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Physical Disabilities & Aging

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The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) will conduct their next Community HealthChoices (CHC) Third Thursday webinar on July 16, 2020 from 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm. During this webinar, OLTL’s Deputy Secretary, Jamie Buchenauer, will be providing updates on COVID-19. To participate in the webinar, registration is required. Once registered, an email will be sent that contains the information about joining the webinar.

Questions about the webinar should be directed to the OLTL Bureau of Policy Development and Communications Management at 717-857-3280.

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The next Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting will be held on August 5, 2020 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm via remote streaming. Members interested in participating in the meeting must register in advance. After registering, members will receive a confirmation email that will contain the information about joining the webinar.

Remote captioning and streaming services will be provided. If you require these services, please use this remote captioning and streaming services link.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 14, 2020  

Harrisburg, PA – The Department of Human Services (DHS) today announced applicants selected to participate in the Regional Response Health Collaboration Program (RRHCP). The RRHCP will directly support COVID-19 continued readiness and response planning in long-term residential care facilities, improve quality of care related to infection prevention, expand COVID-19 testing to include asymptomatic staff and residents in facilities, and facilitate continuity of care and services provided by long-term care facilities in an attempt to mitigate the risk of spread of COVID-19 to staff or residents. This effort is a collaboration between DHS, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

“Long-term care providers provide a home and care for some of the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, and COVID-19 remains a serious threat. The Wolf Administration will continue to do all we can to support our long-term care providers during this pandemic and beyond,” said DHS Secretary Teresa Miller. “The Regional Response Health Collaboration Program will build on accomplishments thus far and be a resource to long-term care facilities as COVID-19 evolves. Through these collaboratives, long-term care facilities will have a network to learn, respond, and prepare for what is ahead in the fight against COVID-19.”

More than 45,000 Pennsylvanians live in more than 1,200 personal care homes and assisted living residences, and more than 80,000 residents live in 693 skilled nursing facilities throughout the commonwealth. These residents are often some of the most vulnerable and susceptible to COVID-19 due to age, presence of existing health conditions that may lead to complications, and the congregate nature of these facilities.

The RRHCP will provide clinical, operational, and administrative support to protect residents in long-term care facilities from COVID-19. It will help those facilities implement best practices in infection control, implement contact tracing programs in facilities, support clinical care through on-site and telemedicine services, and provide remote monitoring and consultation with physicians. The RRHCP will assist in identifying alternate care arrangements for patients no longer requiring acute care but needing assistance in returning to their long-term care facilities.

Selected grantees will be awarded $175 million collectively through funding approved by the General Assembly. Funding for the RRHCP is divided regionally by the long-term care facility census in each region. Applicants selected and the regions they will serve include:

  1. Southeast Region ($65.8 million):
    1. Thomas Jefferson University
    2. University of Pennsylvania
  1. Northeast Region ($24 million):
    1. Geisinger Clinic
    2. Lehigh Valley Hospital, Inc
  1. Southcentral Region ($22.9 million):
    1. The Pennsylvania State University
  1. Northcentral Region ($9.8 million):
    1. Geisinger Clinic
  1. Southwest Region ($38.9 million):
    1. UPMC Community Provider Services
  1. Northwest Region ($13.6 million):
    1. LECOM Health
    2. UPMC Community Provider Services

The program will also support facilities as they enhance testing capability for both individuals in care and staff under the expanded statewide testing order released last month. The RRHCP partners will be a critical resource in implementing this testing order for facilities that do not have dedicated clinical staff.

The RRHCP is based on the Educational Support and Clinical Coaching Program (ESCCP), a learning network that provided technical assistance and educational support to long-term care facilities in light of the current pandemic. Unlike the ESCCP, which operated on a voluntary basis, the RRHCP will operate under grant agreements through December 1, 2020.

Visit the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s dedicated Coronavirus webpage for the most up-to-date information regarding COVID-19.

Guidance to DHS providers related to COVID-19 is available here.

MEDIA CONTACT: Erin James, ra-pwdhspressoffice@pa.gov

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On June 24, the Health Resources and Services Administration hosted a webcast providing information regarding the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Distribution. Based on feedback from the webcast, the administration has enhanced and expanded the available resources to help you better understand and, if eligible, take advantage of the program. Recently the they released the following information:

Recorded Webcast
A recording of the June 25 webcast is now available at hhs.gov/providerrelief.

