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Physical Disabilities & Aging

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The Department of Human Services has released a timeline for transitions to Community HealthChoices (CHC), which is a managed care program that will better coordinate the way participants receive their physical health services and long-term services and supports (LTSS). The goal is to serve more people in their homes and their communities. CHC will serve Medicaid participants 21 years of age or older who also receive Medicare, need LTSS in their home or community, or are in nursing facilities. Today, there are five waivers in which participants receive LTSS. In the future there will be two waivers.

CHC: will serve participants currently in the Aging, Attendant Care, Independence, and COMMCARE waivers. OBRA participants who are nursing facility clinically eligible will also move to CHC.

OBRA Waiver: will continue to serve participants 18 years of age and older who have a severe developmental disability requiring the level of care provided in an intermediate care facility/other related conditions (often referred to as ICF/ORC).

ATTENDANT CARE AND INDEPENDENCE WAIVERS
What will happen?

  • Since CHC only serves participants 21 years of age and older, participants in the Attendant Care and Independence waivers who are between 18 to 20 years of age will be enrolled in the OBRA Waiver to receive LTSS services.
  • The OBRA Waiver will provide the same services available in Attendant Care and Independence waivers.
  • It is DHS’ priority to ensure that participants’ services are not impacted in any way.

When will this happen?
Southwest Zone: August 2017 to October 2017
Southeast Zone: February 2018 to May 2018
Remaining Zones: August 2018 to October 2018

COMMCARE WAIVER
What will happen?

  • The COMMCARE Waiver will end December 31, 2017. Any new applicants who would have been eligible for the COMMCARE Waiver after September 1, 2017, will be eligible for and enrolled in the Independence Waiver.
  • This means that participants who are receiving services in the COMMCARE Waiver who do not live in the Southwest Zone will be enrolled in the Independence Waiver before December 31, 2017.
  • It is DHS’ priority to ensure that participants’ services are not impacted in any way.

When will this happen?
COMMCARE Waiver participants residing outside of the Southwest Zone will be enrolled in the Independence Waiver by their service coordinators between July 2017 and November 2017.

COMMCARE participants in the Southwest Zone will transition to CHC on January 1, 2018.

OBRA WAIVER
What will happen?

  • OBRA Waiver participants whose level of care determination was completed before November 18, 2016, will get an assessment to determine their eligibility for CHC. Those determined ineligible for CHC will remain in OBRA.
  • DHS is working with the Area Agencies on Aging, service coordinators, and providers to ensure assessments are completed in a timely manner. Participants will be contacted by their Area Agency on Aging to schedule a time for the assessor to meet with them to go through the assessment process. 

When will this happen?
Southwest Zone: May 2017 to August 2017
Southeast Zone: October 2017 to February 2018
Remaining Zones: April 2018 to August 2018

*There are no additional transitions for Aging Waiver participants. Aging Waiver participants will simply transition to CHC when CHC begins in their zones.

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RCPA will host its annual conference at the Hershey Lodge on October 10–13, 2017. At this large-scale, statewide event, the RCPA board of directors wants to continue the important tradition of recognizing individuals and organizations/facilities for their dedication and commitment to service. The following award categories have been created for this event and recognition:

  • RCPA Innovation Award. Presented to an individual or organization in recognition of significant innovation. Examples include cross-systems integration, physical/behavioral health integration, and implementation of new technologies.
  • Exemplary Service to RCPA Award. Presented to an individual or organization/facility that has shown a strong commitment and dedication in service to the association, its members, and related issues.
  • Legislative Leadership Award. Presented to an individual who has shown significant leadership and commitment to government affairs and legislative issues, on behalf of RCPA and its members.
  • Community Leadership Award. Presented to an individual in recognition of extending service and knowledge to the community at large, and efforts in helping the community understand the needs of individuals served by RCPA members. This can be for specific or short-term significant acts, or to recognize a career-long body of work.
  • Lifetime Achievement Award. Presented to an individual in honor of his/her significant, consistent, and enduring contribution throughout his/her career in support and furthering of the field.

