National Council Annual Membership Meeting Recording
![Microphone Photo](https://paproviders.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Microphone-Photo-700x467.jpg)
';
Today, we received the below email from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) concerning the Provider Relief Fund.
Dear Stakeholder,
The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Reporting Portal is now open for providers who need to report on the use of funds in Reporting Period 1. HRSA is committed to supporting the providers who have received PRF payments in completing their reporting requirements successfully. We communicated with providers this morning and we want to share that message with you.
To aid stakeholders as they support their networks, we have created two resources that contain easy-to-share information like a general email, newsletter, and social media content:
In addition, there are resources specifically for providers:
Provider Support Line at (866) 569-3522 for TTY dial 711. Hours of operation are 8:00 am to 10:00 pm CT, Monday–Friday.
HRSA will host a recorded webcast on July 8, 2021 at 3:00 pm ET to provide technical assistance on reporting requirements for PRF recipients and interested stakeholders. Interested parties can register to attend here. We hope you can join us and help spread the word.
We will be in touch as additional resources are developed in the future. Thank you for all you are doing to help your communities throughout this COVID-19 pandemic.
Thank you,
The Office of Provider Support
Information from ANCOR and Invite to an ANCOR Member Only Meeting Friday, July 2
Just the Highlights
Dear ANCOR members,
I write to share exciting news about a bill ANCOR is supporting that was introduced in Congress late last week. The Better Care Better Jobs Act, or “Better Care” (S. 2210 / H.R. 4131), is being led in the Senate by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and in the House by Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Doris Matsui (D-CA). The bill has already garnered support from more than 40 co-sponsors in the Senate.
Better Care seeks to translate President Biden’s proposal for $400 billion in HCBS funding into actionable legislation. Although the bill includes a few challenging provisions, on the whole, Better Care is nothing short of transformative, and ANCOR supports it for the investments it would make in the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) program, including both significantly expanded funding and structural transformations to strengthen the program. If passed, Better Care would allocate as much as $50 billion per year for the next 10 years in new HCBS spending, making it the single largest investment in the 50-year history of HCBS.
The proposed legislation includes a wide array of provisions, which you can learn more about by reading the full text of the legislation or the accompanying summary. However, there are several key highlights ANCOR is particularly excited about, some of which were included in the proposal expressly because of our advocacy. Among other provisions, Better Care would:
Individually, these seven provisions have the potential to be gamechangers. Together, their potential is nothing short of transformative.
And—as with all legislation—Better Care is not perfect. Included are two particular provisions that have the potential to raise implementation challenges or be problematic: (1) a requirement that providers pass through a minimum proportional percentage of their increased reimbursement revenue to DSPs, and (2) an additional 2% FMAP incentive if states establish, either directly or through contracting with one or more nonprofit entities, a registry to connect people seeking services with qualified direct care workers. I flag both of these challenges for you not to suggest that ANCOR will or will not ultimately support these provisions, but rather to underscore that the extent to which we support these provisions will ultimately depend on how the details surrounding their implementation are codified into law.
The details of the Better Care proposal—including its many positive provisions as well the few provisions that demand more detail—mean that you will be essential in its pathway toward becoming law. Like most legislation these days, we don’t anticipate the legislation will secure the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster in the Senate, meaning the surest route for this bill to become law is its inclusion in the budget reconciliation process this fall. If you want to lend your support, there are things you can do now, soon and later to increase its chances of passing:
We say it a lot, but the changes ANCOR is championing on your behalf in Washington simply would not be possible without your passion, support and commitment. Thank you for all you’re doing—now, soon and later—to help us ensure this significant federal legislation becomes the law of the land.
