the career skills that employers seek.

“The COVID-19 pandemic caused rapid changes to our economy and workforce needs. Apprenticeships are a key tool that we need to use to rebuild our workforce to accommodate these changes,” Ireland said. “Apprenticeships allow Pennsylvanians to earn while they learn, helping them earn a paycheck while making a career change that will benefit their family for the long term. And, apprenticeships help businesses get the specialized workers they need to grow and succeed. We encourage any business interested in exploring an apprenticeship program to reach out to us for more information on this great opportunity.”

While apprenticeships have been common in trades such as plumber, electrician and carpenter, the model of learning specialized skills on the job from industry experts fits other career paths. It is an especially good fit for some agricultural jobs which do not require a college degree but are hands on and require unique skills. These are jobs with family-sustaining wages such as meat cutter, landscaper, logger or traditional farmer.

The food production and agriculture industry projects a need for 75,000 qualified workers over the next 10 years and apprenticeships are a good way to prepare a new workforce to fill those jobs. With a perpetual need for food, we will always need more agriculture workers.

Employers play a vital role in apprenticeships by sponsoring programs and teaching participants career skills.

The departments of Agriculture and Labor & Industry are working with Pennsylvania employers to develop agriculture-related apprenticeships and would welcome discussing other proposed programs with employers.

Pennsylvania’s three current agriculture apprenticeships are:

• Northeast Equipment Dealerships Association sponsors the Ag Equipment Technician Apprenticeship. In this program, participants learn how to repair today’s complex farm equipment such as tractors and combines. In the next 10 years Pennsylvania employers predict more than 1,000 job openings in this field as current farm equipment mechanics and service technicians retire.
• PASA Sustainable Agriculture sponsors the Diversified Vegetable Apprenticeship, which trains apprentices in core competencies to operate a vegetable farm, from soil fertility and irrigation, to marketing and business administration. Apprentices receive more than 2,700 hours of on-the-job training at an established farm and complete more than 200 hours of related technical instruction over the course of two seasons. Apprentices are paid an increasing hourly wage as their skills advance. The program teaches new farmers while providing teaching farms with reliable workers.
• The PASA-sponsored Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship is a two-year program that pairs beginning farmers with mentors to provide experiences and skills toward operating a pastured dairy farm. The Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship combines paid, on-the-job training with related technical coursework.

Employers and job seekers may learn more about apprenticeships online at https://www.dli.pa.gov/Individuals/Workforce-Development/apprenticeship/Pages/default.aspx

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Anthony J. Carrelli, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, toured U.S. Navy Veteran James Cornwell’s Nine Pines Farm in York, and U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Daniel Hubbard’s Hubbard Family Ranch in Gardners, Adams County on Friday, November 6, to highlight state support of veterans and engender consumer support for veteran-owned farms. Both farms received grants in September through the state’s $10 million Fresh Food Financing Initiative COVID-19 Relief Fund to expand access to fresh food in low-income communities during the pandemic.

“These men and their families have served their country well,” Redding said. “And they continue to serve their neighbors who struggle to access fresh, nutritious food. For both, these veteran-farmers deserve our thanks today, as we approach Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving, and every single day of the year. They are truly heroes.”

“These proud veterans and their families sacrificed much to protect our freedoms while in uniform and now are working just as hard as farm families feeding our nation,” said Carrelli. “We thank the departments of Agriculture and Community and Economic Development, who looked deep into our communities and selected these two deserving veteran-owned businesses for the grants. These great veteran farm families are now better equipped to increase food production so that Pennsylvanians have more reliable access to food despite the disruptions of COVID-19.”

Nine Pines Farm received a $90,000 grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development’s Fresh Food Financing Initiative to expand its poultry operation and make more fresh turkey and chicken available to consumers, particularly in nearby low-income areas.

“With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now more apparent than ever, the need for strong, local food producers in and around areas where food security is a daily struggle,” Cornwell said in his grant application. “We will be using funds to assist in accommodating the room needed to raise and store more chicken so that it can be brought to market, specifically to those in need in our nearby food desert.”

The Hubbard Family Ranch received $15,000 through the initiative to support their poultry and non-GMO feed operation.

The tour was hosted by PA Veteran Farming Project, which connects military veterans to programs and resources, including those available through the state. One example is the PA Preferred® Homegrown by Heroes program, which helps consumers easily identify and purchase products made and grown by Pennsylvania veterans.

The PA Department of Military and Veterans Affairs connects veterans to resources through the Pennsylvania Veterans Registry, an online application that allows veterans, family members and people who work with veterans to connect with DMVA to request information related to the valuable state benefits, programs and services offered.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the 2021 monthly Medicare Parts A and B premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts in which the Medicare Part B monthly premium remains steady. This news comes as Medicare Open Enrollment started on October 15, 2020 running through December 7, 2020, and follows the announcement that Medicare Advantage (or private Medicare health plans) and Part D prescription drug plan premiums are at historic lows, with hundreds of Medicare Advantage and Part D plans now offering $35 monthly co-pays for insulin starting in January 2021.

