Time is running out; the deadline for revalidating is Thursday, March 24, 2016. Numerous RCPA members have already gone through this process, but it appears that large numbers of providers have not yet done so. A special provider revalidation webinar will be held by RCPA on Wednesday, January 6 at 10:00 am. Jamie Buchenauer, from the Department of Human Services, will be presenting the webcast.
RCPA Members are invited to attend a symposium sponsored by the Pennsylvania History Coalition Honoring People with Disability (PHCHPD) on Wednesday, August 19, 2015, at the Elwyn Archives, Conference Center — Room 317, in the Elwyn Administration Building, 111 Elwyn Road, Elwyn, PA 19063.
Registration information and more details available here.
As you have heard, registration is open for the 2015 RCPA Conference at Seven Springs, October 6 – 9. We hope you have plans to join us; the schedule is filled with excellent speakers. We also know that you are being asked to register and pay for the conference at a time when many are feeling the tremendous negative impact of the delayed state budget.
For this reason, RCPA is offering full provider members the opportunity to register for the conference now and defer payment until after the state budget is passed, or an interim stopgap measure is in place (an emergency solution for which we continue to push). All attendees from full provider members are eligible for this offer.
To take advantage of this conference payment deferral offer, please complete a print version of the conference registration form. Do not register electronically through the online system, which requires payment to be collected. Rather, print and complete the form, noting your request for this deferral, and send it to Tieanna Lloyd in the RCPA office via fax to 717-364-3287 or email. RCPA will then invoice members 90 days after the budget is approved or a stopgap measure is in place to allow time for cash flow to stabilize.
We look forward to seeing you in October!
Recently Senate Bill 1604, Transition to Independence, was introduced in Washington by Senator Grassley (R-IA), and co-sponsored by Senator Casey (D-PA). While it immediately raised red flags for vocational providers, after a careful read and review with ACCSES (one of our national partner associations), we do believe this legislation can be helpful – provided some modifications are made. The RCPA summary and response to the bill, which we were able to present recently to Senator Casey’s lead staff in DC, is available online. Review the actual bill here.
Below is the RFI to which RCPA submitted comments, which can be seen here.
From: DHS STAKEHOLDERS On Behalf Of HS, Secretary’s Office
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2015 2:38 PM
Subject: [DHS-STAKEHOLDERS] HealthChoices RFI Issued
Dear Stakeholders:
Today the Department of Human Services (DHS) is releasing a Request for Information (RFI) and we want your input. We are soliciting information that will assist with the development of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a HealthChoices Physical Health services procurement. The overall goal of which is to explore new innovative approaches to the delivery and payment of health care services that reward quality and increase access within the Medicaid program.
HealthChoices is the name of Pennsylvania’s managed care programs for Medical Assistance (MA) recipients. Through Managed Care Organizations (MCO), recipients receive quality medical care and timely access to all appropriate physical health services, whether the services are delivered on an inpatient or outpatient basis. DHS has three simple goals for HealthChoices: improve access to health care services for MA recipients, improve the quality of health care available to MA recipients, and stabilize our MA spending.
As DHS looks to make improvements to Pennsylvania’s HealthChoices program, we are interested in ideas and approaches we should consider to accomplish the following:
I encourage you to provide feedback by close of business on June 26, 2015. Please submit your responses electronically to [email protected], and thank you, in advance, for taking the time to provide your valuable input.
With your unique perspectives and input, we look forward to improving a system that provides quality services for our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians.
The RFI is available at www.emarketplace.state.pa.us/Solicitations.aspx?SID=DHS%20HC%20RFI%202015.
Sincerely,
Ted Dallas
Acting Secretary
Department of Human Services
RCPA President and CEO Richard Edley was published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, regarding the effect of a late state budget on health and human services providers.
The longer the state budget impasse lasts, the more those in need are hurt: PennLive letters
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