National Council Proudly Supports World Mental Health Day
Jim Sharp
SAMHSA Awards RCPA Member Merakey $2M for Pilot Program to Expand Certified Community BH Clinic Services
RCPA Issues Medicaid and Medicare Telehealth Update
RCPA and Coalition of Critical Services Providers Urge End to Budget Impasse
As a proud member of The Coalition of Critical Services Providers, RCPA has joined providers from across the Commonwealth in appealing to Governor Shapiro and the Pennsylvania General Assembly, urging legislators to pass a final state budget that invests appropriately in health and human services, before there are no providers left to care for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable. The Coalition of Critical Services Providers is a group of advocates made up of associations representing for-profit, nonprofit, and county-based organizations dedicated to delivering critical services throughout the Commonwealth.
To support this effort, The Coalition will be holding a press conference on Thursday, October 2, 2025 at 9:00 am in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg. The event will feature speakers calling for an immediate budget resolution, to ensure vital services for residents can continue across the Commonwealth as the Pennsylvania budget impasse enters its fourth month. Among the speakers will be RCPA staff and members, along with other Coalition members and organizations.
The Coalition recently surveyed organizations representing all 67 counties in Pennsylvania. The survey found the ongoing Pennsylvania state budget impasse is having profound, real-world impacts on children, families, older adults, and service provider employees, as counties and organizations struggle to provide services due to lack of funding. The prolonged budget standoff further threatens the security and well-being of Pennsylvanians as we enter October. The Coalition will share the survey findings and impact information shortly.
RCPA urges our members to be a part of the event next Thursday in Harrisburg. If you plan on attending, please contact RCPA COO and Mental Health Services Director Jim Sharp. Additional details and information will be communicated to members.
WHO: The Coalition of Critical Services Providers, RCPA Members, Advocates, and Stakeholders
WHEN: Thursday, October 2, 2025, 9:00 am – 10:00 am
WHERE: Harrisburg State Capitol Rotunda, 501 N 3rd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120
About the Coalition
The Coalition includes providers from for-profit, nonprofit, and county agencies dedicated to delivering critical services throughout the Commonwealth. The members include: Community Action Association of Pennsylvania; Feeding PA; Hunger-Free PA; Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging; Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Associations; Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services; Pennsylvania State Alliance of YMCAs; Pennsylvania Head Start Association; Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children; Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect; and Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association.
RCPA & State Partners Send Letter to PA Congressional Delegation, Urge Extension of EPTCs
RCPA, as part of a statewide provider and association coalition, has sent a letter to the PA Congressional Delegation regarding the extension of the Enhanced Premium Tax Credit (EPTC). The coalition urges Congress to move quickly to pass legislation extending EPTCs that make marketplace plans more affordable for people who purchase their own health insurance; these are set to expire at the end of 2025.
If EPTCs are not extended, an estimated 270,000 Pennsylvanians are likely to become uninsured. Pennsylvania taxpayers end up paying for their care in one way or another because uninsured people are often forced to delay or avoid care for treatable conditions. They ultimately end up sicker and require more expensive care in hospitals, which leads to higher, uncompensated care costs for both hospitals and providers. In addition, they acquire medical debt and experience health complications that can jeopardize their employment or employability.
Read the letter here. If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO Jim Sharp.
RCPA Shares PA Budget Impasse Update
As of today, September 18, RCPA is reporting to members that the budget impasse unfortunately remains unchanged after 80 days. As this week comes to a close, it does not appear there will be action to move the budget process forward.
The Senate currently remains on 24-hour call, with their next scheduled session days October 20 – 22. The House has their first scheduled Fall session set for September 29 – October 1.
Every day that passes without a budget is another day of uncertainty for:
- People with disabilities, who rely on base-funded supports to live, work, and thrive in their communities;
- Individuals and families in recovery, whose access to care depends on consistent funding and provider stability;
- Children and adults facing mental health challenges, who can’t wait weeks — or months — for the services they need today;
- Human service professionals, who are burning out, underpaid, and leaving the field in record numbers;
- County governments, who administer core safety net services and are already preparing to withhold payments due to the impasse; and
- Nonprofit organizations and service providers, who operate on tight margins, front the cost of services, and risk financial insolvency without reimbursement.
We thank our members for their participation in the recent State Budget Impasse Survey that was organized by agencies, associations, and providers to collect data regarding both the current and projected impact on both for-profit and nonprofit financials, staffing, and ultimately those served. We will continue sharing information with all entities involved so that the survey results can be analyzed and disseminated to the media and legislative contacts most efficiently.
You can also view this article from Spotlight PA, which provides a good overview of where the PA General Assembly caucuses stand and what is causing the impasse to continue.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your respective RCPA Policy Director.
RCPA Federal and State Telehealth Update — Sept. 18, 2025
RCPA Submits PRTF Cost Analysis to IRRC
As RCPA, the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), and the stakeholder community continue to partner on the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Treatment Facility (PRTF) regulation promulgation process, we have submitted to the PA Independent Regulatory Reform Commission (IRRC) a PRTF Cost Analysis. RCPA’s financial analysis focuses on the implementation costs in key target areas: staffing, accreditation, and non-allowable costs. The information represents a cross section of providers from diverse geographic and organizational perspectives.
We thank OMHSAS for the recent PRTF forum, which provided an overview of the changes the Department has made. The forum was informative, collaborative, and set a framework for ongoing regulatory development.
View the full RCPA PRTF Cost Analysis here.
If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp.
RCPA Business Member Conner Strong & Buckelew to Host Webinar “Referenced-Based Pricing 101” on Sept. 22
RCPA Submits Comments on CMS 2026 Physician Fee Schedule
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