SCO Subcommittee to Hold PBC Standards Comment Development Discussion on April 24
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Spotlight PA Seeks Input On How Opioid Misuse, Addiction Are Affecting Pennsylvania
Spotlight PA is covering Pennsylvania’s drug addiction crisis, its impact on children and families, and the potential to use opioid settlement funds to address associated problems. To help inform its coverage, the publication is seeking stories about how the opioid epidemic and addiction has affected Pennsylvanians, including frontline perspectives from healthcare workers, child welfare workers, counselors, first responders, and others addressing these issues regularly.
More information, including a form for submitting responses, can be found on Spotlight PA’s website.
CARF Seeks Comments on New Accreditation Standards for Integrated Primary Care Specialty Designation
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) recently convened an International Standards Advisory Committee (ISAC) to develop new accreditation standards for an Integrated Primary Care specialty designation. A specialty designation requires a program seeking accreditation to meet an additional set of standards that reflects its expertise in a specific type of service delivery or for a specific population of persons served. Integrating primary care into a mental health or substance use disorder program allows the program to holistically address the behavioral health, physical health, and social needs of the persons served, enhance the level of care provided, and improve outcomes for the persons served. Through the efforts of the ISAC, the program standards for Health Home were also updated. The final standards will be published in CARF’s 2026 standards manuals for Behavioral Health, Child and Youth Services, and Opioid Treatment Programs.
CARF is seeking comments on each of the proposed descriptions and standards. The deadline to submit comments is Tuesday, February 25.
RCPA Submits Comments to ODP on Proposed One-Time Supplemental Payments
RCPA submitted comments to the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) regarding the proposed amendments to the Consolidated, Person/Family-Directed Support (P/FDS), Community Living, and Adult Autism Waivers to allow providers to request a one-time supplemental payment to cover recruitment, retention, and any unusual staffing expenses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic for direct support professionals, frontline supervisors, or supports coordinators.
ODP will review and consider all comments received by 11:59 pm today.
While we are grateful for the opportunity for members to access additional funds this fiscal year, we wanted to express our strong belief that the calculation of the dispersal of funds includes the NEA rates. There has been discussion with ODP staff that indicates they may not be including those amounts in the calculation.
Please see our comments and feel free to share your thoughts with ODP as well by 11:59 pm tonight.
RCPA Submits Comments on Community HealthChoices RFI
CMS Releases RFI Seeking Public Comments on Medicare Advantage Program
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a Request for Information (RFI) requesting public comments on the Medicare Advantage program. CMS is asking for input on ways to achieve the agency’s vision so that all parts of Medicare are working towards a future where people with Medicare receive more equitable, high quality, and person-centered care that is affordable and sustainable, essentially asking for ways to strengthen this program.
CMS’s intent is to better align the Medical Assistance (MA) program with the agency’s vision for Medicare and the CMS Strategic Pillars. CMS is strongly emphasizing the importance of stakeholder comments for this process. This openness to feedback presents MA plans, providers, and other stakeholders an opportunity to inform the agency’s early thinking as it considers potential regulatory actions impacting supplemental benefits, value-based contracting arrangements, risk adjustment, prior authorization, and marketing among other issues.
CMS will accept comments on the RFI until August 31, 2022.
President’s Committee for People With Intellectual Disabilities Meeting — July 28
Upcoming Meeting of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Thursday, July 28 | 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET
Register for the meeting.
About the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities:
Initially established in 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the PCPID advises the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on a broad range of topics that impact people with intellectual disabilities, as well as the professional fields that support people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Its goal is to improve the quality of life experienced by people with intellectual disabilities by upholding their full citizenship rights, independence, self-determination, and lifelong participation in their communities.
The President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID) will host a virtual meeting for its members to identify emerging topics to examine in the Committee’s Report to the President. All the PCPID meetings, in any format, are open to the public. This virtual meeting will be conducted in a presentation and discussion format. View more details published in the Federal Register notice.
Stakeholder input is very important to the PCPID. Comments and suggestions, especially from people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, are welcome at any time. If there are comments or feedback you would like to share with the PCPID as it begins to prioritize its work, please share them through this form. Comments received by June 30 will be shared with the PCPID at the July meeting. Comments received after June 30 will be compiled and shared with the PCPID quarterly.
RCPA Comments on ODP Proposed Waiver Changes
DHS Releases Annual 2022/2023 Executive Budget
RCPA Submits Comments to ODP on the Proposed Fee Schedule Rates for ID/A Waivers
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is accepting feedback and comments on the proposed Fee Schedule Rates for services funded through the Consolidated, Community Living, P/FDS, and Adult Autism Waivers as well as Base-Funded programs, residential ineligible services, and the accompanying rate assumption logs.
After receiving feedback from our members, we submitted our comments today. We look forward to continued discussion with ODP regarding the development of rates that will sufficiently support services to individuals with ID/A in the community.
