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Physical Disabilities & Aging

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The Department of Human Services (DHS) published a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin for November 12, 2022, that announces revisions to the Medical Assistance (MA) fee schedule for the OBRA Waiver and the Act 150 Program: Personal Assistance Services (PAS) (Agency with Choice) and Respite (Agency with Choice).

DHS proposes the following substantive and technical changes to the OBRA Waiver:

  • Add Agency with Choice as a Financial Management Services model for the participant-directed services of PAS and Respite;
  • Revise the Benefits Counseling service definition;
  • Amend the responsibilities of the Fiscal/Employer Agent;
  • Update the Quality Improvement Strategy to the current process;
  • Add a new performance measure for Agency with Choice; and
  • Remove a performance measure that is duplicative.

The proposed OBRA Waiver amendment and a summary of all revisions are available for review on the OLTL Waiver Amendments, Renewals, and Accompanying HCBS Transition Plans web page under Additional Resources.

The following table provides the procedure code and rates for PAS (Agency with Choice):

Region OBRA Waiver
and Act 150		 Procedure Code Modifier Rate Unit
1 X W0164 N/A $4.02 15 minutes
2 X W0164 N/A $3.89 15 minutes
3 X W0164 N/A $4.12 15 minutes
4 X W0164 N/A $4.58 15 minutes

The following table provides the procedure code and rates for Respite (Agency with Choice):

Region OBRA Waiver
and Act 150		 Procedure Code Modifier Rate Unit
1 X W0165 N/A $4 15 minutes
2 X W0165 N/A $3.90 15 minutes
3 X W0165 N/A $4.12 15 minutes
4 X W0165 N/A $4.59 15 minutes

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments regarding these fee schedule rates and the proposed amendment to the Department of Human Services, Office of Long-Term Living, Bureau of Policy Development and Communications Management, Attention: Robyn Kokus, P.O. Box 8025, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8025. Comments can also be sent via email. Use ”OBRA 2023” as the subject line. Comments received within 30 days will be considered in subsequent revisions to the fee schedule or for revisions to the proposed amendment.

The revisions to the fee schedule and the amendment are proposed to take effect April 1, 2023.

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Image by Werner Moser from Pixabay

The Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) published the proposed amendment to the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver in the Pennsylvania Bulletin for November 12, 2022.

DHS and OLTL are proposing to amend the CHC Waiver by adding Agency with Choice as a Financial Management Services (FMS) model for the participant-directed services of Personal Assistance Services (PAS) and Respite. This would modify Service Coordinator and Service Coordinator Supervisor qualifications to align with the CHC Agreement and to amend the service definitions for the following CHC waiver services:

  • Benefits Counseling;
  • Nursing Services;
  • Physical Therapy Services;
  • Occupational Therapy Services; and
  • Speech and Language Therapy Services.

Also proposed is a technical change to the waiver by revising performance measures.

The proposed CHC waiver amendment and summary of all revisions are available for review on the OLTL Waiver Amendments, Renewals, and Accompanying HCBS Transition Plans web page under Additional Resources.

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments regarding the proposed waiver amendment to the Department of Human Services, Office of Long-Term Living, Bureau of Policy Development and Communications Management, Attention: CHC 2023 Waiver Amendment, P.O. Box 8025, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8025. Comments may also be submitted to the Department via email. Use ”CHC 2023 Waiver Amendment” as the subject line. Comments received within 30 days of publication of this notice will be reviewed and considered for revisions to the proposed waiver amendment.

The proposed amendment will be effective April 1, 2023.

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Webinar
Sponsored by Streamline Healthcare Solutions, featuring Microsoft

Why EHR Infrastructure Matters: Streamline and Microsoft Discuss How Different Hosting & Deployment Options Impact Performance, Security, and Cost

Behavioral Health and Human Services organizations have a choice of hosting and deployment options when selecting an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, and which option they choose has a significant impact on performance, security, and cost. Join executives from Streamline Healthcare Solutions and Microsoft as they discuss the most common hosting and deployment options, including the SaaS model, single-tenant vs multi-tenant architecture, and cloud hosting.

Speakers:
Andy Pitman U.S. Director, Health and Human Services, Microsoft
Matt Chamberlain EVP of Sales and Marketing, Streamline Healthcare Solutions
Javed Husain, Co-Founder & CEO, Streamline Healthcare Solutions
Solome Tibebu, Founder & CEO, Going Digital: Behavioral Health Tech

Webinar Date: Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm CT
REGISTER HERE

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First Nonprofit

Are You Leaving Employee Retention Tax Refund Money on the Table?
Your nonprofit may be eligible for up to $26,000 per employee, paid in the form of a refund by the IRS, if you had to partially or fully suspend operations due to government orders OR experienced a significant revenue decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic. RCPA has partnered with First Nonprofit to provide our members with an opportunity to determine if you are eligible and, if so, provide a reputable, vetted, and affordable service to assist you in filing. Take this five-question survey to find out if you are eligible.

Use this link for information about the Nonprofit Employee Retention Tax Refund.

