Legislative
Harrisburg Happenings: Democrats Win Control of the House (Again)
September 25, 2023To say things have been chaotic in the PA House of Representatives in the 2023-24 Legislative Session is an understatement. Following the 2022 General Elections, Republicans held the technical majority…
What’s Happening in Washington
September 25, 2023Last week, amidst the chaos surrounding a contentious and unsettled government funding plan, PHA staff and members joined with home-based care advocates from across the country to meet with their…
PA Budget Update
September 11, 2023Last week, the State Senate met to pass the final components of the FY 2023-24 General Fund Budget. While Governor Josh Shapiro signed the General Appropriations bill into law last…
MedPAC, MACPAC Release Annual Reports to Congress
July 30, 2023On June 15, 2023, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its 2023 June Report to Congress. The annual report primarily focuses on Medicare’s payment policies and provides recommendations on…
Friday, June 30 marked the close of the Commonwealth’s fiscal year at which point the General Assembly and Governor are constitutionally obligated to come to an agreement on the upcoming…
What’s Happening in Washington
July 10, 2023PHA is excited to announce the reintroduction of the Preserving Access to Home Health Act (S. 2137). Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) reintroduced the bill from the…
Harrisburg Happenings: Budget Edition
June 19, 2023Last week in Harrisburg, PHA staff, several PHA members, and a host of contract lobbyists continued to work on the home-based care industry’s $233.5 million request for increased Medicaid reimbursements….
Harrisburg Happenings: Budget Update
June 12, 2023Last Monday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives sent their version of the Governor’s proposed budget to the Senate for consideration. The Governor’s proposed budget includes the replacement of federal American…
Development of PA Master Plan on Aging Moves Forward; Regional Town Hall Scheduled for This Week in Philadelphia
June 12, 2023As previously reported, last month PHA sent Governor Josh Shapiro a request to consider an Executive Order in support of the development of the state’s Master Plan on Aging. In response, on…
Harrisburg Happenings: It’s Budget Season
June 5, 2023Budget month at the Capitol officially kicks off this week with both chambers of the General Assembly convening session on Monday. Prior to the Memorial Day break, the House considered…
Last week, PHA submitted comments to CMS on the FY 2024 Hospice proposed rule. The comments included input and recommendations on: PHA also responded to the request for information related to health equity….
What’s Happening in Washington
June 5, 2023The back and forth between Congressional House Republicans and President Biden to address the debt ceiling issue was finally resolved with a plan that left many parties slightly unhappy but…
PHA Advocacy Efforts Make Headlines
May 8, 2023Last week the Indiana-Gazette published a story highlighting PHA’s two-day advocacy event in Harrisburg. The article included details on PHA’s first-ever policy summit, including the panel discussion with the Pennsylvania Legislative Home…
Harrisburg Happenings: PHA Bill Passes House
May 1, 2023Last week, the State House voted unanimously to pass House Bill 155, sponsored by Rep. Ben Sanchez (D-Montgomery), which would allow for the ongoing use of two-way, remote video technology for…
Last week, House Republicans advanced a bill outlining their budget priorities in conjunction with a proposal to increase the federal debt limit. The U.S. Treasury estimates that the country will…
Last week, PHA CEO Teri Henning responded to recent reports that the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) plans to recover CARES Act funding from home-based care providers that did…
Next week, Acting Human Services Secretary, Dr. Val Arkoosh, will go before the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to answer questions from legislators regarding Governor Josh Shapiro’s Executive Budget as…
Last week, the PA House Health Committee convened its first voting meeting to consider several bills. First on the list, House Bill 155, sponsored by Rep. Ben Sanchez (D-Montgomery), would allow…
Last week, PHA staff and members joined colleagues from around the nation in Washington, DC, to get the most up-to-date information on studies pertaining to all three lines of services…
On March 9, legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate and House to enhance and broaden Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). The goal of the HCBS Access Act (S….
Harrisburg Happenings: Budget Hearings
March 27, 2023Last week kicked off the first week of budget hearings in the PA House and Senate. This is the first opportunity for members of Governor Shapiro’s cabinet to explain their…
PHA Responds to Gov. Shapiro’s First Budget Address; DHS Secretary Holds Stakeholder Call
March 13, 2023Last Tuesday, Governor Josh Shapiro gave his first budget address, setting the stage for the new Administration’s legislative and policy priorities. His proposed spending plan totals $44.4 billion, an increase…
What’s Happening in Washington: Biden Budget Edition
March 13, 2023Late last week, President Joe Biden visited Philadelphia, where he outlined his budget priorities. His administration’s $6.8 trillion plan, up from $6.2 trillion in the current fiscal year, includes a focus…
Harrisburg Happenings: PA House Makes History
March 6, 2023Last week, House Speaker Mark Rozzi (D-Berks) resigned his post as expected. Rep. Joanna McClinton, formerly the Democratic Caucus Leader, was voted as the new Speaker of the House, making…
Advocacy in Action: Our Doors Are Always Open
March 6, 2023Last week, PHA was joined by several members at the Capitol as we hosted our first open house coffee event with legislators. The event provided legislators and staff with an…
U.S. Senate Holds Hearing on Healthcare Workforce
February 20, 2023Last week, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) held a hearing on healthcare workforce shortages across the country. Sanders issued a statement saying, “We’re going to focus on…
Harrisburg Happenings: Moving Right Along
February 13, 2023It seemed as though legislative action might be delayed indefinitely in PA, until the February 7 special elections took place for three vacant seats in the PA House of Representatives….
Gov. Shapiro Signs Executive Order to Reduce Wait Times for Professional Licensing in Pennsylvania
February 6, 2023Last week, Governor Josh Shapiro signed an Executive Order to improve Pennsylvania’s licensing, permitting, and certification processes by establishing standard response times, implementing a money-back guarantee, and improving technology. Shapiro cited issues…
Congressional Committee Examines Discrimination Against Individuals with Disabilities
February 6, 2023Last week, the Health Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Energy and Commerce held its first hearing to receive testimony on a variety of topics that included the Quality Adjusted Life…
PHA Public Policy Committee Recap
January 30, 2023On Friday, PHA’s Public Policy Committee convened its first meeting of the year to review legislative and regulatory issues facing the home-based care industry. Approximately 25 PHA members, representing all…
Last week, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI-6) reintroduced legislation from last Congress to expand access to…
On Tuesday, Attorney General Josh Shapiro was sworn in along with his running mate, Austin Davis, as the Commonwealth’s 48th Governor and Lt. Governor. Shapiro has appointed cabinet secretaries from both…
Last week, Governor-Elect Josh Shapiro announced a number of appointments, including the Secretaries of Human Services, Health, and Aging.
Harrisburg Happenings: General Assembly Sworn In
January 9, 2023Last Tuesday, members of the General Assembly elected in November’s General Election were formally sworn in for the 2023-24 legislative session.
Before the close of the 117th Congress, a major piece of legislation was signed into law. The Omnibus Budget Legislation passed on December 22, 2022, and includes the following provisions affecting…