At this time, RCPA is accepting nominations through an open solicitation of members (e.g., designated contact person, CEOs/executive directors, staff) and RCPA committees. Members may nominate one or more individuals/organizations in one or more categories. Nominations will be reviewed by a sub-group of the board of directors to make recommendations for final selection and approval by the full board.

Include the name/organization (if applicable) of the nominee, the award category, and a statement about why you believe the individual/organization should be honored. Nominations should be made by Friday, June 2, 2017. Please send nominations to Cindy Lloyd.

Award recipients are not limited to RCPA members and every award may not be presented annually. Please join the association in continuing this tradition and in offering nominations for those who deserve recognition for their significant contributions.

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Today the Wolf Administration issued a document entitled Understanding Community HealthChoices vs HealthChoices to explain the similarities and differences between the two programs.

Community HealthChoices (CHC) is a new initiative that will increase opportunities for older Pennsylvanians and individuals with physical disabilities to remain in their homes. HealthChoices is Pennsylvania’s mandatory managed care program for 2.2 million Medical Assistance participants.

CHC was developed to: (1) enhance access to and improve coordination of medical care and; (2) create a person-driven, long-term support system in which people have choice, control, and access to a full array of quality services that provide independence, health, and quality of life. Long-Term Services and Supports help eligible individuals to perform daily activities in their homes such as bathing, dressing, preparing meals, and administering medications.

The document describes eligibility, timelines for implementation, and the CHC managed care organizations that will operate in each zone beginning in January, 2018.

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RCPA has joined the many community organizations across Pennsylvania that are now participants in the #FamilyFirstPA Coalition. #FamilyFirstPA is a campaign committed to enabling families to advocate for themselves in the ongoing effort to protect human services in the state budget process. The project works with provider, advocacy, faith-based, and community organizations to identify FAMILIES and provide social media platforms for them to share their stories of the challenges they face and the critical support their family has received from community services that rely on state and county funding. While these families may not know about funding streams, waivers, etc., they know what a difference critical human services are making in the lives of their families. In the current phase of the project, #FamilyFirstPA is seeking and interviewing families in four regions:

  • Lehigh Valley: Berks, Lehigh, Northampton Counties
  • Southeast: Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, Delaware Counties
  • South Central: Dauphin, Lancaster, York Counties
  • Southwest: Allegheny, Washington, Westmoreland Counties

More information about the project can be found online and providers and families are encouraged to “like,” participate in, and “follow” #FamilyFirstPA on Facebook and Twitter.

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On March 17, 2017, The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) announced the availability of classroom trainings for staff of Service Coordination (SC) Entities.

As a prerequisite to these classroom trainings, participants must have completed the three OLTL online SC modules available online, which provide a strong foundation for the basics needed to fulfill service coordination requirements.

The one-day, instructor-led classroom sessions will allow participants to take what they learned from the online modules and apply it to situations found every day on the job. Attendance at these sessions will be limited to SCs (not supervisors or directors) and to two participants per agency. Preference will be given to new SCs hired in 2016 and 2017. Additional registrations will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.

There will be three, one-day instructor-led sessions held this spring (there will be additional trainings in other parts of the state later this year) which will run from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm each day, as follows:

The first training will be held in Harrisburg on Wednesday, April 5, 2017, at the PaTTAN Building, which is located at 6340 Flank Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17112 (717-541-4960). Addresses for the other trainings will be provided when established, and will be held in the following locations:

  • Bethlehem – May 3, 2017 – Location TBD
  • State College – June 6, 2017 – Location TBD

You must register in order to attend one of these sessions and complete the registration form. If you have questions about the training, please contact OLTL’s Bureau of Participant Operations at 717-787-8091.

