Congratulations to RCPA Director of Rehabilitation Services, Melissa Dehoff, for being elected Chair of the TBI Advisory Board! Also, RCPA congratulates member Bridget Lowery, of Main Line Rehabilitation Associates, for being chosen as Vice Chair of the advisory board!
From: DHS STAKEHOLDERS – On Behalf Of HS, Secretary’s Office
Sent: Monday, November 06, 2017 12:00 PM
Subject: [DHS-STAKEHOLDERS] Community HealthChoices Update
The Wolf Administration is committed to providing access to high-quality services to all Pennsylvanians and to serving more people in the community.
Community HealthChoices (CHC) is the commonwealth’s program for older Pennsylvanians and individuals with physical disabilities to use health plans to provide coordinated physical health care and long-term services and supports. The goals of CHC are to improve quality of services and the health care experience – serving more people in their communities rather than in facilities, giving them the opportunity to work, spend more time with their families, and experience an overall better quality of life.
CHC is being implemented in three phases. For Phase 1, notices have been mailed to participants in the 14 counties in the Southwest Zone to inform them that they will move to CHC on January 1, 2018. Participants are currently learning more about CHC through community meetings and the independent enrollment broker. Phase 1 is expected to include approximately 80,000 people.
CHC is about choice – choice in where a person wants to live and choice in who will provide the care needed to make that a reality. Even though the deadline for Phase 1 participants to select a managed care organization (MCO) is not until November 13, 2017, more than 21,500 people have already made an active choice by already selecting their health plan and their primary care provider.
Recognizing how critical these services are, we are focused on getting this right – the health care coverage for 420,000 Pennsylvanians depends on it.
We are confident that the southwest is ready for Phase 1, but in order to allow for the deliberate and purposeful implementation of CHC in the southeast region (Phase 2) and the remainder of the state (Phase 3) we need to have the flexibility of learning from that roll out with proper time to make any needed adjustments.
Given this, the commonwealth has decided to shift the implementation dates for the next two phases of CHC. The new start dates are as follows:
These new dates will allow us to provide Pennsylvanians eligible for CHC with a health plan that will give them better access to health care. Our commitment to CHC is unwavering and we look forward to continuing to work with you in preparation for January 2018’s Phase 1 rollout.
Regards,
Teresa Miller
Department of Human Services, Acting Secretary
Teresa Osborne
Department of Aging, Secretary
RCPA is proud to announce that one of its own will be heading to Pittsburgh to lead one of Pennsylvania’s most respected human service providers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. COO and IDD Division Director Steve Suroviec will be serving as CEO of ACHIEVA, Inc. starting in January 2018. Suroviec has been with RCPA since August 2016 after serving in multiple leadership positions in state government. RCPA President and CEO Richard Edley said, “We are very sad to see Steve leave RCPA – with the extensive knowledge and expertise he brought from the Offices of Developmental Programs and Vocational Rehabilitation, Steve shepherded our members through many months of reforms proposed by state funding agencies, including major changes to Medicaid waivers, funding regulations, and rates. But it’s a feather in RCPA’s cap that Steve has been asked to lead a strong and prestigious service provider such as ACHIEVA. This is a tremendous opportunity for him; we wish Steve all the best as he enters the next chapter of his career in service to people with disabilities.” Suroviec will continue at RCPA through the end of November to assist in the operations and in a transition. Read ACHIEVA’s press release and see the announcement in the Pittsburgh Business Times.
Three associations representing community intellectual disability/autism (ID/A) and behavioral health (BH) services providers released a study today that provided a comprehensive review of the ID/A and BH Direct Support Professional (DSP) workforce, the crisis within the workforce, and means to address the crisis. The study identified the need for investment in this workforce as the most important step state policymakers can take to address the workforce crisis.
See the full press release here, which also includes a link to the study being referenced. Contact Jack Phillips, RCPA Director of Government Affairs, with any questions.
As the implementation of Community HealthChoices (CHC) approaches the January 1, 2018 launch in the Southwest Region, the Department of Human Services (DHS) has developed informational materials for those individuals who will be covered by the new program. The documents, including notices and the pre-enrollment packet, are posted on the DHS website, where you will also find their most recent participant document, “CHC: Here’s What You Need to Know” (available for download in English and Spanish).
In addition, a document designed to clarify eligibility for CHC is available here. It includes the following information:
Individuals are NOT eligible for CHC if they are a person with an intellectual or developmental disability who is eligible for services through the Department of Human Services’ Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), OR are a resident in a state-operated nursing facility, including state veterans homes.
Please visit the CHC website or call the CHC Provider Hotline at 833-735-4417 with any questions.
Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of Human Services Teresa Miller announced the following three staffing changes within the Department of Human Services (DHS):
RCPA congratulates each of these individuals and commits to working with them in a constructive manner to advance the best interests of our shared constituencies.
Older Adults Webinar Series: Collaborative Care Medicare Codes
Friday, October 27, 2017
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM EST
Presenters:
Register for free: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5476874512139434498
This webinar will focus on the recently introduced Medicare payment codes for collaborative care with a specific focus on the use within behavioral health contexts. The presenters will discuss the role of collaborative care in Medicare, identify and the application of new payment codes and behavioral health integration. There will also be time for questions.
Following the webinar, participants will:
Disclaimer: This webinar was funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The views and opinions expressed and the content of the webinar are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of SAMHSA or HHS.
Questions? Contact: [email protected]
The Department of Human Services has implemented the following staffing changes:
Johanna Fabian-Marks and Gwen Hauck are joining the secretary’s office. Both of these women have previously worked at the PA Insurance Department.
Policy Director Jen DeBell will be leaving DHS on September 15 to join PennAEYC (Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children). Caitlin Palmer will be re-joining DHS as the new policy director.
Patricia Allan has been named as acting executive director of CHIP.
Dr. Dale Adair, the Acting Deputy Secretary of OMHSAS, has left the Commonwealth to head to South Carolina and Ellen DiDomenico will serve as Acting Deputy Secretary until further notice.
RCPA looks forward to working with each of these individuals in their new roles, helping to serve Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens.
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