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In order to gather responses from providers that were not able to submit previously, the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has reopened the Calendar Year (CY) 2023 rate study survey for the following Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS):
Please complete the survey for CY 2023, which spans from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023, unless otherwise specified. Please only complete the survey if you did not previously participate. The reopening of the survey will ensure every provider has ample time to offer input to broaden and improve the resulting analysis. The survey will remain open until Friday, November 15, 2024.
This survey is one piece of the targeted rate review and is intended to collect current provider rate and wage data as well as general feedback on the challenges of providing these services. The information collected in this survey will be used to assist in developing a point of reference for the rate range to evaluate current payment rates. In addition to results from this survey, the review will include payment rate information from Managed Care Organizations (MCO) in OLTL claims data, recent legislative policies, department expectations, and other data obtained from publicly available sources.
HCBS providers that delivered multiple service categories during CY 2023 should fill out this survey separately for each service category you delivered. HCBS providers that did not deliver any of the service categories listed above should disregard this survey. OLTL is partnering with Mercer to perform a rate study exclusive to the service categories listed above at this time.
The information collected for this survey will be used for both this rate study and to meet the requirements of HB 1300 from the 2023–2024 Pennsylvania General Assembly regular session. The information you provide will remain confidential and private and will only be shared publicly through high-level summary reports that do not include provider-level detail. Please comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and do not share any protected health information (PHI) within your survey responses.
Please note the survey tool does not allow individuals to save and go back to answer questions. Please have all your agency information such as wages, employee information, and financial statements readily available. This will help you to submit accurate information when answering the questions.
HCBS providers can access the survey here.
OLTL and Mercer appreciate your time and this valuable feedback. If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out via email.
The Division of Licensing Administration has created tutorials to assist with the electronic payment of application, certificate, fines, and appeals fees. A different tutorial has been designed for each program office and payment type. The tutorials give step-by-step instructions for completing the payment of fees for each office.
A new applicant tutorial has also been created. This tutorial will give applicants step-by-step instructions to complete and submit the Application for a Certificate of Compliance (HS633) to become a licensed provider of a human services setting. The HS633 has been revised, and the updated version is available here.
The following tutorials can be accessed on the Application for Human Services License website as well as viewed below:
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 24-099. This bulletin is to provide a list of current Agency With Choice (AWC) Financial Management Service (FMS) organizations available to support participants and surrogates who have chosen to self-direct some or all of their Participant Directed Services (PDS) using the AWC FMS model under the Consolidated, Community Living, and Person/Family Directed Support (P/FDS) waivers. Please view the announcement for additional details.
Medication Administration System Upgrade Overview for Trainers
Friday, October 25, from 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Audience: Medication Administration Trainers
The Medication Administration system upgrade will go live on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at 9:00 am. To become acquainted with the changes, a webinar will be held for Med Admin Trainers to learn how to create new student classes (including Practicum Observer classes), view grader reports of their students, and enter observation and remediation scores.
This webinar will be recorded and posted on the Medication Administration platform if you are unable to attend the live session.
This week, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) submitted a final rule regarding virtual prescribing of controlled substances to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Though the final rule is not yet publicly available, the OMB registry posting, titled “Third Temporary Extension of COVID-19 Telemedicine Flexibilities for Prescription of Controlled Medications,” suggests an extension is coming that will go beyond the current expiration date of December 31, 2024.
Without a new rule or extension of the current flexibility beyond December 31, virtual prescribing of controlled substances without a prior in-person evaluation would no longer be allowed.
DEA received more than 38,000 public comments following its proposed rule in February 2023 for telemedicine prescribing of controlled substances. Subsequently, the telehealth flexibilities were extended to the current December 31, 2024, expiration date.
RCPA will continue to monitor progress on the final rule and communicate the details of the final rule once it is made public.
Happy Autumn! Please share these important workshops and Good Life Groups with your network! Register for upcoming events at PA Family Network’s website.
Support Groups
LifeCourse Workshops
Waiver Workshops