Fact Sheet
We created a Fact Sheet highlighting eligibility requirements, details on use of the payments, and instructions on how to apply and attest to the Terms and Conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In order to better address your most important concerns, we have updated our FAQs to address the questions you submitted for the webcast. The FAQs include expanded information on eligibility, application, payment process, and more.

Application Instructions
Medicaid and CHIP Provider Distribution Instructions and the Medicaid and CHIP Provider Distribution Application Form are available at hhs.gov/providerrelief. We recommend downloading and reviewing these documents to help you complete the process through the Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal.

Additional Information
For additional information, please call the Provider Support Line at 866-569-3522; for TTY, dial 711. Hours of operation are 7 am to 10 pm Central Time, Monday through Friday. Service staff members are available to provide real-time technical assistance, as well as service and payment support.

Thank you for all you are doing to support and protect the American people during this difficult time.

Thomas J. Engels
Administrator
Health Resources and Services Administration
United States Department of Health and Human Services

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The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) recently issued bulletin 17-20-02, “Employment and Employment Related Services,” that shares Pennsylvania’s “Employment First” policy to the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and Service Coordination Entities (SCEs), and updates the obligations of and the resources available under this policy. This bulletin specifically notes the changes to the CHC and OBRA waivers which allow employment and employment-related services to be authorized through the waivers when the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation has a closed order of selection or has not made an eligibility determination within 120 days. The revisions reflecting these changes are detailed in the Procedures section of the Bulletin.

OLTL also included a document, “Guidance on Conversations about Employment for OLTL Participants,” for additional information.

This bulletin rescinds OLTL’s Bulletin 59-16-07, “Employment and Employment Related Services,” issued on July 26, 2016, and any other OLTL policy documents or parts of policy documents that are inconsistent with this bulletin’s contents.

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Often discussed and infrequently practiced, self-care is critically important during the profound and protracted COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the understandable and normal waves of anxiety, depression, and stress that many feel during this uncertain time, the COVID-19 pandemic renders us more vulnerable to burnout, compassion fatigue, or vicarious trauma.

Register now and listen as Carolyn Allard, PhD (Professor and Program Director of the Clinical Psychology PhD Program at the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University and research psychologist at VA San Diego Healthcare System), and Diana M. Concannon, PsyD (Dean of the California School of Forensic Studies at Alliant International University) discuss the particular reasons why COVID-19 both challenges our resilience and offers an unprecedented opportunity to incorporate self-care into our lives.

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If your staff are in need of fingerprinting; there are available fingerprinting appointments on July 21, 2020; however, pre enrollment is required.

Location: Chambersburg Holiday Inn Express, 1097 Wayne Avenue, Chambersburg, PA 17201

Times: 9 am–5 pm, by appointment only, so everyone must pre-enroll. If individuals come to the event and are not enrolled, they may be turned away. They also ask that in order to maintain the COVID-19 safety measures, please do not enter the building until a few minutes before your scheduled appointment time.

Enrollment: Make sure to have your appropriate service code from your human resources department. If you do not know what the appropriate service code is and you cannot contact your employer, you may contact this email.

To be able to enroll for this particular event, you must use the special enrollment code of: SP-DHSCHAMBER721

For directions on enrollment, please review the attachment.

Further Requirements:

  • When the individual enrolls, they will be sent an enrollment confirmation via email. They MUST bring their enrollment confirmation information with them to their appointment. It can be on their phone, it does not have to be printed out, but they must have it!
  • They must bring an appropriate form of identification. The most common forms of identification are: Drivers License (if it has expired during COVID-19 (after March 1, 2020), please make sure to bring your renewal form), current passport, Pennsylvania State Identification, or Green Card.
  • Everyone must wear a mask to the event and keep it on at all times until the Enrollment Agent asks them to remove it so that they can be photographed as part of the fingerprinting protocol.

Payment: If your employer is paying for your fingerprinting, please make sure to obtain a payment voucher code, as you will need that during the enrollment process. If your employer has not provided you with a payment voucher, you will be required to pay for the fingerprinting at the time of the event. The current cost is $23.85 and the Enrollment Agent may only accept (1) credit card (2) debit card or (3) money order made out to “Idemia.”

See the Pre Enrollment Instructions for Mobile Fingerprinting. If you have questions, please contact RCPA Children’s Director Jim Sharp.

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