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Authors Posts by Melissa Dehoff

Melissa Dehoff

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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.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released two reports focused on Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS). The reports are the Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports Annual Expenditures Report, Federal Fiscal Year 2020, and the Medicaid Section 1915 (c) Waiver Programs Annual Expenditures and Beneficiaries Report.

These reports provide information on the LTSS rebalancing trends and patterns in expenditures for different home and community-based services (HCBS) and institutional care, both nationally and across states.

From June through August 2023, the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) held Listen and Learn Sessions across Pennsylvania. There were a total of sixteen in-person sessions and three virtual sessions where Community HealthChoices (CHC), OBRA, Act 150, and Living Independence for the Elderly (LIFE) participants, family members, and community members were able to offer input on how OLTL could improve its programs.

A summary of the input provided is now available and can be viewed here.

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has released the agenda and details to register for the November 1, 2023, Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting. The mission of the MLTSS Subcommittee is to be a resource to the Medical Assistance Advisory Committee (MAAC), enabling the Committee to advise the Department of Human Services (DHS) and OLTL on issues regarding access to services and quality of service.

The meeting will be held in person at the PA Department of Education Honors Suite, 1st floor, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126 and also via webcast. The call information is below:

Conference line 1-914-614-3221 PIN: 807353414#
Webinar Link

Comments and questions may be submitted via email.

The meeting documents from the October 4, 2023, Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting are now available. The documents include the agenda, transcript, and PowerPoint presentations and can be viewed below:

The next MLTSS Subcommittee meeting is scheduled for November 1, 2023, from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm in the PA Department of Education’s Honors Suite at 333 Market St. in Harrisburg, PA. The option to participate via webinar is also an option. To participate in the meeting via webinar, please visit this webinar registration link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. To participate via telephone, the dial-in number is (914) 614-3221, with Access Code: 807353414#.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) has released updated influenza resources.

As a reminder, the Influenza Awareness Act of 2016 requires that Long-Term Care Facilities, including Personal Care Homes and Assisted Living Residences, post DOH’s Influenza poster. You will find the updated poster for the 2023-2024 season here, as well as an updated Influenza toolkit. This information is also available under the “provider resources’ section of PCH/ALR Home web page.

Additional information can be located by visiting DOH’s Influenza Resources for Long-Term Care Facilities website.

The Brain Injury Coalition’s Brain Injury Awareness Day has been announced for October 17, 2023, beginning at 10:30 am with a briefing in the main rotunda of the Capitol. A number of key legislators and members of the BI Caucus will speak at the event, including Representative Tim Briggs, Representative Ann Flood, Senator Tim Kearney, and Senator Ryan Aument. Following the briefing, there will be legislative visits, a reception from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm, and a brain injury panel from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm.

Additional information about the day is available here.

Senior woman with her caregiver at home

House Resolution (HR) 165, which was introduced by Representative Kim, directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) to conduct a study on the effect of workforce shortages on State-supported Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) waiver programs as well as the PA lottery-funded OPTIONS programs in the state. If the Resolution passes, LBFC will have 7 months to conduct the study. RCPA will keep members apprised on the status of the resolution.