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Despite opposition, Pennsylvania Medicaid contracts keep unionization language

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Despite opposition, Pennsylvania Medicaid contracts keep unionization language


(The Heart Sq.) – As Medicaid contracts are labored out to take impact in the summertime, draft language stays unchanged that would compel unionization in some Pennsylvania well being techniques.

As The Heart Sq. beforehand reported, the HealthChoices Medicaid Managed Care agreements cowl the bodily well being portion of Pennsylvania’s Medicaid contracts, which cowl virtually 3 million Pennsylvanians and have been price $65 billion over the previous 5 years.

Regardless of questioning from state senators and representatives who urged the draft language within the contracts to be amended, the Division of Human Providers has not modified them. 

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Initially anticipated to enter impact in July, DHS has delayed them till Aug. 1. “The Division turned conscious of a problem involving difficulties skilled by no less than one managed care group in its efforts to develop and negotiate inclusion of sure UPMC amenities in its community, which doubtlessly impacts the evaluate of community adequacy necessities,” stated Ali Fogarty, communications director of DHS.

Nonetheless, the language has but to be finalized, although the unique plan was to have contract language finalized by April 1. “The agreements are nonetheless in draft type presently,” Fogarty stated.

The contract draft language reads, partly: “The PH-MCO could not embody in its community any Supplier with a historical past of a number of work stoppages throughout the 5 years instantly previous the Efficient Date of this Settlement, except the Supplier is or turns into a signatory to a sound collective bargaining settlement or is or turns into a signatory to a labor peace settlement with any labor group that informs the Supplier that it’s in search of to signify the Supplier’s workers at any website within the PH-MCO’s community that delivers providers to HealthChoices enrollees.”

The settlement “is meant to stop service disruptions to the PH-MCO’s members brought on by worker unrest or dissatisfaction,” it reads. 

That has not sat nicely with the Hospital and Healthsystem Affiliation of Pennsylvania, which has despatched a number of letters to DHS opposing the language.

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“Pennsylvania’s hospital group could be very involved about proposed language in upcoming Medicaid managed care contracts that, based mostly on not too long ago up to date estimates, might jeopardize entry to well being look after a whole lot of 1000’s of Pennsylvanians,” stated Liam Migdail, director of media relations for HAP. “If enacted, this proposal would preclude a dozen or extra hospitals from caring for sufferers, together with some which can be the one hospitals of their rural communities and others that provide specialised care for ladies, youngsters, and folks with most cancers.”





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Pennsylvania

Should Pa. ‘return to tradition’ of Monday deer season opener? House panel tees up discussion.

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Should Pa. ‘return to tradition’ of Monday deer season opener? House panel tees up discussion.


Pennsylvania’s controversial change to when firearms season opens for white-tailed deer is going back before state lawmakers.

The state House Game & Fisheries Committee is scheduled to meet Monday for what’s labeled as an “informational meeting on the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s 2019 decision to change the opening day of the regular antlered deer hunting season,” plus other business.

That Game Commission decision moved opening day to the Saturday from the Monday after Thanksgiving. It’s divided hunters between those who welcome the additional weekend hunting opportunity and those who support the Monday start that was practice for some 60 years.

The committee meeting comes as some lawmakers continue to push legislation to establish by law the Monday opening day. State Rep. Brian Smith, R-Jefferson/Indiana, has already introduced House Bill 70 in the new 2025-26 legislative session to do just that, calling it a “Return to Tradition” in a co-sponsorship memo to House colleagues.

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Smith serves on the House Game & Fisheries Committee, while the Senate counterpart has state Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Lehigh/Northampton, as its newly appointed minority chairwoman. She sponsored a bill of her own, Senate Bill 708, during the last legislative session that also sought to “permanently move the opening day of Pennsylvania Deer Rifle Season back to the Monday after Thanksgiving.”

Monday’s meeting starts at 9 a.m. and is scheduled to be live-streamed at pahouse.com/live.

The Game Commission argues that by moving the opener for 2019 and every year since, more hunters can take part in the start of Pennsylvania’s biggest hunting season.

The move came amid a decline in hunting license sales, though the commission last fall cited positive changes in license sales patterns since the Saturday opener, which they believe may be directly tied to the change. An independent survey conducted after the third year of the Saturday-opening season found 60% support for the change, 27% opposition, and 13% with no preference, according to the commission.

“We will be in attendance and look forward to the discussion and helping to answer any questions the committee might have,” Game Commission spokesman Travis Lau told lehighvalleylive.com on Thursday.

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A sticker on the back of Randy Santucci’s pickup trunk last fall shows support for the opening of hunting season returning to the Monday after Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania.Saed Hindash File Photo | For lehighvalleylive.com

Monday-opener advocate Randy Santucci said he’s scheduled to present during Monday’s hearing. He points to surveys prior to the change showing two-thirds of respondents favored the Monday opener.

“There’s a lot of misinformation flying around about it that we’re going to address that hopefully will help the legislators,” said Santucci, southwest regional director for Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania.

Santucci suggested that the state could declare the Monday after Thanksgiving a “hunter’s holiday,” which would align with school calendars in four out of five Pennsylvania districts, according to a lehighvalleylive.com analysis published last Thanksgiving week as part of the Misfire special project that delved into the Monday-versus-Saturday-opener divide.

