BIAPA Conference: Save the Date and Call for Posters!
Melissa Dehoff
Melissa Dehoff is responsible for all medical rehabilitation and brain injury service issues. Ms. Dehoff attends multiple state-level meetings to advocate on behalf of members on brain injury and rehabilitation issues and is a member of the Department of Health Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Board.
PA Long-Term Grant Program – Request for Applications
The Pennsylvania Departments of Human Services (DHS), Health, and Aging have announced their joint collaboration to operate Pennsylvania’s Long-Term Care (LTC) grant program for use of federally imposed civil money penalty (CMP) funds. Applications for the LTC grant program will be accepted from April 1, 2021 through May 31, 2021. Applications will not be accepted outside of these dates.
Additional information on this grant program, guidelines for applicants, the application and selection process, and how to apply for the nursing care facility Federal CMP program, are located on the Long-Term Care Grant webpage on the Department of Health (DOH) website. Applications should be submitted to ra-pwCMPgrants@pa.gov.
Questions should be directed to the Office of Long-Term Living at ra-pwCMPgrants@pa.gov or call 1-800-932-0939, option 1, Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
New IRF-PAI Guidance Released by CMS
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released and published the quarterly (June 2020 to March 2021) Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Patient Assessment Instrument (IRF-PAI) question and answer (Q&A) document. The document also includes new guidance on how to properly submit information (patient height and weight), along with coding guidance for items in Section GG, K, and M.
Xavier Becerra Confirmed as New Secretary of HHS
Today, Xavier Becerra was confirmed, with a narrow approval (50-49), as the new Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Becerra, currently serving as California’s Attorney General, was also a former member of Congress. He will play a part in the Biden Administration’s plans to create a Medicare-like public health care option, health care reform, and take on a major role with HHS helping to facilitate COVD-19 vaccinations and testing efforts. Read more.
PA Council on Aging to Host Social Isolation Symposium
The Pennsylvania Council on Aging (PCoA) has announced that they will host the first-ever Social Isolation Symposium on March 23 and 24, 2021. The symposium will feature nationally-known speakers focusing on the impact of social isolation, and how to get older adults to ensure their continued health and wellbeing. In addition to older adults, individuals who work with older adults, including caregivers and health care staff, stakeholders, and the public are encouraged to participate.
The two-day virtual event offers attendees a chance to participate in more than a dozen workshop sessions or select those of particular interest. Session topics include older adult suicide prevention; how to prevent social isolation among LGBTQ older adults; engaging, supporting, and empowering family caregivers; using partnerships and collaborations to reduce social isolation; staying social in a socially distanced world; getting seniors online, and more. To view the various sessions and to participate in the symposium, use this registration link.
CMS Issues Revised Nursing Home Visitation Guidance/DHS Updates PA Guidance
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a revised nursing home guidance that provides updated guidance for visitation in nursing homes during the COVID-19 public health emergency, including the impact of the COVID-19 vaccination. As a result of this guidance, the Department of Human Service issued a notification to long-term care facilities, personal care homes, and assisted living residences in Pennsylvania to implement this guidance immediately.
Continuation of Appendix K Temporary Changes to CHC, OBRA Waiver & Act 150
Background: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved temporary changes to the OBRA and CHC 1915(c) waivers beginning March 6, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Approval of these changes is covered under Appendix K, Emergency Preparedness and Response, which states may use during emergency situations to request amendments to their approved waivers. These changes addressed potential staffing shortages and the need for service provision not included in approved service descriptions to ensure participant health and safety needs could be accommodated for the duration of the COVID-19 statewide emergency. The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) extended the same flexibilities to the Act 150 Program. CMS approved an amendment to Appendix K which allowed some flexibilities to continue until March 5, 2021.
In January 2021, OLTL submitted another amendment to request extension of the Appendix K flexibilities until six months after the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). CMS has not yet approved the amendment; however, they recently instructed OLTL to assume that any previously approved flexibilities will continue to be approved in the interim.
Until further notice, the Appendix K flexibilities can continue in the CHC waiver, the OBRA waiver, and the Act 150 program. For additional details on the flexibilities, please go to the OLTL COVID19 Provider Resources web page to view the guidance updated for the CHC waiver on January 4, 2021 and updated for the OBRA waiver and Act 150 Program on January 15, 2021.
Additional questions should be directed to the OLTL Provider Helpline at 1-800-932-0939.
March 9 MLTSS Meeting Documents
The Managed Long-Term Supports and Services (MLTSS) Subcommittee convened on March 9 and included many important discussions and presentations. Updates specific to the Office of Long-Term Living were provided by Deputy Secretary Jamie Buchenauer. The details of her update are included in her PowerPoint presentation. One important update included in her presentation was the announcement that the Appendix K waiver flexibilities were applied to continue six months beyond the end of the Federal Disaster Declaration. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has indicated that this will be approved and that the flexibilities should continue at this time and beyond.
