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Now, more than ever, health and human service providers need to be proactive in supporting elected officials work towards common sense solutions in the areas of workforce, tax, regulation, health care, and human services.

The Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association Political Action Committee (RCPA-PAC) is asking members to assist RCPA with raising funds for RCPA-PAC. RCPA is advocating for our members with regard to telehealth, regulations, and legislation. RCPA-PAC funds are utilized to attend legislative fundraisers in order for RCPA to lobby legislators face-to-face on health and human service issues.

We need you and your staff to donate to RCPA-PAC because it provides an avenue for our members and staff to make a meaningful impact on the political process. Any funds that you and your staff can contribute will be greatly appreciated. Please note that RCPA-PAC cannot accept corporate checks. Personal checks should be made payable to RCPA-PAC.

Interested in learning more about RCPA-PAC or in donating now? Please visit our website, download the PAC FAQ Card, Donation Card, or email Jack Phillips, RCPA Director of Government Affairs.

Your participation in the RCPA-PAC is completely voluntary, and you may contribute as much or as little as you choose. Donations are not tax-deductible and will be used for political purposes. You may choose not to participate without fear of reprisal. You will not be favored or disadvantaged by reason of the amount of your contribution or decision not to contribute.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Fady Sahhar, COO
M: 856-397-5040

HARRISBURG, May 25, 2021 — ProVantaCare is leading the way in managed care with its proven, innovative model for coordinating services in the fields of behavioral health, drug and alcohol addiction, long-term care services, physical disabilities, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Some of the state’s largest social service and human service providers are part of the provider-owned network, which began as the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Services Organization (RCPSO) in 2014. After a seven-year track record of success, RCPSO has completed its months-long transition into the newly named ProVantaCare.

With more than 80 owners, ProVantaCare specializes in partnering with managed care organizations to expand access by assembling quality care networks that perform to the highest standards in these social service and human service fields.

ProVantaCare’s innovative models drive enhancements through improvements with data management, streamlined contracting, and streamlined operations. Because of its expansive network and years of expertise, customers and clients can be confident about continuously improved outcomes, an area of intense focus among state and federal regulators.

“I’m excited about the new name and new direction,” said Susan Blue, President of Community Services Group and Board Chair of ProVantaCare. “We have an established track record of relationships with regulators, payers, and other stakeholders, and now we have a new identity that better defines what we do — and one that our customers and clients can relate to.”

RCPSO was started by members of the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association, one of the largest and most diverse state health and human services trade associations in the nation, with more than 350 members serving well over 1 million Pennsylvanians annually. ProVantaCare is a fully separate, stand-alone organization with its own bylaws and board of directors.

About ProVantaCare:
Coordinating managed care services for patients and providers in the fields of behavioral health, drug and alcohol addiction, long-term care services, physical disabilities, intellectual and developmental disabilities. For more information, please visit ProVantaCare’s website.

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On May 19, 2021, the Senate Finance Committee conducted a hearing, “COVID-19 Health Care Flexibilities: Perspectives, Experiences, and Lessons Learned,” that focused on how the flexibilities granted during the pandemic have been beneficial to patients and assisted providers in responding to the public health emergency (PHE). The hearing also discussed the potential for permanent policy changes after the pandemic and focused heavily on the support of telehealth.

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ODP Announcement 21-040 shares that the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is seeking your valuable feedback and comments on Appendices I and J of the renewal of the Adult Autism Waiver (AAW), as well as the proposed Fee Schedule Rates, the proposed Department-established Fees for residential ineligible services, and the rate setting methodology.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approves waivers for a five-year period. The current AAW expires on June 30, 2021; however, CMS has granted ODP a 90-day extension on the currently approved AAW through September 28, 2021. The renewal of the AAW, as well as the final rates, will be effective September 29, 2021.

The following substantive changes are proposed to Appendices I and J:

  • Homemaker/Chore will be added as an AAW service and has been added to the services for which there will be a Medical Assistance Fee Schedule rate effective September 29, 2021.
  • The factors related to estimated annual average per capita Medicaid costs in Appendix J have been updated to reflect the most recent data available. These factors are Factor D’ Derivation, Factor G Derivation, and Factor G’ Derivation.
  • The 5-year average cost per unit of service estimates in Appendix J have been updated to reflect the proposed Fee Schedule Rates contained in the public notice.

