';
CLOSE
Authors Posts by Carol Ferenz

Carol Ferenz

3152 POSTS 0 COMMENTS

0 479

Yesterday, August 12, RCPA submitted comments to the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on why direct support professionals (DSP) need their own Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. Without one, the unique work that DSPs do will not be captured, and the historically low wages that DSPs make will remain the norm. An SOC will allow for the gathering of legitimate data around wages and for the professionalization of the DSP workforce.

In June, OMB published the Federal Register notice announcing review of the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual for possible revision in 2028 and soliciting comments. This notice started the process of reviewing and possibly changing the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual for 2028. OMB is analyzing items such as how jobs are classified, the rules for coding them, the main groups of jobs, specific jobs such as public safety tele-communicators and care workers, and adding new types of jobs to the classification system.

We hope that these efforts produce an SOC that captures the essence of the multifaceted work that a DSP does on a daily basis. If you have any questions regarding the comments, contact Carol Ferenz.

0 669

ODP Announcement 24-071 informs stakeholders of the submission of the Performance-Based Contracting (PBC) 1915(b)4 Waiver and 1915(c) Waiver amendments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has included with this announcement multiple documents and resources that are essential for understanding and implementing PBC. The documents are:

Submitted amendments for Consolidated and Community Living 1915(c) and 1915(b)(4) Selective Contracting Waiver for Residential Services are available online. All significant changes resulting from public comments can be found in the PBC Implementation Guide under Appendix A, titled, “Significant Changes to Performance-Based Contracting Proposal as a Result of Public Comment April 20-June 4, 2024.”

As a reminder, all residential providers must sign and return the Residential Provider Agreement to ODP by July 31, 2024. Please direct any questions about this information to ODP electronically.

0 711

ODP Bulletin 00-24-01 Performance-Based Standards for Residential Services has been published, providing detailed information regarding the standards that will be utilized to evaluate performance of residential providers in PA. An expected timeline for implementation of residential performance standards and tier assignment and the evaluation standards that will be used to assign tiers to providers have also been published.

ODP submitted waiver amendments for the 1915(c) waiver and the new 1915 (b)(4) waiver to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 26, 2024. RCPA anticipates the fee schedule rates will be published in the PA Bulletin on August 31, 2024. Implementation of the new rates will happen October 1, 2024, with an effective date of July 1, 2024.

All non-residential services, including participant directed services, will receive an 8% increase. All residential services will receive a 6% increase. Implementation of PBC will include rate add-ons of:

  • Select Providers: 3%
  • Clinically Enhanced Providers: 5%

Pay for Performance will also be available.

ODP will hold a webinar on Monday, July 29, to provide an overview of these changes. You can register for the meeting here. Please direct any questions about this information to ODP electronically.

0 535

RCPA was honored to have Stacy DiStephano of Consulting for Human Services, LLC and Ross Harper of Limbic AI join us for a discussion regarding the use of clinical AI in behavioral health care. The recording is now available on RCPA’s website; you will need to log in to your RCPA member account to access. If you have any questions regarding the content or recording, please contact Carol Ferenz. You can find more information below on the speakers and their respective organizations.

Speaker Bios:

Stacy DiStefano, Founder and CEO of Consulting for Human Services, LLC, is a passionate and dynamic healthcare and human services executive advisor, strategist, and retained leader. She has worked on high level strategic initiatives for behavioral health provider organizations, private equity firms, state departments, and tech vendors. Stacy is a visionary with a clinical background, enabling growth and mission achievement. She also works as a trusted advisor who easily builds rapport and works in collaboration with key stakeholders. A resilient and creative problem-solver with an eye on efficiency and a track record of improving financial performance, Stacy always strives to solve complex challenges.

Ross Harper, PhD, CEO of Limbic AI, is a distinguished computational neuroscientist with a rich academic background. Holding a PhD in Computational Neuroscience and a Master’s in Mathematical Modeling from University College London as well as a Master’s in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, Ross possesses an intricate understanding of the overlap between mathematics, technology, and the human mind. He launched Limbic AI in 2020 to enable large language models and generative AI to aid and assist processes in the mental health space, supporting clinicians and their patients within the NHS during the pandemic. Used by over 230,000 patients and mental health professionals within the NHS, Ross is leading a company that is improving patient access to mental health resources, speeding up diagnosis, and supporting mental health professionals to avoid burnout as the company prepares to expand into the US.

Limbic AI:

Limbic is a clinically-validated AI copilot to drive quality and efficiency in behavioral healthcare, drastically improving service operating margins while demonstrably improving patient outcomes. Limbic has been proven at scale in the UK, currently working with 40% of the National Health Service, which now implements Limbic as part of routine care (used by 320,000 patients already). In 2024, Limbic has published 3 large-scale clinical studies, showing improved patient outcomes, lower cost-per-recovery, expanded provider capacity, enhanced access for underserved communities, reduced patient wait times, and elevated satisfaction for patients and clinicians (Nature Medicine, JMIR, British Medical Journal). The company is now working with community health providers in the United States to deliver economic and clinical ROI.

0 679
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Deputy Secretary Ahrens of the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) shared a PowerPoint today, July 25, 2024, at the MAAC meeting. Highlights included ODP’s plan to publish several documents. ODP will be submitting waiver amendments for the 1915(c) waiver and the new 1915 (b)(4) waiver to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 26, 2024. In addition, ODP Bulletin 00-24-01: Performance-Based Standards for Residential Services and an ODP announcement regarding the waiver submission, including an implementation guide and provider self-assessment, will be released tomorrow, July 26.

RCPA will share these documents with members as soon as they are available.

Prev1...678...316Next Page 7 of 316
© 2021 - Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association