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Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

A message from ODP Deputy Secretary Kristin Ahrens:

On February 3, 2021, pursuant to authority granted through an approved Appendix K, the Department announced temporary enhanced rates for Community Participation Supports and Transportation Trip services for services rendered January 1 through June 30, 2021. The end dates for the temporary rates were programmed in HCSIS consistent with the timeframe announced in the PA Bulletin; therefore, rates effective July 1, 2021 reverted to the previously published rates for these services.

In May 2021, CMS published SMD# 21-003 RE: Implementation of American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Section 9817: Additional Support for Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) during the COVID-19 Emergency. The SMD addresses requirements to receive the increased federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) rate for certain Medicaid expenditures for HCBS, including that federal funds attributable to the increased FMAP must be used to supplement existing state funds expended for Medicaid HCBS in effect as of April 1, 2021.

CMS has advised the Department that it must continue the temporary enhanced rates until the end of the approval of its Appendix K for the Commonwealth to receive the increased FMAP. Accordingly, subject to further CMS guidance, the enhanced rates will continue through the approval of the Appendix Ks. The Appendix Ks for the Consolidated, Person/Family Directed Support (P/FDS), Community Living and Adult Autism Waivers are authorized for 6 months after the federal Public Health Emergency ends.

ODP anticipates that the temporary enhanced rates will be loaded in HCSIS during the week of August 1, 2021. Additional information for handling individual plan authorizations will be transmitted via an ODP communication prior to the rate load in HCSIS.

RCPA, along with the other ID/A Coalition members, requested that CMS require ODP to continue these enhanced rates, so we are pleased to share this news.

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Image by PIRO4D from Pixabay

On July 19, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the renewal of the national Public Health Emergency (PHE) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The declaration of the PHE will remain in effect for 90 days unless renewed again, which HHS has done (five times). The PHE status enables the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to keep in place many waivers of Medicare rules.

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The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Advisory Board, established under section 1252 of the Federal Traumatic Brain Injury Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C.A. § 300d-52), will hold their next virtual public meeting on August 6, 2021. Due to health concerns related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the virtual public meeting will be held by means of Microsoft Teams from 9:00 am–1:00 pm.

Meeting materials will be sent out before the virtual public meeting. Contact Nicole Johnson with any questions. To join the Microsoft Teams virtual public meeting, call (267) 332-8737. The conference ID is 800547238#.

The Department of Health’s (DOH) Head Injury Program (HIP) strives to ensure that eligible individuals who have a TBI receive high quality rehabilitative services aimed at reducing functional limitations and improving quality of life. The Board assists the Department in understanding and meeting the needs of persons living with TBI and their families. This quarterly virtual public meeting will provide updates on a variety of topics, including the number of people served by HIP. In addition, meeting participants will discuss budgetary and programmatic issues, community programs relating to traumatic brain injury, and available advocacy opportunities.

For additional information, or for persons with a disability who wish to attend the virtual public meeting and require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation to do so, contact Nicole Johnson, Division of Community Systems Development and Outreach at (717) 772-2763, or for speech and/or hearing-impaired persons, contact V/TT (717) 783-6514 or the Pennsylvania Hamilton Relay Service at (800) 654-5984.

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Update from ACCSES:

Yesterday, the House Education and Labor Committee Subcommittees on Workforce Protections and Civil Rights and Human Services held a joint hearing on “Phasing out Subminimum Wages: Supporting the Transition to Competitive Integrated Employment for Workers with Disabilities.”  This hearing was actually one of the best Congressional hearings we have watched on this topic — and we have seen many. We want to give a special shout-out to Dr. Matthew Putts, CEO of Employment Horizons in New Jersey for taking the time to serve as a witness and for bringing his expertise and eloquence to the table. It was a very interesting two hours. You can watch it here.

RCPA submitted a statement of our view of Community Rehabilitation Programs, and both Representative Keller and Congressman Thompson submitted RCPA’s statement into the record.  Congressman Thompson also spoke positively regarding RCPA members Venango Development and Training Center, Cambria County Association of the Blind, ICW and Progressive Workshop. We are certainly grateful for their support.

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ODP Announcement 21-055 describes how the ending of the Harry M. settlement agreement on July 29, 2021 impacts stakeholders. The Harry M. settlement agreement was approved by a federal court judge on August 20, 2013. This settlement agreement was created to ensure Pennsylvanians who are D/deaf and receive services/supports from the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) are provided with necessary communication assistance services. The settlement also includes a requirement to provide communication assessments and reassessments to evaluate expressive and receptive language skills and make recommendations.

ODP will continue to meet all requirements that were imposed by the settlement; however, new D/deaf individuals that enroll in the Consolidated, Community Living, or Person/Family Directed Support (P/FDS) Waivers will not automatically be scheduled for an assessment. Class Members who previously received a Communication Assessment Report that recommended a reassessment will still receive their reassessment automatically.

Beginning July 30, 2021, when a D/deaf individual is enrolled in the Consolidated, Community Living, or P/FDS waiver, the Supports Coordinator (SC) is to check the “Harry M. Litigation” checkbox in the demographics screen in HCSIS. This indicator alerts the Deaf Services Coordinator of the individual.

Within 30 days of the individual being enrolled in an applicable waiver, the SC should contact the Deaf Services Coordinator for a consultation. This consultation will allow the Deaf Services Coordinator to recommend specific trainings and resources and an assessment, if applicable.

Note: Communication assessments are available in the waivers for adults age 21 and older through the Speech/Language Therapy service. For individuals age 20 or younger, communication assessments are available through Medical Assistance.

Please see the revised Supports Coordinators’ Guide to the Communication Assessment and Reassessment.

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Join Maher Duessel for their annual non-profit accounting CPE (Continuing Professional Education) seminar. There is no cost to attend this two day virtual session on Tuesday–Wednesday, July 27-28, 2021. Both sessions will be in the afternoon from 12:45 pm–4:50 pm and will focus on the latest non-profit accounting and auditing issues, including a session on the CARES Act and other Coronavirus funding updates.

Visit here to register. To view the full agenda (which includes the breakdown of the credits offered) and to register for the seminar, please view the details here.

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