Pennsylvania’s initial map of places that may have COVID-19 vaccine was fraught with challenges. The state Department of Health’s map used green dots to indicate which health care providers had it in stock and red dots to indicate that vaccine was on its way to that location. As of Tuesday afternoon, the map contains only blue dots, which indicate providers that are part of the program to distribute COVID-19 vaccine. Click here to access the Vaccine Provider Map. Note – Philadelphia County is a separate vaccine jurisdiction and has their own information about vaccine distribution.

As the state continues to get vaccine to Phase 1A-eligible Pennsylvanians, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Pennsylvania Secretary of Aging Robert Torres highlighted some of the community-based solutions that are working to help Pennsylvanians 65-plus access the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We need to foster these community-based solutions,” Gov. Wolf said. “Every community in Pennsylvania has unique needs and challenges, but we can learn a lot from listening to one another and lifting up creative solutions that are making a difference in the state’s vaccination efforts.”

Acknowledging that vaccine distribution has been slower than anyone would prefer and can be frustrating for Pennsylvanians, the governor noted that making a direct comparison between states is not an accurate reporting.

“Every state is different and has different needs, just like every community in Pennsylvania has different needs,” Wolf said. “Pennsylvania has one of the largest populations of older adults in the nation, but we’ve received an allotment of just over 150,000 vaccine doses a week so far from the federal government, which provides all the vaccine the state receives. Still, we are making progress with more than 1.4 million Pennsylvanians receiving one or both of their vaccine doses to date.”

With restricted supplies, the state and communities are working to meet unique challenges and present solutions to help more people get vaccinated.

Throughout the commonwealth, adults age 65 and older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine now in Phase 1A. Older adults in long-term care are getting the vaccine through the facility where they live through the Federal Pharmacy Partnership, but there are thousands of other Pennsylvanians 65 and older who live on their own or in senior housing or other settings that don’t qualify them for the long-term care vaccine program.

Not every older adult has access to the Internet or, if they do, may find it challenging to go online to find providers in their area who have received vaccine, and even more challenging to navigate online appointment portals. Some need someone to help them navigate the process.

The Department of Health launched the Your Turn vaccine eligibility tool that gives anyone who signs up a reminder when it is their turn to receive the vaccine and guides them how seek an appointment from a local provider.

Older adults who have questions about vaccine availability in their community and how to make an appointment may also call the Department of Health hotline at 1-877-724-3258 to get help.

Efforts to get more eligible people vaccinated are taking place on the local level, too. Sec. of Aging Robert Torres joined the governor to outline what local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and his department are doing to provide unique, working solutions to Pennsylvanians 65-plus.

“Since the first case of COVID-19 was announced, Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) have helped to ensure that the needs of older adults are being met,” Sec. Torres said. “Now, AAAs and their community partners are responding to the call to help older adults navigate the COVID-19 vaccination process.”

Depending on capacity and resources, AAAs are:

• Coordinating with their local health care providers, county government and EMS
• Providing guidance and support
• Assisting with scheduling
• Arranging transportation
• Offering senior centers to serve as vaccine clinics, and
• Participating in county COVID-19 planning commissions

Torres detailed the successful work of the Butler County Area Agency of Aging, which has been part of the county’s COVID-19 Planning Commission since the beginning of the pandemic, and that is working now with local vaccine providers to help those 65-plus obtain vaccine appointments. The AAA also is providing information, coordinating transportation and even helping at vaccination sites to ensure those receiving the vaccine aren’t having any immediate side effects.

“Butler County AAA has helped more than 1,200 older adults obtain vaccine appointments and is ensuring that forms are completed in the system for the older adult,” Torres said. “The vaccine appointment no-show rate for these older adults is zero percent.”

AAAs also enlisted community senior center workers to help with appointment reminders and coordinating transportation, or just to check how someone is feeling post-vaccination.

Torres also outlined how PACE, Pennsylvania’s low-cost prescription program for older adults, has launched a comprehensive assistance and outreach effort to help its 275,000 PACE/PACENET enrollees obtain vaccines.

PACE designated a team of phone operators in its Harrisburg Call Center to serve as the COVID-19 Special Scheduling Unit — a dedicated unit for arranging vaccinations for PACE cardholders.

These operators will also be working with cardholders to arrange for transportation to the vaccination site or working with PACE’s pharmacy network members to vaccinate at a cardholder’s residence, if necessary.

For older adults who don’t have access to a computer, PA Link to Aging and Disability Resources, which connects older adults and adults with disabilities to services and technical supports, is also stepping up to take calls and offer assistance.