Messages seeking comment on Monday’s hearing were not immediately returned by committee Chairwoman state Rep. Anita Astorino Kulik, D-Allegheny, and the Republican chairman from Berks County, state Rep. David Maloney Sr.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.



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Trib HSSN Pennsylvania high school boys basketball rankings for Jan. 29, 2025 | Trib HSSN

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Trib HSSN Pennsylvania high school boys basketball rankings for Jan. 29, 2025 | Trib HSSN


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Wednesday, January 29, 2025 | 7:08 PM


The battle for top spots took a turn to the west this past week in the latest Trib HSSN boys basketball rankings.

A week ago, District 12 had three No. 1 teams atop the state rankings; however, with Roman Catholic slipping to No. 2 behind Upper St. Clair in 6A and 2024 PIAA champion Aliquippa back on top in 3A, District 7 now owns the most top spots with three as Neighborhood Academy remains on top in Class A.

Four teams dropped from the Top 5 this past week.

Replacing Hershey in 5A, Avonworth in 4A, Holy Cross in 3A and Lincoln Leadership Academy Charter School in A are Upper Dublin, Allentown Central Catholic, Taylor Riverside and Chester Charter School Academy.

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With Upper St. Clair and Aliquippa on top in 6A and 3A respectively, the other four No. 1 positions remain the same with Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast in 5A, Devon Prep in 4A, Linville Hill Christian in 2A and Neighborhood Academy in A.

Here is the latest Top 5 in each of the six classifications. Teams are listed with overall record, district and last week’s ranking.

Class 6A

1. Upper St. Clair (18-1) (7) (2)

2. Roman Catholic (13-4) (12) (1)

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3. Central York (18-1) (3) (3)

4. Imhotep Institute Charter (16-5) (12) (4)

5. St. Joseph’s Prep (12-4) (12) (5)

Out: None

Class 5A

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1. Monsignor Bonner/Archbishop Prendergast (14-4) (12) (1)

2. Montour (16-1) (7) (2)

3. Johnstown (15-0) (6) (3)

4. Penncrest (17-1) (1) (5)

5. Upper Dublin (19-1) (1) (NR)

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Out: Hershey (3)

Class 4A

1. Devon Prep (11-3) (12) (1)

2. Northwestern Lehigh (18-2) (11) (2)

3. Berks Catholic (14-3) (3) (4)

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4. Valley View (14-3) (2) (5)

5. Allentown Central Catholic (17-3) (11) (NR)

Out: Avonworth (7)

Class 3A

1. Aliquippa (13-3) (7) (2)

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2. Mahanoy Area (19-1) (11) (1)

3. Forest Hills (15-1) (6) (3)

4. South Allegheny (14-2) (7) (5)

5. Taylor Riverside (16-1) (2) (NR)

Out: Holy Cross (2)

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Class 2A

1. Linville Hill Christian (15-2) (3) (1)

2. Greensburg Central Catholic (15-2) (7) (2)

3. Rocky Grove (14-2) (10) (4)

4. Delone Catholic (17-2) (3) (5)

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5. Constitution (11-9) (12) (3)

Out: None

Class A

1. Neighborhood Academy (18-1) (7) (1)

2. Elk County Catholic (17-0) (9) (2)

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3. York Country Day School (16-0) (3) (3)

4. Otto-Eldred (17-0) (9) (4)

5. Chester Charter Scholar Academy (15-3) (1) (NR)

Out: Lincoln Leadership Academy Charter School (11)

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How a federal funding freeze would impact Philly region

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How a federal funding freeze would impact Philly region


The lack of clarity is remarkable as targets of the freeze face enormous consequences. States, local governments, institutions and many nonprofits rely on federal funds to deliver services and carry out vital programs. The OMB memo called for an exception to Social Security, Medicare and direct payments to Americans.

U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan’s decision to grant a temporary stay was made in order to hear arguments from the White House and the various entities who challenged the pause. That hearing is scheduled to take place Feb. 3.

Local elected officials are already experiencing fallout from the freeze.

A spokesperson for Chester County told WHYY News its Department of Community Development is currently unable to access more than $13.3 million in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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The money is meant to support affordable housing, homelessness and nonprofit services. Without this subsidy, 70 households with disabilities would likely be experiencing homelessness, according to county officials.

“Federal funds are also crucial for maintaining and repairing our transportation infrastructure – our roads, bridges and public transit systems that keep our county moving,” the county said in a statement. “Our residents depend on them to get to work, school, medical appointments, and for goods and services to flow smoothly. Delays in these repairs aren’t just a matter of convenience, they could be dangerous.”

Chester County government receives approximately $68 million in federal funding.

In Bucks County, spokesperson Jim O’Malley said according to the county’s current estimates, a federal funding freeze would halt roughly $300 million in “pass-through” funds and just under $80 million in direct federal grants to the county.

Montgomery County’s Democratic Commissioners Neil Makhija and Jamila Winder estimated residents benefit from more than $140 million in federal grant programs each year. The pair issued a statement Tuesday evening, arguing the pause would “hurt hundreds of thousands of people in Montgomery County.”

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“That memo was reckless and should never have been issued,” Makhija said in a statement Wednesday. “While it’s fair to communicate a desire to evaluate government spending and programming, there are more effective — and legal — ways to do this in partnership with all levels of government. We’re doing everything we can to protect our residents and ensure that we’re able to continue to meet their needs, in everything from housing to public safety.”



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