Chester CountyPRESS
www.chestercounty.com
Covering Avon Grove, Chadds Ford, Kennett Square, Oxford, & Unionville Areas
Volume 154, No. 19
INSIDE
KHS
seniors
Know About Health Insurance
Frank Scarpato and former supervisor Richard Scott-Harper. Fanning was selected by a 3-1 vote, with supervisors David Connors, Kevin Runey and Steve Zurl voting in her favor, and Lee Irwin casting his vote for Scott-Harper. Connors, explaining that it was a tough vote for him because he knows and likes all three candidates said, “I like the leadership [Christina] can bring to the table.”
He added that he is not planning to run again in three years, while Fanning The London Grove has stated that she will run Township Board of again. Connors also said, Supervisors, in a liveregarding the other two streamed meeting on candidates for the vacant May 6, elected Christina seat, that in the next elecFanning to fill the unextion there will be other pired term of Christine seats opening as well. Allison, who resigned Steve Zurl said he from the board in March. favored Fanning because By Frank Lobb Christina Fanning Fanning was one of three of her business expepeople who applied for rience, and she will be Fanning, 50, grew up The healthcare plans we the seat. The other two able to deal well with the in Philadelphia and went have today have their oriwere longtime planning finances of the township to Nazareth Academy gin in the 1930s and the commission member in the future. Continued on Page 2A Depression. Back then, the nation’s doctors and hospi‘Stay-at-home’ orders for county extended to June 4 tals were going broke and something had to be done. What emerged was an arrangement where doctors and hospitals banded together to offer all the healthcare an individual would need in exchange for a low monthly By Richard L. Gaw the plan and into the yellow Pennsylvania counties that moved from payment. However, by the Staff Writer phase. 1970s, the national cost of red phase to yellow phase on May 8 Chester County was not healthcare had risen to a Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Erie, As part of a multi-col- among them. Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Montour, point that Congress turned to ored, three-phase matrix On May 8, Wolf Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Union, Venango and Warren this system of prepaid care designed to diagnose and announced that 13 additionto drive down the cost of Pennsylvania counties that will move from subsequently determine al counties will move to the healthcare. The thinking was red phase to yellow phase on May 15 when Pennsylvania coun- yellow phase of reopening that the bargaining power of Allegheny, Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Fulton, ties can begin to ease beginning on May 15. this prepaid healthcare, or Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland restrictions related to the Again, Chester County managed care system as we COVID-19 pandemic and was not included in that have come to know it, was slowly reopen, Gov. Tom group, and now joins 29 nally set to expire on May be moved into the yellow up to the task. Unfortunately, Wolf announced on May other counties that remain 8, have been extended to phase before June 4. no one thought to change 1 that 24 counties would in the red phase, and whose June 4, although additional “The reopening the model for covered serContinued on Page 2A move from the red phase of stay-at-home orders, origi- counties may be selected to vices in what was now being called health insurance and ‘This test will help keep our still offering all the healthcare an individual needed for frontline heroes safe’ a set monthly payment. Once again, something had to be done. That something became the HMO excesses of the 1980s and 1990s where managed care health insurance began overruling doctors for determining the care an individual could By Steven Hoffman receive. The litigation that Staff Writer followed was long and extenBy Richard L. Gaw households. sive, but what came out of it Staff Writer East Marlborough County government has was a clear and resounding Township is now looking to contracted with Bethlehem- message from the courts that In an effort to provide based fill a vacancy on the Board Lehigh Valley only the attending doctor additional safeguards for Genomics, a laboratory (OUR doctor) can determine of Supervisors. its essential workers on the that holds the Clinical the care an individual needs Julia Lacy resigned from front lines of the COVID- Laboratory Improvement or expressed in the termithe board last month. She 19 pandemic, Chester Amendments was voted to the position (CLIA) nology that developed, County began providing certificate to perform the care that is “medically in November of 2017, and full-scale antibody testing high complexity testing, necessary.” joined the board at the start of 2018. One never to surrender, File photo for priority healthcare, first which is required by the The Board of Supervisors Julia Lacy has resigned responder and long-term Pennsylvania Department even when beaten, the