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Rick Smith sent the following message on October 28, 2020:

To Providers of Community Participation Supports (CPS):

For those providers who have signed attestations, the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is currently processing the September retainer payments allowed under Appendix K at 25 percent of your pre-COVID CPS billing. These payments should be visible on your November 2 remittance advice. ODP has also reviewed CPS billing from July to September and has identified some CPS providers who have signed attestations and are at or near pre-COVID billing levels with the combination of retainers and billings. Additionally, ODP has identified a number of CPS providers who have signed attestations and currently have receivable balances beyond 30 days with the office. If you fall into either of these two categories, you will not automatically see a retainer payment and should contact Rick Smith for further details.

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National and State advocacy organizations have appealed to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma to extend flexibilities that have been vital to state systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our national organizations, ANCOR and ACCSES, signed this letter dated October 23, 2020. It is an Appendix K waiver that has been invaluable to maintaining the capacity of states and providers in continuing to support individuals in need of long-term supports and services throughout this pandemic.

CMS originally developed a timeline for Appendix K expiration of one year from the initial start date in recognition of the fact that it may take a year to reestablish the pre-public health emergency. However, given that the COVID-19 pandemic has continued for several months, the advocates have suggested that the one-year timeframe should actually begin when the public health emergency has ended.

The second very important issue for many states and providers of service is the continued availability of retainer payments. These payments are crucial to keeping provider networks in place during a period of time when they are unable to provide services due to the pandemic. The three 30-day periods of retainer payments were crucial to keeping providers in business; however, we are now entering a new phase of the pandemic. It is still not safe for typical services to resume. Without retainer payments, the stability of the provider network is at risk. The request to CMS is to extend to states the ability to provide retainer payments beyond the three 30-day periods.

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Governor Wolf signed Act 24 of 2020, which allocates funding from the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act – also known as the CARES Act – to assist providers with COVID-19 related costs. Funding from Act 24 must be used to cover necessary COVID-19 related costs incurred between March 1, 2020 and November 30, 2020 that have not been otherwise reimbursed by Federal, State, or other sources of funding. To qualify for the one-time payment, a person or entity must have been in operation as of March 31, 2020. Under Act 24, $457 million of COVID-19 relief funds were allocated to providers of long-term living programs.

Any person or entity accepting a COVID-19 payment must provide documentation to the Department of Human Services (DHS) upon request for purposes of determining compliance with Act 24 requirements. Providers were previously advised to keep documentation to demonstrate how the funds were used for a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in case of an audit.

DHS has developed the attached reporting forms to collect information about the use of Act 24 funding. The reporting forms capture provider information; COVID-19 utilization related data; COVID-19 related staffing, expenditures, and revenue losses; and COVID-19 related revenue to determine the net impact. Providers are advised to review guidance for eligible COVID-19 costs on the US Department of Treasury website:

DHS is requesting the following two reports from the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) providers:

  1. An interim report, which identifies the total COVID-19 related costs each provider projects to incur by November 30, 2020. This interim report is due by November 6, 2020. To assist providers in projecting eligible costs, DHS recommends using the cost report attached and reporting costs that appear in cells H120 and H165. Providers must report the projected costs through a web-based portal.
  1. Providers are required to complete a final cost report and upload it through the web-based portal by no later than December 21, 2020. Providers must keep all documentation related to the costs reported in the final cost report for a minimum of five years.

Cost Reporting Forms:

In advance of the reports’ due date, DHS recommends that providers review the attached cost-reporting form and instructions and begin compiling the required information. Information on how to access the web-based reporting portal will be sent through a separate email.

Thank you for your ongoing assistance during these trying times. Please submit any questions about OLTL Act 24 expense reporting via email.

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Senior Woman Being Served Meal By Carer

This communication is to provide notice to Nursing Home Transition (NHT) Coordination Agencies (NHTCAs) of a proposed change to NHT Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA). It will also provide an opportunity to offer comments or feedback. Please review this brief notice and offer any comments or questions by the close of business on Wednesday, October 28, 2020.

Earlier this year, the rules for NHT one-time TBRA were modified to allow that, in the event that a landlord cannot or does not wish to provide the information necessary to make the payment via direct deposit, the payment may be directed to the NHTCA assisting with the application. The NHTCA would then be responsible for providing the payment to the landlord.

 

A change has been proposed, which would require each application and payment to be handled as described above. The one-time TBRA payment would be directed to the NHT Coordination Agency instead of the landlord. The NHTCA then would be responsible for providing the payment to the landlord. This change is expected to make the application and payment process faster and more efficient.

 

Please note that this change would apply only to one-time TBRA payments. Any payments still going to landlords through the now discontinued bridge TBRA payment would continue to be made to those existing landlords for up to 24 months.

If you have any questions, comments, or feedback about this proposed change, including the feasibility of this arrangement for your agency or concerns about any negative outcomes this change might cause, please email your feedback to Rachel Sink no later than the close of business on Wednesday, October 28, 2020.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ Guidance on COVID-19 for Personal Care Homes, Assisted Living Residences and Private Intermediate Care Facilities has been updated as attached. The updated guidance includes procedures for visitation and community outings for medical appointments and other activities.

Additionally, the Frequently Asked Questions and Resources related to the Guidance was updated. The changes made since the previous version are noted in red in both documents.

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We’re excited to announce that RCPA’s Direct Care Works initiative is now live. The workforce development pilot project is using social media platforms to engage potential applicants likely to be attracted to careers in health and human services.

We established a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube (Look for LinkedIn soon!). As part of the pilot project, paid advertising will drive individuals to the Direct Care Works website, where they can learn more about the field and access job opportunities.

The initial paid campaign is focused on Allegheny County and some of the surrounding areas, yet we welcome members from throughout the Commonwealth to share information about employment opportunities for the job portal, as we will be sharing information on several social media channels that reach a statewide audience.

To include your organization in the DCW Job Portal, email [email protected] with the following information:

  • Organization’s name and one line program description (approximately 15 words – see job portal for examples)
  • List of regions where your programs are operated (i.e., Central, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest)
  • Contact person
  • Website link where potential candidates can view organization information and employment openings

RCPA recently issued a release that details the project. Additionally, a social media toolkit has been developed, for our members to use the collateral materials as a way to enhance recruitment efforts and share the Direct Care Works networks with your own audiences.

For more information, please contact RCPA Children’s Division Director Jim Sharp or email [email protected]

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4 sessions sponsored by The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education

  • Why Person Driven Planning? Not About Us Without Us – October 27, 2020 (2:00 pm – 3:00 pm)
  • Tools for Person Driven Planning – December 15, 2020 (2:00 pm – 3:00 pm)
  • Benefits Counseling – Key to the Plan – February 16, 2021 (2:00 pm – 3:00 pm)
  • Empowering Youth in PA – Resources for Self-Determination and Self-Advocacy – April 20, 2021 (2:00 pm – 3:00 pm)

For more information and to register visit this web page.

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