Other presenters and updates were provided by the following:
- Medicaid Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh (MRC) Report on the Evaluation of CHC offered by Dr. Howard Degenholtz, University of Pittsburgh MRC
- 2020 HCBS Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey Results offered by Brian MacDaid, OLTL Division of Quality Assurance
- Contacting your CHC-MCO and Service Coordinator by Pennsylvania Health and Wellness, AmeriHealth Caritas/Keystone First, and UPMC Community HealthChoices
CMS Releases New COVID-19 FAQ’s on Medicare FFS Billing to Administer Vaccines
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released a new/updated COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document on Medicare Fee-for-Service billing. The document covers a wide range of topics and questions specific to many provider types. Some of these include hospitals, partial hospitalization program services, Medicare telehealth, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, opioid treatment programs, skilled nursing facility services, outpatient therapy services, and many more. The FAQs in this document supplement the previously released FAQs, 1135 Waiver FAQs.
TBI Virtual Trainings Offered in March by Administration for Community Living
In observance of Brain Injury Awareness Month in March, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) will be hosting virtual Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Tuesday training sessions. Additional information is provided below:
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Tuesdays in March
Please join the Administration for Community Living (ACL) this March in observance of Brain Injury Awareness Month. In lieu of ACL’s annual in-person TBI Stakeholder Day, they will be hosting virtual TBI Tuesdays. With an overarching focus on equity, each TBI Tuesday session will highlight the work of the TBI State Partnership Program grantee workgroups and their resources for stakeholders, federal partners, and will involve individuals with brain injury. They have structured each TBI Tuesday session to include panel discussions, question and answer sessions, and generous breaks in between. Each TBI Tuesday session will be live-captioned and ASL-interpreted. If you require additional accommodations to participate or if you have any questions about the sessions, please do not hesitate to submit via email. Please see the session descriptions below.
Outreach to All: Brain Injury within Underserved Populations
The kickoff TBI Tuesday session will focus on Underserved Populations. Reyma McCoy-McDeid, the newly appointed Commissioner of ACL’s Administration on Disabilities will provide opening remarks. Two TBI State Partnership Program state grantees (Oregon and West Virginia) will introduce the Rural Outreach Toolkit and a person with TBI will share their outreach experience. You will also hear from ACL’s federal partner from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (invited) regarding rural and frontier populations.
This webinar will be held on March 9, 2021, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
Sustainable Partnerships: Forging Relationships that Last
The focus of this second TBI Tuesday session will be Sustainable Partnerships. The session will feature several TBI State Partnership Program (SPP) grantees (Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Tennessee) who will share the work of the Sustainable Partnership SPP Workgroup, including two workgroup products (Success Story and Tip Sheet). ACL will also discuss how to build capacity to better serve people with TBI through partnerships within and between states. Participants will also hear national and state perspectives regarding partnerships with Protection and Advocacy organizations (P&As) and Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs). Session participants will be able to discuss how to build innovative partnerships, how to strengthen federal agency connections at the local level, and strategies to enhance the workgroup products presented.
This webinar will be held on March 16, 2021, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
Return to Learn: Equal Access to Education for Students with Brain Injury
The third TBI Tuesday session will focus on Return to Learn following brain injury. The session will begin with a panel of TBI State Partnership Program (SPP) grantees (Oregon and Pennsylvania) who will discuss Return to Learn initiatives. Participants will hear from a concussion expert and an individual with a TBI, who will share their return to learn experience. ACL will also lead a discussion with session participants about the pros and cons of state legislation on Return to Learn.
This webinar will be held on March 23, 2021, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
Justice for All: Serving Individuals with Brain Injury Across the Justice System
The fourth TBI Tuesday session will focus on the criminal and juvenile justice (CJJ) system. Three TBI State Partnership Program grantees (Colorado, Indiana, and Pennsylvania) will provide an overview on CJJ and brain injury, and why it matters. There will be an overview of the SPP workgroup and its structure, purpose, and products as well as a presentation by Policy Research Associates on using the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Sequential Intercept Model to support people living with a brain injury as they move through the criminal justice system. You will hear from ACL’s federal partner with the U.S. Department of Justice (invited) and also from a person with a brain injury on their experience with the justice system.
This webinar will take place on March 30, 2021, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.
Maximizing the Effectiveness of Advisory Boards Through Full Participation
The focus of this final TBI Tuesday session will be on TBI State Advisory Boards/Councils and how to better engage members, especially individuals with brain injury. Two TBI State Partnership Program (SPP) grantees (Tennessee and West Virginia) will present on the TBI SPP Advisory Board Toolkit. You will also hear from ACL’s federal partner from the Office of Independent Living Programs at ACL on the importance of consumer engagement. Representatives from the Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC) and the TBI Advisory and Leadership Group (TAL-Group) will lead a facilitated discussion about the importance of having consumer-guided council practices and how individuals with TBI and others can become ready to serve on boards.
This webinar will be held on April 6, 2021, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.
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