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Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

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The Department of Human Services (DHS) has launched a new website for the PA Rural Health Transformation Plan, containing information on goals as well as links to the full plan and news updates.

While a formal RFP process has not yet been released, providers can submit the following inquiry form. This brief survey provides each organization with an opportunity to introduce your agency and services you offer, ask questions regarding the Rural Health Transformation Plan, and identify the Rural Care Collaborative region(s) where you and/or your organization is based or provides services (see map below). Once submitted, DHS will review and respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.

Providers and stakeholders may also sign up for updates on the Rural Health Transformation Plan.

If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO Jim Sharp.

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Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

The Specialty Telehealth and Assessment Team (STAT) is a 24/7 telehealth service that provides health assessments. The service is consultative and provides disability specific advice of when to best seek additional or in-person medical treatment for the participants. This is a service that occurs in the participant’s private home or residential home to help assess their need for medical attention.

This service does not duplicate any service that is available through the state plan, and, very importantly, this service is not intended to replace in-person exams. The goal is not to prevent people from going to the emergency room or seeing a physician in person when needed. It is a support that can help to alleviate the burden of going to the emergency department or urgent care when it is not absolutely necessary for the individual to be seen in person.

The STAT waiver service is provided as a monthly service and billed in monthly units. One unit equals one month at 55 dollars a unit. All individuals that are involved in an ID/A waiver, Person/Family Directed Support (PFDS) waiver, Community Living waiver, and the Consolidated waiver are eligible for this service. The STAT waiver service is available for individuals of all ages and all living situations as long as they are enrolled in one of the ID/A waivers. In order to access this service, STAT must be added to the ISP via a critical revision or at the time of the annual ISP and must be authorized by the administrative entity prior to the service being used. STAT costs are included in the annual limit for P/FDS and Community Living waivers.

STAT is a unique and specialized service. The physicians that provide this service are educated in the guidelines for the provision of health care to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. All staff who render the service have completed a specialized training curriculum on how to provide medical assessment, treatment interventions, and recommendations regarding the health care needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, or autism. This service is provided and overseen by physicians who are licensed to practice medicine in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or have appropriate reciprocity.

The STAT waiver service has been available since March of 2024 and has grown steadily since. There are currently over 5,500 individuals using the service with two providers available, StationMD and Senacare. The service has maintained approximately a 94% treat in place rate since it became available, saving time and resources by avoiding unnecessary Emergency Department and urgent care visits.

We encourage SCs to provide education to individuals, families, and teams about how the STAT service can help.

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The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has released the agenda and call information for the February 4, 2026, Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting. This meeting will be held via webinar/remote streaming only from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.

Comments and questions for this meeting should be sent electronically.

The conference line for the meeting is:
Bridge Number: 1 (914) 614-3221 PIN: 938-224-090#
Webinar Link
Remote Streaming Link

For additional information about this meeting, visit the LTSS Subcommittee website.

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a revised Medicare Learning Network (MLN) booklet that contains revisions to telehealth and remote monitoring. Specific changes noted in this publication include:

  • The addition of a resource link for the latest telehealth information;
  • Additional information on how to suppress a practitioner’s home address in PECOS;
  • The removal of telehealth frequency limitations for subsequent inpatient, nursing facility, and critical care consultations;
  • Permanently allowing teaching and supervising physicians to supervise through virtual presence;
  • Continued payment to Rural Health Clinics (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) for medical telehealth services through December 31, 2026;
  • Starting in CY 2026, only adding services to the Medicare telehealth services list on a permanent basis;
  • The addition of 5 new CPT and HCPCS codes to the Medicare telehealth services list; and
  • For CY 2026, updates to the:
    • Medicare Economic Index; and
    • Originating site fee.

Members are encouraged to review the booklet for more details on these changes.

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