“With the 2021 Medicare Part B premium information now available, I encourage everyone with Medicare to take time over the next four weeks to review their options during Medicare Open Enrollment,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, Medicare Part B premiums remain steady and seniors have more plans than ever to choose from, many new benefits, and historically low Medicare Advantage and Part D premiums.”

Medicare Part B Premiums/Deductibles

Medicare Part B covers physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, durable medical equipment, and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A.

The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $148.50 in 2021, an increase of $3.90 from $144.60 in 2020. Recent legislation signed by President Trump significantly dampens the 2021 Medicare Part B premium increase that would have occurred given the estimated growth in Medicare spending next year. Medicare spending is estimated to grow due to people seeking care they may have delayed during the COVID-19 public health emergency, availability of more COVID-19 treatments, and availability of COVID-19 vaccines (for which CMS recently announced that there would be no out-of-pocket costs for seniors).

CMS also announced that the annual deductible for Medicare Part B beneficiaries is $203 in 2021, an increase of $5 from $198 in 2020.

Medicare Part A Premiums/Deductibles

Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility, and some home health care services. About 99 percent of Medicare beneficiaries do not pay a Part A premium since they have at least 40 quarters of Medicare-covered employment.

The Medicare Part A inpatient deductible that beneficiaries will pay when admitted to the hospital is $1,484 in 2021, an increase of $76 from $1,408 in 2020.

Medicare Open Enrollment

Medicare beneficiaries can choose to enroll in fee-for-service Original Medicare (Parts A and B) or can select a private Medicare Advantage plan to receive their Medicare benefits. Premiums and deductibles for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug plans (Medicare Part D) are already finalized and are unaffected by this announcement.

During the ongoing Medicare Open Enrollment – which began on October 15, 2020 and ends December 7, 2020, more than 60 million Medicare beneficiaries can compare coverage options like Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) and Medicare Advantage, and choose health and prescription drug plans for 2021. Medicare health and drug plan costs and covered benefits can change from year-to-year. CMS urges Medicare beneficiaries to review their coverage choices and decide on the options that best meet their health needs. Over the past three years, CMS has made it easier for seniors to compare and enroll in Medicare coverage. The redesigned Medicare Plan Finder makes it easier for beneficiaries to:

• Compare pricing between Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare prescription drug plans (Medicare Part D), and Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Medigap) policies;
• Compare coverage options on their smartphones and tablets;
• Compare up to three Medicare Part D drug plans or three Medicare Advantage plans side-by-side;
• Get plan costs and benefits, including which Medicare Advantage plans offer extra benefits;
• Build a personal drug list and find Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage that best meets their needs.

Highlights for 2021 Open Enrollment include:

• A 34 percent decrease in average monthly premiums for Medicare Advantage plans since 2017. This is the lowest average monthly premium since 2007. Beneficiaries in some states, including Alabama, Nevada, Michigan, and Kentucky, will see decreases of over 50 percent in average Medicare Advantage premiums.
• More than 4,800 Medicare Advantage plans are offered for 2021, compared to about 2,700 in 2017. Similarly, more Medicare Part D plans are available, and the average basic Part D premium has dropped 12 percent since 2017.
• Medicare beneficiaries can join a prescription drug plan that will offer many types of insulin at a maximum copayment of $35 for a 30-day supply. More than 1,600 Medicare Advantage and Part D prescription drug plans are participating in the Part D Senior Savings Model for 2021. People who enroll in a participating plan could save up to an estimated $446 a year in out-of-pocket costs on insulin. CMS has added a new “Insulin Savings” filter on Medicare Plan Finder to display plans that will offer the capped out-of-pocket costs for insulin. Beneficiaries can use the Medicare Plan Finder to view plan options and look for a participating plan in their area that covers their insulin at no more than a $35 monthly copay.
• Free, personalized counseling on Medicare options is also available through the nonprofit State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.

For a fact sheet on the 2021 Medicare Parts A & B premiums and deductibles, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2021-medicare-parts-b-premiums-and-deductibles

For more information on the 2021 Medicare Parts A and B premiums and deductibles (CMS-8074-N, CMS-8075-N, CMS-8076-N), please visit:

• (CMS-8074-N)- https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2020-25024/medicare-program-cy-2021-inpatient-hospital-deductible-and-hospital-and-extended-care-services
• (CMS-8075-N): https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2020-25028/medicare-program-cy-2021-part-a-premiums-for-the-uninsured-aged-and-for-certain-disabled-individuals

(CMS-8076-N): https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2020-25029/medicare-program-medicare-part-b-monthly-actuarial-rates-premium-rates-and-annual-deductible