A public notice regarding these proposed changes can be found in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, Volume 51, Number 21, published on Saturday, May 22, 2021. Appendices I and J, the proposed Fee Schedule Rates, the proposed Department Established Fees, and the assumption logs used to develop the rates and fees are available on the DHS website.

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments regarding Appendices I and J of the AAW as well as the proposed rates. Comments should be addressed to Laura Cipriani, Department of Human Services, Office of Developmental Programs, 625 Forster Street, Room 510, Harrisburg, PA 17120. Comments may also be submitted to ODP. Use the subject header “AAW Rates.” Comments received by 11:59 pm on June 21, 2021 will be reviewed and considered for revisions.

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ODP announcement 21-016 states that:
Any individual who begins receiving services at a Community Participation Supports (CPS) facility on or after July 1, 2021 will be considered a new admission. CPS facilities must comply with the regulations exactly as written for all new admissions. We asked for the criteria to determine if services were provided in 20–21 since some individuals have not come face to face with staff; however, provider staff have maintained contact with them and their families or residential provider, participated in their Individual Service Plan (ISP) meetings, and completed their annual functional assessment and quarterly reviews throughout the year.  

ODP’s answer is as follows:
ODP acknowledges that viewing individuals whose CPS facility services were suspended due to COVID-19 such that the individuals were never discharged as “new admissions” can be challenging. However, many of these individuals have not received CPS services in a facility for over a year. It is highly possible that individuals will not recall their rights, fire safety procedures, and information about working hours, benefits, etc. Also, CPS facilities must recognize that individual’s needs may have changed over the past year, and a new assessment of those needs is essential to providing safe and effective services.

For this reason, all of the requirements relating to admission practices must be followed for individuals who begin receiving services on or after July 1, 2021 even if the person was never discharged from services. The exception is 55 Pa.Code § 2390.111 (relating to admission decisions).

Individuals do not have to be discharged and readmitted for the provider to be deemed compliant with regulatory requirements.

It is important to acknowledge that requirements relate directly to individual health, safety and rights; continued suspension of these regulations pose a significant threat to health and safety as well as create the potential for human rights violations. Please note that ODP analyzed the impacted regulations and has determined that compliance can be achieved with minimal administrative effort.

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

The Department of Human Services (DHS) issued an update regarding the implementation of an Enterprise Case Management (ECM) system to support the administration and management of various DHS-supervised programs.

A primary goal of ECM is to provide a complete picture of the DHS services provided to participants and families through multiple DHS program offices, regardless of the human services program or county providing the service. ECM will be implemented on a common technology platform that will be configured for various case management system needs across DHS programs. ECM will provide DHS staff and business partners with the tools needed to effectively serve participants by eliminating redundancies, lessening administrative burden, and streamlining core processes. ECM will mostly affect the Offices of Administration (OA), Children, Youth and Families (OCYF), Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), Long-Term Living (OLTL), and Developmental Programs (ODP). When implemented, ECM will support a statewide child welfare case management system; enrollment and case management for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS); intake and management for hearings and appeals; and application, enrollment, and support services for programs administered by OLTL. ECM will replace several legacy systems across program offices through the implementation of one common solution, composed of the following four major subsystems:

  • Home and Community-Based Services Subsystem (HCBSS): The HCBSS will replace what is currently known as the Home & Community Services Information System (HCSIS). It will serve as the enrollment and case management system for the DHS program offices, counties, and providers supporting the HCBS programs, including Medicaid waivers.
  • Hearings and Appeals: The Hearings & Appeals subsystem will replace the collection of legacy systems DHS uses to manage appeals under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Hearings and Appeals (BHA).
  • Office of Long-Term Living Enrollment Services: The OLTL Enrollment Services subsystem will be used by an Enrollment Services Entity and DHS to manage the process to assist individuals/participants in exploring and applying for Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS).
  • Child Welfare Case Management (CW CM): The CW CM subsystem will create a single, statewide Child Welfare Case Management System for all Pennsylvania Counties.

The ECM At a Glance document contains a high-level overview of DHS’ ECM initiative, positive impacts to participants, goals and objectives, scope and interfaces, and the anticipated timelines for subsystem implementations.

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