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The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services is extending the public comment period for the renewal of the Section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration titled “Medicaid Coverage for Former Foster Care Youth from a Different State and SUD Demonstration” (Project Number: 11-W-003083/3). The public comment period, which was originally slated to end on Feb. 15, 2022, is now extended to March 10, 2022, so the public can see the clarifications made in the Demonstration Extension page on the DHS website. The effective dates of the current approved demonstration are Oct. 1, 2017, through Sept. 30, 2022. The extension requested will be for an additional five years through Sept. 30, 2027.

ODP Announcement 22-014 shares that the United States General Services Administration announced a change for the rate of Transportation Mile reimbursement rate, procedure code W7271, beginning January 1, 2022. The new rate is $0.585 per mile. This communication provides notice of the rate change as well as provides instruction for Supports Coordination Organizations (SCOs) on how to add transportation mileage to the vendor screen. It also instructs direct service providers on how to submit claim adjustments, if applicable.

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has just published an FAQ on the Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS) workforce support payments. Any remaining questions may be sent to the RA Account.

Please note that after receiving anticipated payment amounts on the attestation forms that were sent to providers at the locations of qualifying services, some providers alerted us to apparent irregularities in the payment amounts. OMHSAS is pulling our data and rerunning our formulas to ensure that payments are based on proper calculations and a balanced distribution of funds. Revised attestation forms will be sent to any providers who may have been impacted in their total allocation (positively or negatively) with a new due date in early March.

RCPA continues to work with its members and OMHSAS on the attestation and allocation process. Please contact your RCPA Policy Director for guidance or questions.

Today, RCPA staff watched the Governor’s budget address and attended the Department of Human Services (DHS) 2022/23 Budget Overview webinar. After listening to the Governor and DHS, there were some positive takeaways for RCPA members. Specifically, the Governor is requesting:

  • $50 million, or a 44% increase to state supplemental programs for aged, blind, and individuals with disabilities, to increase the personal care home state supplement from $439.30 to $1,351.80 per month;
  • $75 million in federal funds to recruit and retain behavioral health providers;
  • $36.6 million to invest in critical county behavioral health services;
  • $15 million in federal funds to stabilize payments to substance use disorder treatment providers and assist with pandemic related expenses; and
  • $18.8 million to serve an additional 832 individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism currently waiting for services.

The Governor also proposed increasing the state’s minimum wage to $12 per hour effective July 1, 2022, including tipped workers, with 50 cent annual increases up to $15 per hour ($74.6 million direct revenue increase).

The above are some highlights from both the Governor’s budget request and the DHS presentation. While some of the Governor’s asks may seem beneficial to members, RCPA staff will be reviewing the more detailed spreadsheets we received from the Governor’s office. Once RCPA staff have had the opportunity to review and analyze these spreadsheets, members will receive a more detailed analysis of the Governor’s budget requests. RCPA plans to have the analysis done as soon as possible, so members can get a clearer picture. If you have any questions, please contact Jack Phillips.