The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a toolkit (PDF) to support school-based outreach to families about renewing Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage. It includes ready-to-use resources, like email and text message scripts, to spread the word about Medicaid/CHIP coverage renewal in schools and early education or care settings. The back-to-school toolkit (PDF) from the HHS Insure Kids Now campaign also supports these efforts.

At least 5.6 Million people in 48 states and DC have been disenrolled from Medicaid since April 1, 2023, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker. Overall, 37% of people with a completed renewal were disenrolled in reporting states while 63%, or 9.2 million enrollees, had their coverage renewed (three of the reporting states do not provide data on renewed enrollees). Across all states with available data, 73% of all people disenrolled had their coverage terminated for procedural reasons. Of the people whose coverage has been renewed as of Sept. 5, 2023, 53% were renewed on an ex parte basis while 47% were renewed through a renewal form. Pennsylvania is reporting 185,000 Medicaid disenrollments due to the unwinding, with 44% of those for procedural reasons and 56% determined ineligible; 25% of those disenrolled are children and 75% are adults. Pennsylvania has a very low ex-parte renewal rate of 12% and an 88% renewal rate via the form. The Department of Human Services is processing some ex-parte renewals manually.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration has made significant progress in cutting red tape, after completing the first-ever catalog of all 2,400 state permits, certificates, licenses, and other necessary filings to begin working or start a business in the state. Click here to read the Governor’s press release.

The Senate returned to Harrisburg to pass Fiscal Code legislation providing authorization for several appropriations in the enacted 2023-24 Fiscal Year budget, as well as program implementation language across numerous state agencies. Notably, the Senate passed two separate Fiscal Code bills: HB 1300 and SB 757. The text of HB 1300 largely follows the standard format and content of previous Fiscal Code legislation, with program implementation and authorization language across a broad swath of agencies, including those in the health and human services space. Notable aspects of the bill include the Pennsylvania Primary Care Practitioner Program. In the budget bill signed by Governor Shapiro, HB 611, there is $8,350,000 allocated for the Pennsylvania Primary Care Practitioner Program, an 18% increase over last year’s allocation. HB 1300 provides details on how the funds are to be allocated and is awaiting passage in the state House of Representatives. Per the drafted code bill, the funds are to be distributed as follows: a minimum of $3.45 million for loan repayments, $1.5 million for the PA Academy of Family Physicians Residency Program, $1.3 million for the PA Academy of Family Physicians Family Medicine Residency Community Health Impact Grants, and $2.1 million to be shared by the other existing grantees. With passage in the Senate, both bills move to the House for consideration and action. It is unlikely that the House will return to session before September 26 to act on these or any other legislative items with the chamber deadlocked at 101-101, pending the outcome of a special election. As stated above, the Fiscal Code legislation passed by the Senate has significant disparities and omissions in policy that will need to be rectified with the House.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) on August 26 posted Medical Assistance fee schedule changes that become effective Sept. 5. DHS is adding and end-dating procedure codes according to the 2023 updates provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS). DHS is adding procedure codes and setting limitations and making fee adjustments to current procedure codes.

A group of Philly 30-somethings raised funding to buy more than $1.6 million in local medical debt. They celebrated with an unofficial debt burning, complete with lighter fluid, shots, Roman candles, and sparklers. More than 1,700 beneficiaries are slated to receive letters informing them that someone took care of part or all their medical debt starting mid-September.