When people call the PA Link for help with getting a vaccine, PA Link counselors will assess the caller’s situation, offer guidance and transfer to a scheduling team. For those callers with transportation needs, the Link counselors will also be able to contact PA Link partners and AAAs at the local level to assist with coordinating local transportation. The PA Link number is 1-800-753-8827.

“Community-based solutions like these are being developed every day, and my administration is working to support them,” Gov. Wolf said. “We’ll continue to lift up successes so that communities across the commonwealth can learn from one another, but we can’t expect a cookie cutter approach. Every community is different, and the solutions that work in Butler County may not be the ones that are most needed in Luzerne County or any other county in the state.

“We can overcome the challenges before us by improving collaboration and coordination, and we should leverage the knowledge and experience of the people who know their communities best. Thank you to all of these dedicated, hardworking people at the Area Agencies on Aging and the Department of Aging. Your work is saving lives.”

Medicare wants to help protect you from COVID-19. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung, or kidney disease seem to be at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness. This means that people with Medicare may be at higher risk. Medicare covers:

• Lab tests for COVID-19
• FDA-authorized COVID-19 antibody (or “serology”) tests
• Monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19
• COVID-19 vaccines

For the latest information about:

• How Medicare is helping during this public health emergency, go to Medicare.gov/medicare-coronavirus. 
• COVID-19 prevention, symptoms, and answers to common questions, go to Coronavirus.gov.
• Public health and safety information from CDC, go to CDC.gov/coronavirus.

What the U.S. Government is doing in response to COVID-19, go to USA.gov.

New / Updated Training Materials

2021 Medicare Amounts job aid (in multiple languages)

2021 Medicare Appeals Processes job aid

The CMS National Training Program has training materials for many Medicare topics, including PowerPoint modules that can be customized for your audience. Check them out at CMSnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov.

NTP Webinar Recordings

January NTP Medicare Update & Education Webinar (Recorded January 14, 2021): We shared Medicare updates, tips for training preparation, and demonstrated how to use our NTP website to maximize your Medicare training experience.

January 2021 Understanding Medicare Webinar Day 1

January 2021 Understanding Medicare Webinar Day 2

To view all of our webinar recordings, please visit the NTP website.

Did You Know?

• As the country is distributing COVID-19 vaccines, scammers are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic. Learn tips to help prevent Medicare fraud and report suspected Medicare fraud by calling us at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
• February is American Heart Month. Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers cardiovascular screening blood tests once every 5 years.
• The 2021 Federal Poverty Levels are published.
• You can find the latest information by visiting the CMS Newsroom.

Pennsylvania First Lady Frances Wolf announced that the submission period for One Lens: Sharing Our Common Views is open and Pennsylvanians can begin sharing their photos documenting their COVID-19 experience. The first lady announced the statewide virtual photo exhibit in January and its mission to celebrate the hard work and commitment of all Pennsylvanians as we continue our fight against COVID-19, as well as create a visual record of this historical moment.

More information about the exhibit and how to participate can be found here.

“It is very exciting to begin collecting photos,” said First Lady Wolf. “Since we launched the One Lens initiative, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from individuals across the state who want to share these pieces of their lives. And not every story is going to be about picking up new hobbies and finding bright spots during this time, but that’s what we want to convey. Every story, no matter how sad and no matter how frustrating, matters. These are our stories as Pennsylvanians, and they need to be remembered and honored.”

One Lens highlights the importance of preserving history by encouraging Pennsylvanians to share their experiences during COVID-19 through photography. The submitted images will be displayed for public viewing and archived as visual documentation of the pandemic. By using photography as the medium to tell these stories, One Lens also emphasizes using art as a tool for Pennsylvanians to cope, heal and inspire one another. The exhibit covers three themes:

•   Our Heroes, paying homage to the pandemic heroes who cannot stay home;
•   Our Lives, looking at how we spend our time when no one is watching; and
•   Our Communities, showcasing Pennsylvanians uniting in the face of a global
  health crisis.

The photo submission period will remain open until Monday, March 8, 2021. The full exhibit will be released on Friday, March 19, 2021.

In preparation of the exhibit, five ambassadors were selected to represent the central, northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest regions of the state. These regional ambassadors will use their strong connection to their regions to ensure that the One Lens exhibit will truly reflect the experiences of Pennsylvania’s diverse, vibrant, and resilient communities.

