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Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

Today, on April 24, RCPA held its 2023 Capitol Day outside the Main Rotunda of the Capitol in Harrisburg, PA. RCPA members Conference for Allegheny Providers (CAP) and KenCrest both came prepared with signs of support and advocacy for legislative reform and funding for health and human services. This includes funding for DSPs and staff training as well as decreasing administrative burden. We thank them and everyone else who came out today and showed support for those who work in these critical services!

You can view RCPA’s 2023 legislative and administrative priorities here.

RCPA will be hosting our 2023 Capitol Day on Monday, April 24. During the day, RCPA will hold a press conference and rally on the steps of the Capitol outside the Main Rotunda between 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm. Invited representatives for the press conference include Rep. Dan Miller, Rep. Mike Schlossberg, Rep. Donna Oberlander, Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, Rep. Doyle Heffley, and Rep Stephen Kinsey. Those invited will speak alongside Richard S. Edley, President and CEO of RCPA, and RCPA Policy Directors. If you have not registered for this event, please register here.

RCPA requests members schedule appointments with their Senate and House legislators to discuss the state budget, legislation, and regulations. Members may access the following documents to be used in their meetings with their representatives:

Copies of materials will also be available at the Capitol Rally.

Members can visit the Pennsylvania Capitol website to find parking information and maps. If you have questions regarding our 2023 Capitol Day, please contact Jack Phillips.

We look forward to seeing you on April 24!

Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will be hosting an informational National Office Hours call on April 25, 2023, at 3:30 pm. The call will focus on the ending of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) that will take place on May 11, 2023, and will help providers, facilities, and people with Medicare prepare. CMS leaders and expert staff will present an overview of the effects of the PHE’s ending on the current waivers and flexibilities and then answer questions.

In preparation for this webinar, CMS encourages participants to review the following resources to determine what questions remain that will support your efforts after the end of the PHE:

Speakers:

  • CMS Leaders from the Office of the Administrator, Center for Medicare, and Center for Clinical Standards and Quality
  • CMS Subject Matter Experts on Medicare policy and PHE-related waivers and flexibilities

RSVP — Register Here

After registering, a confirmation email will be sent containing information about joining the call. When you select the link to join the call on April 25, you will see a message stating that the host will allow you to join the event momentarily. Please continue to wait at that screen until the CMS team opens the call and admits everyone.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has issued a revised Health Alert to emphasize the need to avoid delay in seeking emergency medical care.

There are two key issues in reducing this risk for delay:

  1. Recognizing a medical emergency. Correctly interpreting and acting on these signs could potentially save a life.
  2. Seeking immediate attention for the emergency. With medical emergencies, time is of the essence.

Current provider policies should not instruct staff to contact a supervisor prior to calling 911 in an emergency. Failure to call 911, which can result in treatment delays, may contribute to serious injury or death of an individual that otherwise may have been prevented if 911 was called. This Health Alert is intended to help providers and staff respond to medical emergencies by contacting 911 without delay.

For more information, see the updated Health Alert.