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On March 17, the Pennsylvania Department of the Treasury announced that the official launch of its PA Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Savings Program will occur on Monday, April 3, 2017, at a media and legislative event in the Capitol Rotunda at 12:30 pm. On that date, the PA Treasury ABLE program officially begins accepting accounts for enrollment and opens the door on hope for individuals with disabilities and the families who care for those loved ones. Kathleen F. McGrath, Esq., PA Savings Programs Director, invites stakeholders to join Treasurer Joe Torsella, US Senator Robert Casey, and PA Senator Lisa Baker as ABLE officially opens for business.

Pennsylvanians with eligible disabilities are about to receive the tools they need to build a sound fiscal future. ABLE accounts mean a new, fresh perspective on what living as a financially empowered individual can mean. A PA ABLE account gives individuals with qualified disabilities (Eligible Individuals), and their families and friends, a tax-free way to save for disability-related expenses, while maintaining government benefits. Federal and state law authorized the creation of PA ABLE accounts; additional information is available online.

The Pennsylvania Department of the Treasury welcomes the attendance of all stakeholders. Attendees are asked to RSVP with your name and the number you are bringing with you by March 30, 2017. Additional details will be provided to you once you RSVP your attendance.

Stakeholders are invited to share this information with anyone who has a stake in the successful launch of this new product. While program material will be available at the launch event, PA ABLE asks that requests for bulk material and outreach or speaking opportunities are sent by email. The more people who know about this program and what it means to be ABLE to look to living a secured future, the better.

In addition, PA ABLE invites stakeholders to share stories of those who are going to benefit from the ABLE account by contacting them by March 24, 2017. Ms. McGrath also invites stakeholders to follow the Twitter handle @PATreasury for the latest updates, and help drive the conversation with the hashtag #PAABLE.

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Please join the Office of Long-term Living (OLTL) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) for an informational webinar on Community HealthChoices (CHC) on Friday, March 31, 2017 at 1:00 pm. The webinar will feature a presentation from OLTL’s Chief of Staff, Kevin Hancock. Kevin will provide an update on CHC, describe progress to date, and discuss next steps. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers at the end of the presentation.

Background on CHC
The commonwealth is in the process of implementing CHC. CHC is a mandatory managed care program for eligible individuals, providing physical health services and long-term services and supports, such as attendant care services. CHC is being geographically phased in across the commonwealth beginning in January of 2018 in 14 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, followed in July 2018 by five counties in the southeastern portion of the commonwealth. The CHC implementation will be completed in January 2019, when the remaining counties are implemented. The move to CHC will assist DHS in continuing to provide quality services.  CHC managed care organizations will be required to coordinate covered services, Medicare, and behavioral health services for enrolled participants.

To register for the webinar, please follow this link. Once you have registered, you will receive a confirmation email containing connection information. Please note, the connection information you receive will be unique to you and should not be shared with others.

Reminder: All CHC-related information can be found here. Comments can be submitted electronically. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Long-Term Living Bureau of Policy and Regulatory Management at 717-783-8412.

A listserv has been established for ongoing updates on the CHC program, titled OLTL-COMMUNITY-HEALTHCHOICES. If you would like to update or register your email address, please follow this link.

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On February 23, 2017, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) released guidance to Home Care Agencies and Registries in follow-up to a policy clarification issued on November 23, 2016 regarding Direct Care Workers Non-Skilled Services in Home and Community-Based Services Settings.

The guidance includes a tool for organizations to use to comply with the Department of Health’s Home Care Agency and Registry regulations. The tool describes the consumer characteristics of individuals who can receive non-skilled activities/services, defined as Specialized Care. In addition, it describes the Home Care Agency/Registry responsibility for training and documentation of the direct care worker’s competency prior to delivering the Specialized Care. The guidance also establishes guidelines for the inclusion of Specialized Care into an individual’s care or service plan. RCPA’s policy statement in support of this clarification and guidance for expanded service options is available here.

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