Contact Cheryl Jones with any additional questions:
[email protected]
612-308-4283

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Photo by Kane Reinholdtsen on Unsplash

“Homeward Bound: Exploring Issues Faced by Justice-Involved Persons”

The 30th Annual Forensic Rights and Treatment Conference, brought to us by Drexel University, will be presented this year with a spectacular online educational program addressing clinical, policy, and environmental issues that impact persons involved with the criminal justice system. RCPA highly recommends this engaging experience, and members can see further details, including registration, in the conference brochure.

The plenary sessions will address implicit bias, false confessions, Megan’s Law, and an overview of the pardons process. The workshops will offer skill-building sessions to use in your own settings. All sessions will be recorded, which will allow you to earn additional continuing education credits by viewing sessions at your convenience. The conference will be available to registrants until December 31, 2022, and you will be able to see all of the workshop offerings.

For more information contact Drexel via email or call 215-831-4055. If you have additional questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp or Carol Ferenz.

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RCPA members will now receive a discount on services from Streamline. Streamline Healthcare Solutions is a trusted EHR and MCO solution partner in building innovative technology solutions for the human services and health care delivery marketspace. Developed specifically for this market, their cloud-based, single platform and intelligent technology is unlike any other. From value-based care to evidence-based practices to population health management, human services is changing, and the Streamline SmartCare Platform’s open architecture and sophisticated data integration & analytics enable human services organizations to meet tomorrow’s needs today.

For further information, please contact Streamline’s PA Regional Sales Manager Matt Mercer via email or 313-283-9456.

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City & State PA is a premier multi-media news firm that dedicates its coverage to Pennsylvania’s state and local government, political, and advocacy news. City & State PA annually cite among their Power 100 rankings those in the nonprofit field for their achievements and contributions. This year, several RCPA members and stakeholder partners have been recognized for their efforts in their field and those they serve. Included in the list are:

  • Jill Bowen, Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services;
  • Colleen McNichol, President and CEO, Child Guidance Resource Center;
  • Marco Giordano, CEO, Resources for Human Development;
  • Mike Smith, President and CEO, Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania;
  • Gordon May, President and CEO, CONCERN 4 Kids;
  • Sherri Landis , Executive Director The Arc of Pa; and
  • Representative Frank Ferry Pa House of Representative 142nd Districts.

RCPA congratulates these members and partners for their recognition in this year’s Power 100 Nonprofit Leaders. You can view the full article here.

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Message from Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF):

As we celebrate Assistive Technology (AT) Awareness Month, Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation would like to take this opportunity to amplify the message that AT can help people with disabilities live with more independence, safety, productivity, and with an improved quality of life.

We are committed to helping people with disabilities and older Pennsylvanians with information and assistance, financial education, and financing opportunities so they can acquire the AT devices and resources they need.

We are proud and grateful to receive Governor Tom Wolf’s proclamation declaring November Assistive Technology Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. The Governor’s proclamation states:

“Whereas, Pennsylvanians with disabilities of all ages may need assistive technology devices and services to live independently and productively, as well as to participate fully in affairs of their communities…and assistive technology devices and services allow people to work, attend school, play, and live in the community of their choice…”

“Whereas, Pennsylvania is a leader in the development and implementation of assistive technology programs for its citizens with disabilities and older residents, through assistance from organizations such as the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation, providing valuable information and assistance, financial education, and the financing for the purchase of assistive technology and services.”

“Therefore, I, Tom Wolf, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, do hereby proclaim November 2022, as Assistive Technology Awareness Month. I encourage all Pennsylvanians to become aware of the many ways in which assistive technologies contribute to the health, happiness, and independence of our family, friends, and neighbors.”

Our CEO Ben Laudermilch shares the proclamation was created thanks to steadfast advocacy: “For decades, PATF has pushed for bipartisan support at the state level for funding to help people with disabilities and older adults live independent lives. The Governor’s proclamation recognizes the efforts of disability advocates and raises awareness about life-changing assistive technologies and services,” says Ben.

Funding Resources for AT

Last year, we celebrated the proclamation by hosting an AT Photo Contest: Show Us Your Tech. This year, we’ve published our new, third edition of Funding Your Assistive Technology.

Assistive technology empowers people with disabilities to do the things they want to do. However, one of the leading obstacles for obtaining AT is finding the money to pay for it.

We have compiled a collection of 70 funding options for assistive technology devices and services called Funding Your Assistive Technology.

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE

Top 5 Funding Resources for AT for Kids With Disabilities

When someone contacts us for help funding their assistive technology (AT), one of the first things we ask is whether or not they are enrolled in a Home and Community-Based (HCBS) waiver.

For many people with disabilities, waivers are a major source of funding for AT.

Read the full blog.

How to Access Funding for Sports Equipment

All people, including people with disabilities, should have the opportunity, if they choose, to play sports.

We describe assistive technology (AT) as any device that helps a person with a disability do the things they want to do. This includes adaptive sports equipment that helps you play sports safely with more freedom.

But how do you access adaptive sports equipment to play sports when you have a disability?

We recently talked to Keith Newerla, a wheelchair user who runs the adaptive sports program at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Philadelphia.

Click the link to read the full blog.

PATF can help you get the adaptive sports equipment you want by extending a no-interest loan through our Mini-Loan program.

We also offer low-interest loans that can cover the cost of assistive technology for things like home modifications, adapted vehicles, eye-gaze systems, and more!

APPLY FOR A LOAN

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