2022 Member Value Report

Pennsylvania’s health care community faces new and intensified challenges as we emerge from a paradigm-shifting pandemic. Hospitals and health systems need strong public policy, innovation, and strategic decision-making to continue to provide high-quality care and meet the needs of Pennsylvania communities now and into the future.

HAP is proud to be your partner as, together, we navigate political dynamics, challenging economic conditions, and hard policy issues to advance hospital priorities. Throughout 2022, our shared efforts resulted in policy wins to support hospitals. We are already working together to:

  • Forge new and strengthen existing relationships in Harrisburg and Washington to make sure hospital priorities are front and center
  • Improve health care quality, including eliminating racial inequity in care
  • Support the hospital community by leveraging data, strengthening emergency preparedness, and growing HAP’s non-dues revenue

Your membership in HAP makes this work possible and we are proud to deliver an incredible return on your investment.

Andy Carter
HAP President, and Chief Executive Officer

Andy Carter, HAP President and CEO

Supporting Health Care Workers

ADDRESSING THE WORKFORCE CRISIS

  • Protecting Access to Care—Successfully eliminated a contract provision barring providers that faced work stoppages from participating in Medicaid unless they sign collective bargaining or labor peace agreements. HAP and members advocated to preserve access to care, including taking legal action, partnering with provider and patient groups, and advocating with state and federal lawmakers, CMS, and the Wolf administration
  • Harnessing COVID-19 Flexibilities—Worked extensively with the General Assembly and administration to identify, extend, and codify COVID-19 waivers and flexibilities that have been crucial to managing care capacity
  • Combating Violence—Launched the “Keep Them Safe” initiative through HAP’s Healthy Me PA digital community to combat violence and abuse against health care workers. HAP partnered with Tower Health and U.S. Representative Madeleine Dean to host a roundtable supporting the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees Act

CHAMPIONING BETTER ACCESS TO CARE

  • Venue Shopping—Supported the House Judiciary Committee’s passage of legislation to amend the state constitution to allow the General Assembly to establish the venue of civil lawsuits
  • Measures Held Back—Held back efforts on nurse staffing ratios, non-compete restrictions, onerous outcome measures, and a mandatory bond proposal

STRATEGIC ADVOCACY

  • Advocated for more than a dozen hospital-supported bills enacted into law
  • Nurse ambassadors conducted more than 25 state and federal policymaker visits
  • Continued cultivating the work of the Pennsylvania Provider Advocacy Coalition, a group of 30 provider organizations, to advance the hospital community’s advocacy priorities
  • Used Healthy Me PA to engage with lawmakers and advance priorities for the state budget, workplace violence, telehealth, prior authorization, and perception of hospitals

Federal Action


Fair Hospital Payments

HISTORIC PRIOR AUTHORIZATION REFORM

Historic Prior Authorization Reform

Enacted the most comprehensive patient protection bill considered by the legislature in two decades, streamlining the prior authorization process for commercial plans, Medicaid, and CHIP. HAP participated in a bill signing with Governor Wolf.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

  • Enacted long-sought reforms to improve coordination between physical and behavioral health care providers by aligning state laws with HIPAA and other federal requirements
  • Secured nearly $250 million dedicated to behavioral health capacity, including augmented funding for counties, school-based mental health services and $100 million in one time funds for adult behavioral health priorities

QUALITY, SAFETY, AND DATA

  • New Quality Measure Trends Analysis— Issued an Outpatient Quality Measure Trends Analysis (2022 update) designed to provide hospitals with a comparative review of the quality data collected over time by CMS
  • Clinical Initiatives—Following the initial 18 months of the Hospital Quality Improvement Contract, HAP’s network was successful in reaching goals to reduce in opioid prescribing and readmissions
  • Data Strategy—Working with an advisory board of members, developed collaborative data strategies to serve member needs and assisted members with implementing a new electronic case reporting state mandate

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

  • Distributed $659,297 in ASPR funding to member hospitals during 2022 and $4,969,070 total
  • Hosted weekly situational awareness updates for members focusing on issues relevant to Pennsylvania’s health care sector
  • Provided technical assistance, including objective exercise evaluations and onboarding for members who are new to emergency management
  • Enabled conversations with state agencies and other key stakeholders about ongoing revisions to the State Hazard Mitigation Plan
  • Took an active role supporting Pennsylvania hospitals’ response to the “tripledemic” of COVID-19, influenza, and RSV
  • In conjunction with HAPevolve, provided expertise, tools, and training to bolster partner organizations’ emergency preparedness through the state’s Long Term Care RISE program and expanded the Portable Response Emergency Plan (PREP), a mobile emergency management tool

HAPAC

Launched HAPtivate!, an advocacy center for members offering easy-to-use tools and resources to take action on state and federal issues.

Join at haponline.org/haptivate

LOOKING AHEAD

HAP’s support and advocacy for members during 2023 is underway, starting with fostering relationships with the Shapiro administration, 48 new state lawmakers, and three new federal elected officials. HAP’s 2023 agenda includes:

  • Maximizing hospital benefit through the reauthorization of the Quality Care Assessment
  • Improving hospitals’ financial sustainability
  • Growing and supporting the health care workforce
  • Addressing the behavioral health crisis
  • Laying a foundation to reinstate venue reform

Download HAP's 2022 Member Value Report.

Learn more about HAP’s value to you.

Contact HAP President and CEO Andy Carter for more information.


+

+

Site Search