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The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has issued an update on the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Reporting Portal.

The OLTL ARPA Funding portal was launched September 30, 2022 for providers to submit costs associated with ARPA of 2021 funding in order to comply with the Department of Human Services’ (DHS’) reporting requirements. The reporting due dates were previously communicated and are outlined in the chart below. OLTL continues to work through portal access requests and data discrepancy issues. Due to these ongoing challenges, please be advised there will NOT be a penalty assessed for initial reports submitted after the 2/28/2023 due date.

Report Period  Due Dates 
07/01/2021–12/31/2021
01/01/2022–06/30/2022
07/01/2022–12/31/2022		 2/28/2023
01/01/2023–6/30/2023 8/30/2023
07/01/2023–12/31/2023 2/28/2024

As a reminder, the reporting portal is only accepting ARPA cost reports for funding allocated by the General Assembly in 2021. This includes allocations for:

  • Act 24 payments to nursing facilities (NF), personal care homes (PCH), and assisted living residences (ALR) for COVID-19 related costs not otherwise reimbursed by federal, state, or other sources of funding;
  • Strengthening the workforce funding for eligible Personal Assistance Services (PAS), Community Integration (CI), and Residential Habilitation (Res Hab) providers to assist with recruitment and retention of direct care workers; and
  • Funding to adult day providers to strengthen adult day services.

Additional detailed information about the distribution of the 2021 ARPA funding can be found on the DHS Long-Term Care Providers page.

Portal Training & Support
The DHS ARPA Reporting Portal User Guide is an additional resource to help navigate the reporting portal. For portal access requests or questions, please contact the OLTL Provider Helpline at 800-932-0939, Option 2 or via email for assistance.

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As part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) ongoing efforts to provide up-to-date information to prepare for the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, expected on May 11, 2023, we are providing a new overview fact sheet on CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the Transition Forward from the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. COVID-19 efforts have been a significant priority for the current administration, and with the use of whole-of-government approach, the country is in a better place. Over the next several months, CMS will work to ensure a smooth transition back to normal operations.

The fact sheet provides clarity on several topics, including:

  • COVID-19 vaccines, testing, and treatments;
  • Telehealth services; and
  • Health care access.

There are several telehealth flexibilities listed within the document, including the continuation of virtual supervision to the end of the calendar year. See below for an excerpt from CMS’ PHE release:

Virtual Supervision

To allow more people to receive care during the PHE, CMS temporarily changed the definition of “direct supervision” to allow the supervising health care professional to be immediately available through virtual presence using real-time audio/video technology instead of requiring their physical presence. CMS also clarified that the temporary exception to allow immediate availability for direct supervision through virtual presence also facilitates the provision of telehealth services by clinical staff “incident to” the professional services of physicians and other practitioners. This flexibility will expire on December 31, 2023.

What is missing is guidance around the intersect of telehealth and the prescribing of buprenorphine as directed under the Ryan Haight Act of 2008. As part of the CMS Physicians Fee Schedule of 2023, CMS was in the process of writing language extending this as a flexibility. To date, there has been no guidance, though RCPA continues its advocacy efforts with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, as well as state and federal stakeholders.

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Photo by Kane Reinholdtsen on Unsplash

The 2023 RCPA Conference, which will be celebrating our 10-year anniversary as a leader in shaping policy and enhancing lives, will be held October 10 – 13 at the Hershey Lodge for a statewide audience. The Conference Committee is seeking workshop proposals in every area for possible inclusion, particularly those that assist providers in developing and maintaining high-quality, stable, and effective treatments, services, and agencies in an industry where change is constant. The committee looks for presentations that:

  • Highlight new policy, research, and treatment initiatives, such as telehealth innovations, suicide prevention, and employing people with disabilities;
  • Provide specific skills and information related to individual and organizational leadership development and enhancement;
  • Discuss advanced ethics practices;
  • Address system changes that affect business practices, including integrated care strategies, value-based purchasing, acquisitions/mergers, and alternative payment models;
  • Provide guidance on building a culture of a committed workforce, including recruitment and employee development as well as effective remote workforce strategies;
  • Offer concrete skills and tools to operate more efficient, effective agencies; and
  • Inspire ideas for organizations to be leaders in their field.

The committee welcomes any proposal that addresses these and other topics essential to rehabilitation, mental health, substance use disorder, children’s health, aging, physical disabilities, and intellectual/developmental disabilities & autism. Members are encouraged to consider submitting and to forward this opportunity to those who are exceptionally good speakers and have state-of-the-art information to share.

The Call for Proposals (featuring a complete listing of focus tracks) and accompanying Guidelines for Developing Educational Objectives detail requirements for submissions. The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 13, 2023, at 5:00 pm. Proposals must be submitted electronically on the form provided; confirmation of receipt will be sent. Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

If the proposal is accepted, individuals must be prepared to present on any day of the conference. Workshops are 90 or 180 minutes in length. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be required to confirm the ability to submit workshop handouts electronically four weeks prior to the conference. Individuals unable to meet this expectation should not submit proposals for consideration.

Individuals are welcome to submit multiple proposals. Notification of inclusion will be made via email by Friday, May 12, 2023. Questions may be directed to Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

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The Moral Matters podcast recently discussed “Lobbying for Good” with Richard Edley, PhD, who is a psychologist and current President/CEO of RCPA, an advocacy and lobbying organization in Pennsylvania that supports community health and human services organizations. He shares his journey to this career, and why we should all learn more about how lobbyists — and even political action committees — might be acting on our behalf. Listen to the podcast here.

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The Department of Human Services (DHS) has announced a public meeting that will focus on Electronic Visit Verification (EVV). The meeting is scheduled for March 24, 2023, from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm and will be held virtually. During this meeting, DHS will provide additional information and updates related to the DHS EVV implementation. Please register to attend this public meeting on the registration page. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

If you have a question that you would like to have read and answered during the meeting, please submit it electronically before March 15, 2023.

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The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has released the registration information and agenda for the March 1, 2023, Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting. The meeting will be held at the PA Department of Education Building’s Honors Suite, 1st Floor, at 333 Market St. in Harrisburg, or via webinar from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.

To participate in the meeting via webinar, please register here. When registering, please verify that you entered your email address correctly. You will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar if you registered correctly. Note that if you have trouble accessing the webinar registration through Internet Explorer or Safari web browsers, you should try accessing it through a different web browser, such as Chrome or Edge.

Dial In Number: 1 (213) 929-4212
Access Code: 315552949#.

Public comments will be taken after each presentation. Questions can be entered into the chat box during the presentations, and these questions will be asked at the end of each presentation. There will be an additional period at the end of the meeting for any additional public comments.

If you have any questions about alternative methods for submitting questions or comments during a subcommittee meeting, including options when no internet access is available, please submit them electronically.

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the renewal of the Community HealthChoices (CHC) 1915(b) waiver effective January 1, 2023, for a 5-year period. Under the 1915(b) waiver, Pennsylvania operates the CHC managed care program.

As part of the CHC 1915(b) waiver renewal, the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) was required to obtain an independent evaluation or assessment of its CHC waiver program and submit the findings when renewing the CHC 1915(b) waiver.

The CHC 1915(b) waiver renewal and the Independent Assessment of the 1915(b) waiver are posted to the CHC-Supporting Documents website. Questions about the CHC 1915(b) waiver amendment or Independent Assessment can be submitted electronically.

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