OUR PRIORITIES
AFFORDABLE COVERAGE
PROTECTING PATIENTS
IMPROVING MEDICAID
HEALTH
EQUITY
Medicaid works. But, PHAN is working to make it better. We’re pushing for improvements to Medicaid that will address the root causes of poor health, increase our ability to respond to the opioid crisis, and ensure all appropriate care is covered.
Below are our specific policy priorities related to improving Medicaid:
Housing as Health
Everyone deserves a fair chance to be healthy. Medical care alone is not effective when patients lack safe, healthy, and affordable homes. PHAN leads Pennsylvania’s Housing as Health Coalition in advocating for better access to safe, affordable housing for those who are homeless or unstably housed.
Enhancing Oral Health Coverage
Oral health is an essential component of good overall health. In 2011, the State of Pennsylvania moved to contain costs by limiting the dental benefits that people on Medicaid could access and by creating a cumbersome process to access certain types of dental care. The My Teeth Matter campaign – led by PHAN in partnership with ACHIEVA – is calling on the state of Pennsylvania to restore access to necessary dental care and to simplify the processes required to access needed services.
Long-Term Care
Pennsylvania’s health and long-term care delivery systems are going through significant changes as part of a new state program called Community HealthChoices, which will task managed care organizations with improving the coordination, quality, and accessibility of medical care and long-term services and supports to more than 420,000 Pennsylvanians. PHAN is working to ensure that the voices of impacted seniors are heard and that their experiences lead directly to policy changes.
Value-Based Purchasing
Value-based purchasing is a healthcare payment model that incentivizes positive health outcomes by prioritizing the work of on the ground, community-based organizations. Such a model requires managed care organizations (MCOs) to coordinate resources, and help manage the needs of members to reduce socioeconomic barriers and address outcomes through the lens of the social determinants of health. PHAN is working to ensure Pennsylvania adopts such a model, and explores comprehensive methods for getting individuals and families the services they need to achieve overall wellbeing.