Professional, non-clinical patient navigation is an evidence-based intervention that improves cancer outcomes from screening through survivorship. The American Cancer Society Leadership in Oncology Navigation (ACS LION) is a standardized training and credentialing program that helps navigators deliver this essential support to individuals, caregivers, and families experiencing cancer. The program meets the training requirements of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for “Principal Illness Navigation” reimbursement and is aligned to professional oncology navigation (PONT) standards.

Enrollment is open.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), released voluntary health care specific cybersecurity performance goals (CPGs) and a new gateway website to help Health Care and Public Health (HPH) sector organizations implement these high-impact cybersecurity practices and ease access to the plethora of cybersecurity resources HHS and other federal partners offer. As outlined in the recent HHS Health Care Sector Cybersecurity concept paper, HHS is publishing the CPGs to help healthcare organizations, and healthcare delivery organizations in particular, prioritize implementation of high-impact cybersecurity practices. The HPH CPGs are designed to better protect the healthcare sector from cyberattacks, improve response when events occur, and minimize residual risk.

A new KFF publication discusses Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations for primary care providers, particularly the challenges with collecting data on policy measures intended to reduce shortages. Where Are the Nation’s Primary Care Providers? It’s Not an Easy Answer also discusses recruitment and retention incentive programs, who qualifies as a primary care provider, and rural-specific concerns.

Clinicians currently serving in the National Health Service Corps can receive additional funds to repay their health professions training loans in exchange for extending their service by one year. HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce has announced FY24 continuation award amounts of $20,000 per year for full-time clinicians, and $10,000 per year for those working half-time. If your contract ends between April1 and July 31, 2024, you have until Feb. 27 to apply. If your contract ends between Aug. 1 and Sept. 29, 2024, you have until May 24. Find out more at HRSA Continuation Contracts for National Health Service Corps Loans.

Pennie – Pennsylvania’s official health insurance marketplace – announced that a record nearly 435,000 Pennsylvanians are now covered with affordable, high-quality health coverage through Pennie. This represents a 17% increase compared to this time last year, far exceeding the average annual increase of 1%. Marketplace enrollment has increased by over 150,000 in the four years since Pennsylvania took over ownership and operations from the federal marketplace (healthcare.gov) – a 56% increase.

A House Subcommittee hosted a hearing this week on “Health Care Spending in the United States: Unsustainable for Patients, Employers, and Taxpayers.” Click here to watch a recording of the hearing.

Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Procurement released bid solicitations this week for the PA Department of Human Services’ Community HealthChoices (CHC) program. CHC is Pennsylvania’s mandatory managed care program, implemented in 2018, for dually eligible individuals and individuals with physical disabilities receiving home and community-based waiver services or nursing facility services. DHS is seeking to procure the services of Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to operate the CHC program in the five CHC zones which cover all 67 counties of the Commonwealth, for a five-year term (with three one-year renewal options). The draft MCO agreement, exhibits (17 in all) and other important dates for compliance are here. Bids are due by March 15, 2024.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court last Monday issued a 219-page opinion on funding of abortions by Medicaid. While the complex ruling found that the state’s 1982 Abortion Control Act appears to discriminate based on sex, indicating that the ban prohibiting payment for abortions is “presumptively unconstitutional,” the state’s high court sent the case back to Commonwealth Court to resolve that question. The case could be a step on the way to the court recognizing there is a right to abortion under the state constitution. Under the 1982 Abortion Control Act passed by the Pennsylvania legislature, Medicaid prohibits reimbursement for abortions in all instances other than rape or incest, or to prevent the death of the woman. Five years ago, a group of seven abortion providers across Pennsylvania, alleging that the ban discriminates on the basis of sex, filed a petition challenging the prohibition under Pennsylvania’s Equal Rights Amendment.