The Post on Policy (POP) OCYF Newsletter was designed to inform and update on all things policy in the Office of Children, Youth, and Families Bureau of Programs, Policy and Operations/Division of Policy. This quarterly newsletter highlights policy updates, work group activity, staff contacts, upcoming changes, and special events.
Please contact RCPA Policy Associate Emma Sharp with any questions.
The Department of Labor & Industry has published the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024/25 Quarter 1 (Q1) report required by the Work Experience for High School Students with Disabilities Act (Act 26 of 2016). The report can be found on the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation’s (OVR) Publications web page.
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) informs all waiver providers and vendors whose last digit of their Master Provider Index (MPI) number is 3, 4, or 5, as well as any new providers who enrolled in the 2023/24 fiscal year, that they must submit their qualification documentation to their Assigned AE and/or ODP’s Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP). Documentation must include a completed DP 1059 form and/or DP 1088 form, Provider Qualification Documentation Record (note: an updated Provider Qualification Documentation Record will be uploaded to MyODP in the coming weeks), as well as any other required supporting documentation.
This documentation is due between February 1, 2025 — March 31, 2025.
Please view the announcement ODPANN 25-008 for additional information and details.
The 2025 Sarah A. Reed Children’s Center Alessi, Levan, Kebles Forum Diversity Summit is June 11, 2025. The summit provides relevant diversity training that improves mental health service delivery and educational services. This free event is for providers and parents alike.
Workshop presenters will present 75-minute interactive workshops using the Teams webinar platform. Presenters will be supported with optional training in the platform prior to the webinar and will have the support of a Sarah Reed staff person acting as a proctor during the session.
Visit the 2024 Diversity Summit Recap to become familiar with the Summit.
Workshop Proposals are due by March 31, 2025, at 5:00 pm EST.
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) held their regular public meeting on January 16 – 17, 2025. During one of their presentations, “Assessing Payment Adequacy and Updating Payments: Skilled Nursing Facility Services; Home Health Agency Services; Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Services; Outpatient Dialysis Services; and Hospice Services,” there was a draft recommendation specific to inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF). The draft recommendation was for fiscal year 2026 and noted that Congress should reduce the 2025 Medicare base payment rate by 7 percent. The PowerPoint presentation is available here.
During this public meeting, MedPAC voted to finalize this recommended payment reduction to fiscal year 2026 IRF Prospective Payment System (PPS) payments. Both AMRPA and other national hospital stakeholders, on behalf of IRFs, strongly opposed this proposed payment cut (prior to the public meeting). However, MedPAC advanced the recommended cut with limited discussion about the potential impacts on patient access and IRF operations.
MedPAC’s recommendations do require Congressional action. As a result, advocacy will be planned to continue to voice concerns with this recommendation. Members will be kept apprised of any upcoming changes.
RCPA partnered with The Alliance of Community Service Providers, The Arc of Pennsylvania, MAX Association, PAR, and TPA, in a collaborative workforce study and surveyed our members to collect data on the impact of the Commonwealth’s ID/A investment. We are pleased to share the results of that study, published and released today. This report also includes information on the demographic profile of our workforce, employee benefits provided, and critical data on vacancies and retention for Direct Support Professionals who provide the lifeline for individuals and families served by our community system.
Also available is a one-page infographic highlighting key data points from the compensation report, complemented with additional facts regarding inflation and the waiting list for intellectual disability services. Examined together, these factors illustrate the continued urgency for ongoing investment to meet the needs of our ID/A community and the thousands of people who remain on a waiting list without essential services.
The associations plan to continue our joint advocacy efforts regarding the budget for the coming Pennsylvania fiscal year.
Contact Carol Ferenz, IDD Division Director, with any questions.
Please share these PA Family Network workshops and support groups with your network! Register for upcoming events at PA Family Network’s website.
Support Groups
LifeCourse Workshops
Waiver Workshops
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made updates to the training schedule for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) provisions of the Medicaid Access Rule. The new training session dates and tentative topics for each session can be found below. These dates and topics are subject to change.
*Nursing Facility and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities Rate Transparency provisions finalized in CMS-3442-F: Medicare and Medicaid
You can learn more about the training series and register for upcoming sessions on the HCBS Provisions of the Medicaid Access Rule Training Series registration web page.
Prev