The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 24-108 to announce the release of the Quality Assessment & Improvement (QA&I) Annual Statewide Report for Cycle 2, Year 2 (C2Y2) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/24. The QA&I Annual Statewide Report for C2Y2 is located on MyODP’s website in the QA&I Reports section.
Please view the announcement for information and details.
ODP Announcement 23-043 shares that the proposed amendments to the Consolidated, Person/Family Directed Support (P/FDS), Community Living, and Adult Autism Waivers and proposed rates for select services are available for public review and comment. There is a 30-day public comment period that starts on May 27, 2023, and ends on June 27, 2023, at 11:59 pm.
These proposed changes are scheduled to take effect November 1, 2023. ODP is also making available for public review and comment the rate setting methodology and fee schedule rates for select services in the waivers that are scheduled to take effect January 1, 2024.
The waiver amendments in their entirety can be found here.
Additional fee schedule rates are being added for:
The new Specialty Health Assessment and Coordination service in the Consolidated, Community Living, and P/FDS Waivers will be reimbursed monthly as a vendor service based on the cost that the provider charges to the general public. The rate changes proposed above are planned to become effective January 1, 2024.
In addition, ODP proposes to adopt the temporary enhanced rates for CPS and Transportation Trip as the fee schedule rates on November 1, 2023.
Information regarding the proposed waiver amendment changes and rates, including how to provide comments, can be found in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, Volume 53, Number 21, published on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
Comments and requests for copies of this notice and documents may be submitted to ODP via email. Comments submitted should use subject header ”Waiver and Rate Comments.” There are also webinars scheduled to provide public comment.
RCPA will be asking members for their input to our comments as well and will schedule a meeting to review this information shortly. If you have any questions or comments that you would like to be sure we include, please contact Carol Ferenz or Cathy Barrick.
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 23-040: FY23-24 Renewal Guidance. This communication will provide guidance for the FY 2023/24 renewal period. The following topical areas are addressed in this communication:
For information related to special considerations, please contact the ODP Regional Program Office assigned to your region. For questions related to the participant-directed services (PDS rate table or calculator), please contact your ODP Regional Financial Management Services (FMS)/PDS Lead.
See the resource ODP-ID/A: SC100I Supports Coordination > Chapter 17: Fiscal Year Renewal: ISP – v8.0 9/21/13 in the LMS for information on how to perform a FY Renewal.
The sustained funding of community-based mental health services, such as community residential programs, family-based support, outpatient care, and crisis intervention, are critical to the wellbeing of our constituents and our communities. Funding levels for county mental health services have direct impacts on whether these important community and family supports will be available. Yet for too many years, state funding for mental health services has lagged far behind its needs. Counties find themselves advocating for the prevention of funds being cut instead of achieving the increases that are needed to catch up from years of underfunding.
This week’s letter, sent on behalf of the Coalition for the Mental Health Safety Net, stands as an open call to the PA General Assembly and stakeholders. For Pennsylvanians with a mental illness, the impact of the county funding shortfalls is already evident. The effects include: shortages of key mental health professionals; chronic underpayment of mental health providers; reductions/closures in mental health residential programs and supportive services, including employment and psychiatric rehabilitation services; uneven crisis response services; outpatient program closures; and the continuing criminalization of mental illness. Across the Commonwealth, there is no consistent level of mental health services available, and access to critical services largely depends on which county a patient lives in.
The Coalition is open to all new partners who wish to join our mission of advocacy for this 2023/24 initiative, as the time to act and engage with your representative is now. The Coalition will also be developing an advocacy toolkit for members to come together to sustain the safety net and serve those who need it most. The reality is that the demand for service far outweighs capacity and rate structures to serve this population.
If you have additional questions or would like to join the Mental Health Safety Net Coalition, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