One Lens is presented in partnership with the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Photography experience is not required to contribute to the statewide exhibit. For more information on the regional ambassadors, the overall project, and rules for participation, visit  https://www.pa.gov/one-lens/. For exhibit updates, highlights, and inspiration, follow One Lens on Facebook and Instagram.

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller and Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Deputy Secretary for Postsecondary and Higher Education Dr. Tanya I. Garcia today announced a temporary change in eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), expanding eligibility to certain college students who qualify based off their families’ income but normally would be ineligible for the program due to being a student.

“Our ways of life and routines have changed to keep ourselves and our communities safe from this virus. Jobs that students would normally work on campuses or around their schools may have reduced hours or are not an option anymore, meaning that students and families with more limited resources may be struggling even more to meet their most essential needs,” said Secretary Miller. “In a time when so many are struggling, we are hopeful that this will be another resource that we can extend to families who are feeling this economic strain most acutely. We urge congress to make this change permanent, so that no student has to go hungry again.”

“Food insecurity is yet another issue that learners are facing during the pandemic, and should not create further barriers to academic success,” Pennsylvania Department of Education Deputy Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education Tanya I. Garcia said. “I am grateful to Secretary Miller and the Department of Human Services for helping raise awareness about the expansion of SNAP benefits for college students and their families across the commonwealth.”

Eligibility rules set by the federal government dictate that students ages 18 through 49 who are enrolled in college at least half time are not eligible for SNAP unless they meet certain exemptions, including working an average of 20 hours or more per week, participating in a state or federal work study program, having a disability, or being a parent of a child under age six. Even if students reside at home with parents who qualify for and receive SNAP, they are not counted in the household unless they meet one of the exemptions.

Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, college students who are eligible for a state or federal work study program, regardless of whether they are actually participating, or students who have an estimated family contribution of $0 on their federal student aid determination are now eligible for SNAP. For those under the age of 22 for students who live at home with their parents. For now, these families will receive a benefit more commensurate to their household size that they would otherwise not get because their household contains a student.

This eligibility will remain in place until 30 days after the public health emergency ends. Since the Biden Administration has advised that the declaration will most likely remain in place at least until the end of 2021 and states will have 60 days-notice before it ends, this policy change will more than likely be something that can help families for the remainder of the crisis.

A Government Accountability Office report released in January 2019 found that at least one in three college students do not always have enough to eat. Additionally, 71 percent of college students today do not fit the model of a “typical” college student and may be financially independent, work at least part time, enroll in and stay in college at a later age, or have dependent children. These factors, when paired with other challenges students face like cost of tuition, lodging and/or transportation, books, and supplies, can create significant barriers to making ends meet. The report includes a literature review of 31 studies of college hunger and indicated there was a range of 9-50 percent of students who experienced food insecurity on campuses but that in 22 of these studies, food insecurity was estimated to be above 30 percent of the students surveyed.

December 2020 Public Assistance Enrollment Numbers
Secretary Miller also provided an update on enrollment in certain public assistance programs and how Pennsylvanians can apply.

Enrollment for SNAP statewide has increased by 84,389 people since February 2020, for a total enrollment of about 1,821,848 in December — a 4.9 percent increase. SNAP enrollment has trended slightly down since September. However, under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) will no longer be counted as income for people applying for SNAP eligibility, opening SNAP as an option for more people who have lost income or employment due to the pandemic.

SNAP is the nation’s most important and effective anti-hunger program. For every meal provided through a Feeding America Food Bank, SNAP provides nine. SNAP provides individuals and families with funds that can only be used to purchase fresh food and groceries, helping Pennsylvanians with limited resources have a set, stable food budget and expanding their purchasing power to meet other essential household needs.

Enrollment statewide for Medicaid has increased by 337,772 people since February 2020, for a total enrollment of 3,169,335 people in November — a 12 percent increase.

Pennsylvanians who have lost health coverage or are currently uninsured and need coverage for themselves or their children may qualify for coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Medicaid and CHIP provide coverage for routine and emergency health services, tests and screenings, prescriptions, and COVID-19 testing and treatment are covered by both Medicaid and CHIP. Medicaid and CHIP enroll individuals throughout the year and do not have a limited or special enrollment time, so people needing health coverage can apply for these programs at any time. There are income limits for Medicaid, but all children qualify for comprehensive health, vision, and dental coverage through CHIP regardless of their parents’ income.

