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Effective Date:

Approval Date:

Updated and amended effective August 24, 2001

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each of the Commonwealth’s eight insurance contractors.

The legislature has been hosting Healthcare Excellence and Accountability Response Team (HEART) hearings across the state, focused on the CHIP expansion through the Cover All Kids initiative. Testimony is received from invited guests. Testimony is followed by open discussions in which all attendees are invited to participate. Each of these hearings has been open to the general public.

The Commonwealth will continue to accept comments on its implementation of the SPA. In addition we are utilizing the following notification processes.

• Pennsylvania Bulletin Notice – The Pennsylvania Bulletin is the Commonwealth’s official method of communicating information and rulemaking. The Commonwealth will post a notice about the proposed plan and program design prior to the requested effective date of the SPA, and indicate how interested persons can obtain copies of the plan the Commonwealth is submitting to CMS. • Medical Assistance Advisory Committee (MAAC) Presentation – The Commonwealth presented the proposed plan and program design at a MAAC meeting, which is a monthly meeting conducted by DPW for the purpose of presenting and gaining input from stakeholders on issues of policy development and program administration. MAAC is open to the public and is composed of Commonwealth citizens who have experience, knowledge, and interest in the delivery of health care services to low-income citizens and medically vulnerable groups. Members include physicians and other providers, representatives of managed care organizations under contract with the Department, representatives of consumer and provider organizations, current Medicaid recipients and parents of minor child recipients. The Commonwealth will provide copies of the plan it submits to CMS to committee members upon request. • Consumer Subcommittee of MAAC – The Commonwealth presented the proposed plan and program design at a Consumer Subcommittee meeting, which is a monthly subcommittee meeting conducted by DPW for the purpose of reviewing and advising the MAAC on policy development and program administration of publicly funded medical assistance (MA) programs. The Consumer Subcommittee’s mission is to be a resource to the MAAC, enabling the committee to advise the Department of Public Welfare on issues regarding access to service and quality of service. A majority of the members of the Consumer Subcommittee are current MA recipients and may also include representatives of: low-income groups whose