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Policy Areas

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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) is inviting public comments on the Pennsylvania Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services (SUPTRS) Block Grant submission. The submission process consists of three parts: the draft of the Substance Use Prevention Treatment and Recovery Services Assessment and Plan, or Mini-Application, which is currently open for review; the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Report, which is to be posted in November; and the Annual Synar Report, which is to be available in December. These documents can be accessed here using “citizenpa” as the login and “citizen” as the password. Public comments are requested to be submitted electronically by September 30.

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will conduct the hospital/quality initiative open door forum (ODF) tomorrow, September 6, 2023, at 2:00 pm. Some of the agenda topics for the call include:

  • FY 2024 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS)/Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Final Rule:
    • IPPS Payment Updates
    • LTCH Payment Updates
    • Wage Index Proposals
    • Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Graduate Medical Education (GME) Proposal
    • New Technology Add-on Payment Proposals
    • Social Determinants of Health
    • Physician-Owned Hospital Proposal
    • Quality Updates
    • Hospital Value-Based Payment (VBP) Updates
  • FY 2024 IPF PPS Final Rule
  • Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers & Systems (HCAHPS) Podcast Now Available — Updates to HCAHPS Survey Mode Adjustments
  • Hospital Outpatient Department (OPD) Prior Authorization — Facet Joint Interventions

NEW and UPDATED Open Door Forum Participation Instructions:
This call will be a Zoom webinar. To participate by webinar, register here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Webinar ID: 160 121 2402
Passcode: 860132

Note that, although the ODFs are now a Zoom webinar, we will only use the audio function. There is no need for cameras to be on.

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Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) and Adult Community Autism Program (ACAP) providers are invited to sign up for a scheduled one-on-one virtual office hour to discuss incident management topics with ODP-BSASP. Providers may sign up for one 30-minute session, and multiple staff from the provider may join at the provider’s discretion. Topics for discussion may include: provider-specific IM issues or concerns; EIM reports; general questions about certified investigations; brainstorming ideas of how to improve “performance” related IM tasks; review of provider IM data and compliance; and discussion of provider trends.

We encourage AAW providers and ACAP to take advantage of this opportunity. Sessions are offered in 30-minutes intervals and are on a first-come, first-served basis. The first session is scheduled to begin at 12:30 pm on Wednesday, September 13. To register, visit here. Be sure to complete all required information to reserve a time slot.

Please contact the Provider Support Inbox with questions.

Don’t wait any longer — time is running out to take advantage of the early bird registration rate for the 2023 RCPA Annual Conference A Decade of Unity! Early bird rates end Friday, September 8, 2023. You can view our registration brochure to see our exciting lineup of sessions, keynote speakers, and activities, including networking and Connections Hall events, as well as information on booking your hotel room. Complete the brochure and reserve your seat at the early bird discount rate today!

We also wish to extend our thanks to those organizations that have already contributed and shown their support! Please note that all exhibitor booths have been reserved! However, you can still sponsor and advertise by completing our sponsor/exhibitor brochure today! As a reminder, sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers who wish to be listed on the website, the mobile app, and in the conference program must submit all materials by September 8. If questions remain, please contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released an updated HEADS UP to Youth Sports: Online Concussion Training for Coaches. The training provides important information to assist coaches identify signs and symptoms of possible concussions and steps to take if one occurs.

The objectives of the training include:

  • Describe what concussions are, how they occur, and at least one long-term and two short-term potential effect on an athlete’s physical and mental health;
  • Recognize at least two signs and two symptoms of a concussion you might observe during a practice or game;
  • Explain your role in determining if an athlete should be removed from a practice or game, and list four steps to take after a possible concussion occurs; and
  • Identify at least two ways you can prioritize concussion safety.

The Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania (BIAPA) has announced that they will be offering a 4-part review course for individuals preparing to become Certified Brain Injury Specialists (CBIS). This 4-part Review Course will cover the topics found in Essentials of Brain Injury Guide, Edition 5.0; however, it is highly recommended that you obtain the study materials and prepare prior to taking the CBIS Review Course and the CBIS Exam. Acquiring the CBIS is essential for staff to demonstrate that they are well-informed about providing brain injury rehabilitation services.

FALL 2023 COURSE DATES: September 27, October 4, October 11, and October 18
TIME: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Registration Deadline: September 6, 2023

REGISTRATION PROCESS

  1. The BIAPA Prep-course fee is $250. There will be a live Q&A at the end of each Zoom session. Register here to sign up and pay for the BIAPA prep course.
  2. The CBIS discounted application fee is $200 and is only available at this price if you sign up for the prep-course through BIAPA. This application fee is made payable to BIAA/ACBIS and is required to determine eligibility and be able to sit for the CBIS Exam. Use affiliate code: BIAPADIS to receive a discounted rate through October 19, 2023. Please visit here for eligibility and requirements for taking the CBIS Exam and to pay the application fee.

You can email BIAPA for more information.

Students with disabilities in Pennsylvania will now receive free support through the public education system for an additional year beyond what current policy dictates, The Associated Press reported. Under a settlement announced Thursday, the state’s Department of Education will change its policy to allow students with disabilities to continue in K-12 public education until they turn 22. Previously, students would age out of the program at the end of the school year, during which they turned 21. Students who turned 21 during the 2022/23 school year and were considered to have aged out will also have the option to re-enroll in public school this year, according to the settlement. The new policy takes effect September 5.