The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced 13.8 million Americans enrolled in marketplace health coverage ahead of the Jan. 15 deadline. This includes more than 360,000 Pennsylvanians, 90% of whom are receiving financial assistance to pay for their monthly Pennie premiums, in part due to the American Rescue Plan. Forty-four health centers and partners are providing enrollment assistance to consumers with in-person, virtual and telephonic appointments. Pennie.com has introduced new resources and materials for assisters and consumers to better understand the enrollment process and plan selections: https://pennie.com/. Outside of open enrollment, consumers who experience a qualifying life event can enroll using a special enrollment period  within 60 days of losing coverage. For more information and resources, please contact tia@pachc.org, Statewide Director, Outreach and Enrollment.

As progress on the Build Back Better (BBB) Act negotiations has stalled, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has shifted focus to voting rights. He has pledged to bring up a vote on amending the filibuster by January. 17, 2022, if voting rights reforms do not pass, but Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) continue to oppose filibuster changes. Congress must also pass another continuing resolution or an omnibus appropriations bill by February. 18, 2022. Negotiations over a compromise omnibus bill appear to be progressing as House Democrats are beginning to support a $740 billion defense spending plan, which is $25 billion higher than the President’s request. A compromise funding bill could also include supplemental funding to address the ongoing pandemic.

As part of Vice President Kamala Harris’s Call to Action to Reduce Maternal Mortality and Morbidity, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is taking steps to improve maternal health and support the delivery of equitable, high-quality care for pregnancy and postpartum care. CMS intends to propose a “Birthing-Friendly” designation to drive improvements in perinatal health outcomes and maternal health equity. The designation would initially identify hospitals that provide perinatal care, are participating in a maternity care quality improvement collaborative, and have implemented recommended patient safety practices.

In addition, CMS is encouraging states to take advantage of the American Rescue Plan’s (ARP’s) option to provide 12 months postpartum coverage to pregnant individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This follows the release of a report by HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) showing the dramatic impact if states extended Medicaid postpartum coverage to 12 months. If every state adopted an extension — as proposed in the Build Back Better Act — then the number of Americans getting coverage for a full year postpartum would roughly double, extending coverage for an estimated 720,000 in a given year.

Medicaid and CHIP cover over 42 percent of births in the nation: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/quality-of-care/downloads/mih-beneficiary-profile.pdf nearly half of which are to Black, Hispanic, or American Indian/Alaskan Native individuals. Extending the postpartum coverage period can improve health outcomes during the postpartum period and mitigate health disparities for individuals served by Medicaid and CHIP. Continue reading “Efforts to help Expand Nationwide Access and Coverage for High-quality Maternal Health Services” →

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPFC) released their 12th annual State of Child Welfare report https://www.papartnerships.org/report/report-2021-state-of-child-welfare-navigating-the-uncertainty-of-the-pandemic-to-strengthen-the-system/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=31ba293f-8d07-4541-a0eb-67412a0bc948, which raises concerns about the need to strengthen the child welfare system as it uses data from 2020 – only the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic – that shows decreases in child protective services reporting and the number of children placed in foster care statewide.

In 2020 there were 32,919 CPS reports, which was a 22% decline in reports from 2019, but the substantiation of reports was the highest in the last five years, with 14% of reports being investigated and found to be true. Notably, stay-at-home orders, moving to virtual learning, and less contact with medical professionals created a significant decrease in mandated reporting trends during the year for which the most recent data is available.

While substantiation rates did increase, data from 2021 will be significant to see how trends shift as schools resumed in-person instruction. There was subsequently more interaction between mandated reporters, such as teachers, with children and families. We anticipate the 2021 data will show an increase in referrals and a potential decrease in substantiation as the system struggles to respond to the needs of children experiencing abuse and neglect during an unprecedented time of crisis.

In 2020, 21,689 children were served in the Pennsylvania foster care system, a 12% decrease in the total population from the prior year.

With overall reductions in placement, one could assume this translates to better interventions on the front-end of an investigation and correspondingly stabilizes families. However, when we look at the totality of the data from the start of an investigation through placement, the overall reduction correlates to the challenges we know were present due to the pandemic. Again, fewer referrals being made by mandated reporters means fewer occasions to identify abuse leading to placement.

See the complete list of policy recommendations in the 2021 State of Child Welfare: Navigating the Uncertainty of the Pandemic to Strengthen the System: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/781504134/2-3/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=31ba293f-8d07-4541-a0eb-67412a0bc948

As part of Vice President Kamala Harris’s Call to Action to Reduce Maternal Mortality and Morbidity, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is taking steps to improve maternal health and support the delivery of equitable, high-quality care for pregnancy and postpartum care. Click the link to learn more: https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/potential-state-level-effects-extending-postpartum-coverage

On December 3, 2021, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the Department is investing $1 million to reduce the impacts of climate change on rural communities in Pennsylvania. As part of the Build Back Better agenda, the Biden-Harris Administration has made investing in rural communities, creating good-paying jobs and combatting the climate crisis top priorities.

“Rural America is on the front lines of climate change, and our communities deserve investments that will strengthen all of our resilience,” Vilsack said. “President Biden has created a roadmap for how we can tackle the climate crisis and expand access to renewable energy infrastructure, all while creating good-paying jobs and saving people money on their energy costs. With the Build Back Better agenda, USDA will be able to fund more and more critical projects like those announced today in the coming months and years.”

The announcement was made at Saubel’s Market in York County, Pa. The local grocery store was one of 22 projects receiving Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-energy-america-program-renewable-energy-systems-energy-efficiency/pa or Community Facilities Disaster Grants https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/community-facilities/community-facilities-direct-loan-grant-programin Pennsylvania.

Saubel’s Market will receive a $102,413 USDA REAP grant. With this funding, the small business will install solar panels on the roof of their family-owned grocery store that has been in business since the 1960s. This project is expected to save $30,852 per year and will replace 395,539 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, which is enough energy to power 36 homes annually.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released this new Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcement to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty nationwide. The completion of up to four years of post-graduation full-time nurse faculty employment in an accredited school of nursing, the program authorizes cancellation of up to 85 percent of the original student Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) provides funding to accredited schools of nursing to establish and operate a student loan fund and provide loans to students enrolled in advanced education nursing degree programs who are committed to becoming nurse faculty. In exchange for loan amount (plus interest thereon).

Through these efforts, the NFLP will build upon HRSA’s existing health workforce development investments, increasing access to a skilled health workforce.

HRSA anticipates to award up to 80 grantees with a total of approximately $26.5 million to support training of advanced education nursing students who will serve as nurse faculty upon graduation, with a focus on doctorate preparation.

Visit Grants.gov to apply.