Sincerely,
CEO, ANCOR
From the Department of Human Services (DHS):
As you may know, on Monday, June 14, DHS submitted a preliminary spending plan to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that serves as a foundation for Pennsylvania’s planning efforts by outlining our principles and overarching priorities for expanding and enhancing home and community-based services (HCBS). The preliminary plan encompasses many of the stakeholder recommendations that have been made to date. The overarching priorities include:
The Department of Human Services has already heard from many stakeholders about Pennsylvania’s plan to use the increased Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAP) available under the American Rescue Plan, but for those who are unable to submit feedback via email, you are able to do so by participating in Wednesday’s virtual public comment session beginning at 10:00 am. To ensure all who register are able to speak, each individual will have 5 minutes to provide their feedback.
Click on this link to register for the session. You can click here to view Pennsylvania’s preliminary spending plan.
Thank you for your continued collaboration and for all you do to serve Pennsylvanians.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created a new COVID-19 Viral Testing tool. This interactive and mobile-friendly online tool will help to streamline the process of sorting through information about COVID-19 testing and next steps. The tool complements the CDC’s testing guidance and assists healthcare providers in making decisions and recommendations for their patients about the following:
On Friday, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed SB255, the 2021–22 General Appropriations bill, by a vote of 140-61 in the House and a vote of 43-7 in the Senate.
The accompanying budget code bills also passed on Friday. The Tax Code Bill, HB952, passed 46-4 in the Senate, 170-31 in the House. The Administrative Code, HB336, passed 28-22 in the Senate, 112-89 in the House, and the Fiscal Code, HB1348, passed 42-8 in the Senate and 168-33 in the House. The final code bill, the Public School Code, SB381, passed 154-47 in the House and 40-10 in the Senate.
The planned General Fund budget will spend $40.2 billion, which includes some Federal stimulus monies. The budget only appropriates approximately $2 billion out of the $7.3 billion in federal stimulus dollars. The state Department of Human Services (DHS) budget line-items are set to grow by $1.8 billion, or 11.7 percent.
While not everyone in the General Assembly was happy with the end product, the Governor is expected to sign the budget bills before June 30.
For your convenience, RCPA has compiled a summary of the Administrative and Fiscal Codes and a breakdown of the specific DHS line-items relevant to RCPA members. As more information comes to light concerning how DHS will spend these appropriations on health and human service programs, RCPA will update the membership.
If you have any questions, please contact Jack Phillips, Director of Government Affairs.
Please see the letter below published jointly by the Office of Developmental Programs and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services regarding the hiring of Donald Clark as the new Project Director for the Pennsylvania START Program:
June 25, 2021
Colleagues and Stakeholders,
It is with pleasure that we announce the hiring of Mr. Donald Clark as a Project Director to lead our dual systems initiative of the highly anticipated pilot of PA START. Don holds a Master of Education from Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. He served as the Deputy Director of the Allegheny County Office of Intellectual Disabilities for more than 20 years, the Acting Deputy Mental Health Administrator for Allegheny County on an interim basis and has worked closely with the behavioral health and hospital systems in the western region. In addition, he has experience in the management of Community Residential Programs, along with numerous recognitions and awards.
The START model is a crisis intervention and prevention program designed to support individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A) and co-occurring mental health challenges. National data surrounding this program demonstrates significant outcomes and cost-effective system improvements.
Funding for the pilot is being provided by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Money Follows the Person (MFP) program which offered a unique opportunity to apply for supplemental funding for capacity building efforts. The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) partnered to present the PA START pilot. Pennsylvania was one of the first states to apply and receive this award.
In his role as the Project Director for START, Mr. Clark will be working with diverse stakeholder groups, the University of New Hampshire/Center for START Services and Allegheny County.
Please join us in a warm welcome to Don to the ODP/OMHSAS team!
Sincerely,
Kristin Ahrens
Deputy Secretary
Office of Developmental Programs
Kristen Houser
Deputy Secretary
Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
This webinar will discuss vaccine hesitancy among direct service workers (DSWs), explore barriers they face, including access to information and transportation, and offer strategies to help increase vaccination rates.
Panelists:
This webinar will be held on Thursday, July 1, 2021 from 3:00 pm–4:30 pm ET.
Click here to register.