Applications for SNAP, Medicaid, and other public assistance programs that provide help with utilities, home energy, and cash assistance can be submitted online at www.compass.state.pa.us. Those who prefer to submit a paper application can print from the website, pick one up at a County Assistance Office (CAO), or request an application by phone at 1-800-692-7462 and mail it to their local CAO or place it in a CAO’s secure drop box, if available. You do not need to know your own eligibility in order to apply. While CAOs remain closed, work processing applications, determining eligibility, and issuing benefits continues. Clients should use COMPASS or the MyCOMPASS PA mobile app to submit necessary updates to their case files while CAOs are closed to the public.

For more information about food assistance resources for people around Pennsylvania impacted by COVID-19 and the accompanying economic insecurity, visit the Department of Agriculture’s food security guide.

For more information on public assistance programs, visit www.dhs.pa.gov.

As COVID-19 vaccines begin rolling out across the country CMS is taking action to protect the health and safety of our nation’s patients and providers and keeping you updated on the latest COVID-19 resources from HHS, CDC and CMS.

With information coming from many different sources, CMS has compiled resources and materials to help you share important and relevant information on the COVID-19 vaccine with the people that you serve. You can find these and more resources on the COVID-19 Partner Resources Page and the HHS COVID Education Campaign page.

We look forward to partnering with you to promote vaccine safety and encourage our beneficiaries to get vaccinated when they have the opportunity.

COVID-19 SCAMS

As the country begins to distribute COVID-19 vaccines, scammers are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic. The HHS Office of Inspector General alerted the public about COVID-19 fraud schemes, with scammers using telemarketing calls, text messages, social media platforms, and door-to-door visits to perpetrate COVID-19-related scams.

Con artists may also try to get Medicare Numbers or personal information so they can steal identities and commit Medicare fraud. Medicare fraud results in higher health care costs and taxes for everyone.

What can you do to help prevent Medicare beneficiaries from being a victim of fraud?

Share this important information with Medicare beneficiaries to help them protect themselves from Medicare fraud:  

Medicare covers the COVID-19 vaccine, so there will be no cost to you.

You will need to share your Medicare card with your health care provider or pharmacy when receiving your vaccine, even if you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan.

• If anyone else asks you to share your Medicare Number or pay for access to the vaccine, you can bet it’s a scam.
• You can’t pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine.
• You can’t pay to get early access to a vaccine.
• Don’t share your personal or financial information if someone calls, texts, or emails you promising access to the vaccine for a fee.

Guard your Medicare card like it’s a credit card.

• Medicare will never contact you for your Medicare Number or other personal information unless you’ve given them permission in advance.
• Medicare will never call you to sell you anything.
• You may get calls from people promising you things if you give them a Medicare Number. Don’t do it.
• Medicare will never visit you at your home.
• Medicare can’t enroll you over the phone unless you called first.

Learn more tips to help prevent Medicare fraud.

• Learn How to Spot Medicare fraud. Review your Medicare claims and Medicare Summary Notices for any services billed to your Medicare Number you don’t recognize.
• Report anything suspicious to Medicare. If you suspect fraud, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
• If you need to replace your card because it’s damaged or lost, log into (or create) your secure Medicare account to print an official copy of your Medicare card. You can also use your Medicare account to access your Medicare information anytime, add prescription drugs to help you find and compare health and drug plans in your area, and more.

What role can partners play in fighting healthcare fraud, waste and abuse?

• Become a HFPP partner. The Healthcare Fraud Prevention Partnership (HFPP) is a voluntary public-private partnership that helps detect and prevent healthcare fraud through data and information sharing. Partners include federal government, state agencies, law enforcement, private health insurance plans, employer organizations, and healthcare anti-fraud associations.
• By working together, we can be more effective at preventing health care fraud, waste, and abuse. The Healthcare Fraud Prevention Partnership (HFPP) continues to expand nationally by encouraging participation by all eligible public and private health care entities. The insights and input of each member contribute to the overall value of the Partnership.

Questions? Please e-mail us: Partnership@cms.hhs.gov

The National Law Review provides this summary on broadband and telehealth funding from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act which establishes or re-appropriates a number of significant broadband-related support programs.

In a new blog post, the National Academy for State Health Policy describes how states are beginning to incorporate children in their COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans in preparation for when a vaccine is authorized for children under age 16.

The blog post was produced as part of HRSA’s cooperative agreement with National Organizations of State and Local Officials.

Read the blog post.

The Rural Health Information Hub updated its COVID-19 Innovations section to include examples of how rural communities are addressing vaccine hesitancy and distribution.  RHIhub asks other rural communities and providers to share their own experiences.