• PA to End Practice of Paying Parents as Home Health Aides
• Continuous Medicaid Coverage Related to the Pandemic Ends April 1
• 2023 Federal Poverty Guidelines Announced
• Tempus Updates for CHC Participants and Direct Care Workers
• Federal Gov. Eliminates Barriers to Medicaid Eligibility for Former Foster Care Youth
• A Review of Healthcare Options for Older Immigrants

PA to End Practice of Paying Parents as Home Health Aides

With the end of pandemic in sight, Pennsylvania Medicaid officials recently announced that when the PHE ends, they will no longer allow parents (or other legally responsible adults) to be paid to provide medically necessary home health aide services to their children.  State officials reported that Pennsylvania must end its current policy and practice because federal law does not allow it, citing conversations with federal officials at the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services.

Continuous Medicaid Coverage Related to the Pandemic Ends April 1

On April 1, 2023, Pennsylvania will be able to terminate people from Medicaid for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began three years earlier. This is because the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, signed into law last month, ends a pandemic-era requirement that states keep most people enrolled in Medicaid regardless of eligibility.

2023 Federal Poverty Guidelines Announced

The 2023 Federal Poverty Levels (FPLs) were published in the Federal Register earlier this month. The new income limits are slightly higher than last year’s levels. These poverty guidelines are used to set income limits for public health programs such as Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Medicare Part D Extra Help. Pennsylvania Medicaid will begin to use the new guidelines in March.

Tempus Updates for CHC Participants and Direct Care Workers

Earlier this month, OLTL held an FMS Stakeholder meeting to provide the following updates for people in Community HealthChoices (CHC) who self-direct their Personal Assistance Services. Tempus is the financial management services (FMS) provider who issues payment to the employees hired by CHC participants (or their designated representative) who self direct their care.

Federal Gov. Eliminates Barriers to Medicaid Eligibility for Former Foster Care Youth

The Affordable Care Act granted permission for states to enroll former foster youth in Medicaid when they are under age 26, are not eligible for or enrolled in Medicaid, were in foster care when they turned 18 (or such higher age as the state has elected in its title IV-E plan); and were enrolled in Medicaid while in foster care. Former foster care youth who meet this criteria could receive Medicaid until age 26, regardless of their income or resources. This article outlines important changes to former foster youth Medicaid eligibility brought on by the federal SUPPORT Act. 

A Review of Healthcare Options for Older Immigrants

This past fall, approximately 17,000 Medicare enrollees nationally had their Medicare placed in “suspension” because of their immigration status.  The people affected are still on Medicare, but Medicare will not cover healthcare services while their benefits are suspended.

• Yu, Alan, "6.8 million expected to lose Medicaid when paperwork hurdles return", WHYY, January 24, 2023.
   
• Huangpu, Kate, "Here's a full list of Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro's cabinet nominees", 90.5 WESA, January 21, 2023.
   
• Brubaker, Harold, "Thousands of Philadelphians must resume applying annually for Medicaid starting in April", The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 14, 2023.
   
• FAQ: Unwinding Medicaid Continuous Coverage, Beyond the Basics, January 2023.
   
• Hobbs, Rebecca, "Medicaid: Pennsylvania Department of Human Services announces 2023 burial limits", The Times Herald, January 18, 2022.
   
• Benshoff, Laura, "Maternal deaths in the U.S. are staggeringly common. Personal nurses could help", WHYY, December 27, 2022.