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Tags Posts tagged with "DHS"

DHS

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Deputy Secretary Ahrens of the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) shared a PowerPoint today, July 25, 2024, at the MAAC meeting. Highlights included ODP’s plan to publish several documents. ODP will be submitting waiver amendments for the 1915(c) waiver and the new 1915 (b)(4) waiver to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 26, 2024. In addition, ODP Bulletin 00-24-01: Performance-Based Standards for Residential Services and an ODP announcement regarding the waiver submission, including an implementation guide and provider self-assessment, will be released tomorrow, July 26.

RCPA will share these documents with members as soon as they are available.

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The Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) and Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) have announced that they are holding their Statewide Quarterly Positive Approaches & Practices virtual meeting on Thursday, August 8. The meeting will be held from 10:30 am – 3:00 pm, and the topic will be “Building Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania.”

View the flyer for detailed session and registration information.

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With the passing of the FY 2024/25 PA budget last week, intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism (ID/A) associations are attempting to obtain clarity regarding its impact on services. The Governor’s Office announced, however, that the scheduled meeting to review these impacts has been postponed in order to allow the Department of Human Services (DHS) more time to analyze the details of the budget. The Governor’s Office shared the following message:

The Commonwealth’s enacted FY24-25 budget includes a philosophical shift in how Pennsylvania approaches service delivery for individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism – a much needed and overdue course change to invest in dignity and opportunity for this community. In February, Governor Shapiro announced the intent to tackle the waiting list for services with a new approach, the Multi-Year ODP Program Growth Strategy. Accompanying this structural change is a substantial investment in services for individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism totaling $354.8M combined state and federal funds – an investment that supports providers, direct support professionals, and families who help make our vision of Everyday Lives a reality.

Included in the total funding is $280M in federal and state funds, which averages 7 percent rate increases for FY24-25. DHS is continuing the analysis of the funds appropriated for FY24-25 for ID/A services and how this will reflect in final rates that will take effect for FY24-25. Also included is an investment of $74.8M in combined federal and state funds for FY24-25 to put the commonwealth on a path to end the emergency waiting list by offering 1,500 adults enrollment in the Consolidated or Community Living Waivers and altering the management of home and community-based services capacity.

In addition to rate increases, the enacted budget includes funding for the implementation of performance-based contracting and the addition of sign language interpretation services. Performance-based contracting is scheduled to be implemented for residential services beginning in FY24-25. Sign language services will be added to ODP’s home and community-based waivers beginning January 1, 2025, pending approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

We know there is great interest to further discuss the impact of the enacted budget on your programs and services. DHS will provide additional information to stakeholders related to the necessary recalculation for the fee schedule rates for FY24-25 and performance-based contracting upon completion of the analysis.

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The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has announced that the quarterly Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) provider call on July 18, 2024, from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm, will focus on the Mercer Rate and Wage Study. To participate in the Zoom call, registration is required. Because this is an HCBS Provider Call, registration for the call will be limited to providers who are enrolled with the Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide any of these particular services to individuals. Participant-Directed Common Law Employers are also encouraged to attend.

Everyone is welcome to submit questions electronically about the HCBS Rate and Wage Study to OLTL in advance. Questions received will be read during the call as time allows, and both questions and answers will be compiled into a Q&A document that will be available afterwards.

If you have any questions about the call itself, please contact Kristi Mundis via email.

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Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has announced that they will be hosting a Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) provider call on July 18, 2024, from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm that will include a presentation from Mercer providing an overview of the HCBS rate and wage study.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) contracts with Mercer Government Human Services consulting for actuarial services, Medicaid policy and fiscal analysis, financial monitoring, and other technical support.

Mercer will evaluate the following services categories in this rate study:

  • Adult Daily Living;
  • Residential Habilitation;
  • Personal Assistance (Agency and Participant-Directed);
  • Structured Day Habilitation; and
  • Employment and Training Services.

Because this is an HCBS Provider Call, registration for the call will be limited to providers who are enrolled with DHS to provide any of these particular services to individuals. Participant-Directed Common-Law Employers are also encouraged to attend. If you are not a provider of these services or are unable to attend the July 18 HCBS Provider Call, you are welcome to attend the July 2 Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting to hear from Mercer about the HCBS Rate and Wage Study and ask questions.

Everyone is welcome to submit questions about the HCBS Rate and Wage Study electronically to OLTL in advance of the July 18 call. Questions submitted will be read during the call as time allows. Questions and Answers will be compiled into a Q&A document that will be available after the call.

A registration link for the July 18, 2024, HCBS Provider Call will be issued shortly. If you have any questions about the call itself, please contact Kristi Mundis.

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Pennsylvania has launched a new website for the Enterprise Licensing System (ELS) project, designed to streamline and modernize the licensing, permitting, registration, certification, and incident management systems across four state agencies: the Department of Human Services, the Department of Health, the Department of Aging, and the Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs. The ELS will be implemented in stages over the next two years, with the aim of improving interagency collaboration and operational efficiency.

For more information and to stay updated on the ELS project, subscribe to the ELS ListServ. If you need additional information or have questions, you can reach out to OCYF through the Contact Us form.

If you have any other questions, please contact RCPA COO and Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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