manformally accepted the res- from the East Marlborough care facility individuals on of Health. aged care insurance industry Board of May 8 at two locations – ignation at the most recent Township Although the antibody test made “medically necessary” township meeting on May Supervisors. She was Longwood Gardens and can be easily administered the determining factor in all elected to the board in the county’s Public Safety 4. by qualified healthcare per- decisions on coverage. And, November of 2017. Training Campus in South sonnel -- with results that since the courts had ruled Residents interested in applying to fill the seat must To qualify for appoint- Coatseville. are available in 15 minutes that only our doctor can The county is the first in -- the state’s Department determine what is needed, submit a letter of interest ment, a person must have and resume by 4 p.m. on resided in the township con- Pennsylvania to undertake of Health currently requires everyone appeared happy. Friday, May 22. tinuously for at least one antibody testing. the monitoring of the test by However, the insurance The test, administered in a CLIA laboratory. Submissions may be year prior to the the date of industry wasn’t through. the form of a simple pinmailed to the township the appointment. “We have been investigat- They simply claimed the at 721 Unionville Road, Interviews will be con- prick test kit manufactured ing every option open to us right to deny payment for Kennett Square, PA 19348, ducted remotely/virtually so by Chester County-based to try and get ahead of the insurance purposes instead or emailed to nlovekin@ that the township can com- Advaite, is now being given coronavirus, and we know of the right to determine eastmarlborough.org to the ply with all state and county not only to first respond- that determining who has “medical necessity” for attention of Neil Lovekin, regulations regarding the ers and healthcare workers, developed antibodies will be healthcare purposes. Continued on Page 3A Township Manager. Continued on Page 6A but to the members of their Fortunately for us, the original requirement of providing all the healthcare an individual needs for a set monthly payment has never changed. Your plan is simply counting on us to NOT understanding the subtle difference between By Betsy Brewer Hoover said they have been is going to look. up to 500 attendees, all denying payment for insurBrantner spending this downtime “I am worried about every- sharing the feed from their ance purposes and overruling Contributing Writer reorganizing and catching one, including our business webcams, thus allowing for our doctor for determining up. The office crew has been district,” he explained. “It is the same conversations that the “medically necessary” It is not business as downsized to keep every- not easy to carry on without could take place during a care we need. This is a difusual for the Borough of one safe. One employee being able to communi- typical meeting. The bor- ference we will fully explore Oxford but, like the rest had a possible exposure and cate with Council. Council ough will have instructions in a coming article. of the world, the residents was quarantined at home President Peggy Russell on the website to help all Frank Lobb, a local resiand business owners and for two weeks. That person and I have been in constant those interested in attending dent and business owner, is elected officials are moving has returned to work and contact. And together we the May 18 meeting. the author of “How to Refuse forward. everyone is wearing masks are learning how to run a The agenda is expected to Your Hospital Bill.” More The council meeting and using hand sanitizer meeting on Zoom.” be a big one, although there information about this topic scheduled for Monday, May frequently. But Hoover is Zoom is a cloud-based is an option to split it and is available at his website 18 will take place utilizing anxious, like everyone, for video conferencing tool hold another meeting. Like at www.killabill.com, and Zoom, the first step back life to return to normal. But where one can host calls many municipalities, busi- Mr. Lobb can be contacted toward normalcy. he readily admits he doesn’t with others. Users can open ness continues, contracts at lobbsanalyticalworks@ Continued on Page 3A gmail.com. Borough Manager Brian know how the new normal chat rooms and can have
The importance of ‘medical necessity’
As Gov. Wolf begins state reopening, Chester County to remain in ‘red’ phase
A guide to voting by mail in Pa...7A
CCIU helps combat food insecurity...4B
INDEX Opinion.......................7A Obituaries...........2B & 3B
To Subscribe Call 610.869.5553
Classifieds..................5B
© 2007 The Chester County Press
$1.00
Part 4 in a series Fanning selected to fill What You vacant seat in London Grove Need to By Chris Barber Contributing Writer
Honoring ...1B
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
East Marlborough Township seeks to fill supervisor vacancy
County begins COVID-19 antibody testing
Oxford Borough searching for normal amidst a pandemic