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On Monday, May 11, 2026, RCPA will be hosting a virtual H.R. 1 Medicaid Summit for all members, non-members, and stakeholders from 9:00 am – 10:00 am. This summit will feature guest panelists who will provide Federal and State updates on the implementation and impacts of the pending Medicaid changes. We will also explore the role of providers, advocates, and stakeholders in the process to ensure access and care for vulnerable Pennsylvanians. Register for the summit here.
As part of the event, we will have a Q&A segment. If you have any questions you would like to ask during the Q&A segment, or if you have any general questions regarding the virtual summit, please forward them to RCPA Behavioral Health Policy Associate Emma Sharp.

Friday, April 10 at 5:00 pm is the deadline to complete and submit nominations for the Rural Health Transformation Plan (RHTP) Advisory Council and RHTP Rural Care Collaboratives (RCC).
Advisory Council (Statewide): This is a not a decision-making body.
The Advisory Council will provide subject matter expertise (SME) to the RCCs. The Council’s feedback is intended to inform and enhance RCC regional plans to ensure planned projects have the best chance of succeeding and will be sustainable after the 5-year RHTP funding is no longer available.
The Advisory Council needs SME representation in:
Rural Care Collaboratives (Regional): This is a planning body.
There will be 8 RCCs established with the purpose of:
Complete the RHTP Advisory Council and RCC Nomination form here.
Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, recently announced a hearing titled Healthier America: Legislative Proposals to Improve Public Health.
The hearing, scheduled for April 15, 2026, at 10:15 am, will focus on the bills below that address various areas of public health, including disease research and prevention efforts, bolstering resources for rural medical services and health care providers, promoting healthy activities, and increasing access to care.
The hearing will be open to the public and will be livestreamed online.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) held a “kickoff” webinar to discuss the Rural Health Transformation Plan (RHTP) and have released the recording and slides for the presentation, which are available here. DHS is currently awaiting the release of the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the first phase of Year 1 implementation.
Year 1 Funding Mechanisms will include:
If your organization has an interest in these RFPs, RCPA will provide updates as appropriate, but we also encourage you to sign up directly for the DHS listserv info. Direct RHTP inquiries can be sent here.
The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has distributed the PowerPoint and additional items from the April 1 Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting. Highlights from the meeting include:
Also available are the March 11 Follow-Up Responses, including the indication of growing importance of Assisted Living Residences as an “in lieu of” service, as it moves a step closer to becoming an approved CHC waiver service.
If you have any questions, please contact Fady Sahhar.
The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) released Bulletin 59-26-03, which updates the standardized Participant Review Tool (PRT) for Service Coordinators (SC). The bulletin provides additional clarification on the location of face-to-face visits with participants when completing the PRT. The bulletin also provides guidance to SCs on when increased face-to-face visits with program participants should be scheduled to protect their health, safety, and welfare.
This bulletin rescinds OLTL Bulletin 59-26-02 and any other OLTL policy documents or parts of policy documents that are inconsistent with this bulletin’s contents.
This bulletin applies to enrolled Service Coordination Entities (SCE) performing services in OLTL Medical Assistance Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) for the OBRA waiver and the Act 150 Program.