CMS Website Posts American Rescue Plan Act State Plans
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HCBS At-A-Glance by Level of Community Transmission Announcement
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is re-releasing Announcement 20-072 with “HCBS At-A-Glance By Level of Community Spread” to better assist stakeholders in tracking and referencing specific guidance related to ODP functions in the context of the Level of Community Spread within a County. Updates appear in red.
The At-A-Glance Guide provides a quick reference on related operational guidance and will inform providers, Supports Coordination Organizations (SCOs), and Administrative Entities (AEs) planning across multiple counties. The At-A-Glance Guide has been updated to align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID Data Tracker as a primary source for monitoring the level of community transmission of COVID-19. The CDC COVID Data Tracker uses four (4) levels of community transmission: Low, Moderate, Substantial, and High.
The At-A-Glance Guide addresses the following functions:
- Compliance with 55 Pa. Code Chapters 2380, 2390, 6100, 6400, and 6500;
- Quality Assessment and Improvement (QA&I) process;
- Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q);
- Supports Intensity Scale (SIS™) and PA Plus Assessments;
- Administrative Entity (AE) Processes;
- Licensing Inspections;
- Investigations Completed by Certified Investigators; and
- Supports Coordination Organizations (SCOs).
CONTACT: Please contact your ODP Regional Office for any questions about this announcement.
ANCOR Issues Statement on House Energy & Commerce Committee’s Proposed Investment in HCBS
ALEXANDRIA, VA. – Today, ANCOR CEO Barbara Merrill issued the following statement in response to the news that the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s budget proposal will include a $190 billion investment-less than half the amount proposed by President Biden and Senate Democrats-in Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS).
“Although decades of underinvestment in the Medicaid HCBS program make us grateful to see any allocation of resources to support community-based disability services and thankful for legislators who see these services as a priority, we were disheartened to learn that the House Energy & Commerce Committee is proposing to invest only $190 billion in HCBS in the Committee’s response to the Senate’s budget resolution.
“Indeed, $190 billion is not an insignificant amount of money, but it falls woefully short of the $400 billion proposed by President Biden in his Build Back Better agenda and approved by the Senate in the budget resolution it passed prior to the August recess.
“If our elected officials are to take seriously the need to overcome a decades-long direct care workforce crisis and support people with disabilities to bounce back from the perilous effects of the pandemic, it is absolutely essential that Congress approve the full $400 billion originally proposed for the Medicaid HCBS program. We know that legislators who care about their most vulnerable constituents will do the right thing and continue to push for the largest amount of funding possible to ensure that community-based services won’t continue to languish.”
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Barbara Merrill
Chief Executive Officer
American Network of Community Options and Resources
Alexandria, VA
(703) 535-7850 (103)
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HCBS Innovation During COVID
The Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Service (CMS) are hosting a webinar discussing the experiences of home and community-based services payers and providers in altering their service delivery models in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Presenters will also discuss how they have addressed social determinants of health (SDOH). This webinar is part of a monthly webinar series highlighting Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) promising practices.
This webinar will be held on Thursday, November 12 from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm ET.
Click here to register
Podcast / Webinar: How My Agency Survived EVV
Changes in OLTL Waiver Enrollment Process
The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has announced changes that are being made to the enrollment process for Home and Community-based Services (HCBS), including the Aging Waiver, Attendance Care Waiver, CommCare Waiver, Independence Waiver, OBRA Waiver, and Act 150 Program. Effective Tuesday, March 1, 2016, OLTL will enter into a new contract with MAXIMUS, the PA Independent Enrollment Broker (IEB). According to OLTL, the adjustments being made and expectations regarding this new contract will streamline the enrollment process, as well as ensure consistency across all home and community-based programs, in anticipation of the roll-out of Community HealthChoices (CHC), a Managed Long-Term Services and Supports program for older Pennsylvanians and adults with physical disabilities. CHC will move the Commonwealth’s home and community-based waiver system from fee-for service to a capitated Medicaid managed long-term services and supports delivery system. The changes OLTL is making to the enrollment process support the Commonwealth’s efforts to ensure that the enrollment process is conflict free, strengthening necessary firewalls between enrollment in services and the provision of ongoing service coordination and other services.
Changes made to improve the IEB process:
- The enrollment timeframe requirement has been reduced from 90 days to 60 days. This change is effective March 1, 2016.
- The IEB will assume the Aging Waiver enrollment process effective April 1, 2016.
- Enrollments that are already in process before April 1 will remain the responsibility of the Area Agency on Aging. Aging Waiver applications initiated prior to April 1 must be completed by the AAA prior to June 30. Applications still pending on June 30 will revert to Maximus for completion. OLTL will provide additional information on this process in an upcoming webinar.
- These changes, which affect all OLTL Home- and Community-Based Programs – Aging, Attendant Care, CommCare, Independence, OBRA and the Act 150 program administered through the Office of Long-Term Living – will be completed by the PA Independent Enrollment Broker (IEB), Maximus.
The tasks completed by the IEB (Maximus) include the following:
- Coordinate with the County Assistance Office to ensure timely completion of the PA 600L Medical Assistance Applications.
- Coordinate with the Area Agency on Aging to ensure timely completion of the Clinical Eligibility Determination (formerly known as the Level of Care Determination). Complete in-home visit with applicant to gather information for enrollment.
- Complete the Program Eligibility Determination.
- Provide applicant with choice of Service Coordination provider.
- Enroll applicant in waiver upon receipt of PA 162.
- Transfer record and enrollment documentation to the selected Service Coordination agency.
If you have any questions, please contact Amy High, Office of Long-Term Living, Bureau of Participant Operations, at 717-787-8091.
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