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Health and Human Services

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RCPA was honored to host our annual Capitol Day today, March 25, 2026, inside the Main Rotunda. This advocacy event and rally addressed Governor Shapiro’s 2026/27 budget and highlighted key administrative priorities for the year, including implementing rate increases, reducing administrative burden, and monitoring changes from federal legislation.

Richard Edley, President and CEO of RCPA, addressed key points from RCPA’s 2026 legislative and administrative priorities, while RCPA members attended to advocate for themselves, their loved ones, and those they serve. It was a great opportunity for individuals within the community to meet face-to-face with their legislators and discuss openly the concerns within health and human services that their families, providers, and organizations are facing.

 

 

 

 

Additional speakers at the rally included:

Carl Clark, President and CEO, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health
[Pictured Left]

Representative Eric Nelson
[Pictured Right]

 

 

Representative Dr. Arvind Venkat
[Pictured Left]

 

Representative Ann Flood
[Pictured Right]

 

Dr. Kyle Kopko, Executive Director for the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP)
[Pictured Left]

Senator Patty Kim
[Pictured Right]

 

RCPA thanks everyone who attended, the legislators who spoke and met with our members, and those who serve our state. We also thank the media outlets who attended, giving more exposure to the issues we face. We will always strive to support you and your communities!

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RCPA remains a leading voice for Pennsylvania’s health and human services providers, advocating for policies that support access, sustainability, and quality care. The 2025 Year in Review highlights key accomplishments that reflect our collective advocacy efforts, strengthened alliances, and measurable progress toward shared priorities. These successes help ensure providers can continue delivering critical services to individuals, families, and communities across the Commonwealth.
Read RCPA’s 2025 Year in Review
If you have any questions or comments regarding the Year in Review, please contact your respective RCPA Policy Director.

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Governor Josh Shapiro and members of the General Assembly have agreed to a $50.1 billion budget for the 2025/26 Fiscal Year. This is $2.3 billion more than last year’s budget but less than the Governor’s $51.5 billion proposed budget. The budget includes a $105 million increase in basic education, $665 million for highway improvements, and $1 billion for highway maintenance.

For Human Services, the General Budget bill includes the following increases from 2024/25 to the 2025/26 budget:

  • Medical Assistance – Capitation: +3.5%
  • Medical Assistance – Fee For Service: +.4%
  • Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities: +12.3%
  • Medical Assistance – Transportation: +5.9%
  • Medical Assistance – Long-Term Living: +4.7%
  • Medical Assistance – Community Health Choices: +10.7%
  • Long-Term Managed Care: +6.8%
  • Intellectual Disabilities – Community Base Program: +4.4%
  • Intellectual Disabilities – Intermediate Care Facilities: +2.9%
  • Intellectual Disabilities – Community Waiver Program: +6.1%
  • Autism Intervention Services: +12.9%
  • Early Intervention: 7.1%

The following lines have been flatlined or cut between the 2024/25 and 2025/26 budgets:

  • Behavioral Health Services: 0.0%
  • Mental Health Services: -1.9%
  • Intellectual Disabilities State Centers: -5.2%

Please find the entire 2025/26 Budget spreadsheets here.

Additionally, in other Code bills, $20 million was appropriated for county-based mental health funding, and the Four Walls payment issue was resolved in the human services code bill by abrogating 1153.15(6) and 1223.14(11) from 55 Pa. Code.

RCPA will continue to update members as more information from the budget is available. We will discuss the budget in detail during the Government Affairs meeting next Thursday, November 20, 2025. You can register for the meeting here.

Contact Jack Phillips with any questions.

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REMINDER — PLEASE DISREGARD IF YOU HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED THIS SURVEY

Pennsylvania’s General Assembly has not yet passed the budget for FY 2025/26, and we are already two months into this fiscal cycle. This delay is creating another crisis while communities grapple with the longer-term implications of the recently passed HR 1 Tax Reconciliation Bill at the federal level. We want to hear from you via this 2025 Budget Impasse Survey so that we can raise a collective nonprofit clamor about the impact this delay has on real people in every neighborhood and community in the Commonwealth.

We know — our organizations are over-surveyed during times of urgency!

So, to eliminate duplicative work, various associations and networks, including RCPA, have come together to collect data regarding both the current and projected impact on both for-profit and nonprofit financials, staffing, and ultimately those served. We will share information with everyone involved so that the survey results can be analyzed and disseminated to the media and legislative contacts most efficiently. Below are the organizations that are coming together to collect this data in order to show you the importance of this information.

For more details about the length of the survey and those best suited to complete it, please see this PDF version so you can prepare. The initial survey deadline is 11:59 pm on Monday, September 15, 2025. For questions about the survey, please email Anne Gingerich, Executive Director, PANO.

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
RCPA, alongside various associations and networks, shared a 2025 Budget Impasse Survey in order to collect data regarding the current and projected impacts on organizations in relation to the PA FY 2025/26 budget impasse. We are sending an update to stress that both for-profit and nonprofit organizations may participate in this survey.

We want to hear from your organization via this 2025 Budget Impasse Survey so that we can highlight the impacts this delay has on real people in every neighborhood and community in the Commonwealth.

We will share information with all parties involved so that the survey results can be analyzed and disseminated to the media and legislative contacts most efficiently. Below are the organizations that are coming together to collect this data in order to show you the importance of this information.

 
For more details about the length of the survey and those best suited to complete it, please see this PDF version.

The initial survey deadline is 11:59 pm on Monday, September 15, 2025.

For questions about the survey, please email Anne Gingerich, Executive Director, PANO.

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With a little less than a month before kick-off, RCPA is excited to announce a new keynote speaker in our lineup at the 2025 Annual Conference Strive to Thrive! We will now be kicking off our conference with Al Guida, JD, Owner of Guide Consulting Services, Inc., to discuss Impacts of Federal Issues on the Human Services System. Guida is a nationally recognized advocate and strategist who has provided valuable federal policy and regulatory solutions for Guide Consulting Service’s health care clients in the provider, technology, and public health sectors. He has helped clients realize measurable goals in mental health parity, biomedical research, child poverty, and child welfare, and his legislative portfolio includes successful collaborations with major Congressional committees, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Health and Human Services. Working together, the Guide Consulting Services team have established and secured funding for Mental Health First Aid, Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, and the 988 National Suicide Prevention Coordinating Office. In 2024, Guida was recognized as one of DC’s 500 Most Influential People.

With the current confusion and chaos surrounding federal policies, Medicaid, future funding, and their effects on the health and human services landscape, you won’t want to miss this informative opener!

Following Al Guida will be Pennsylvania’s DHS Secretary Val Arkoosh. Attendees will shift their focus from the federal level to the state, with the DHS Secretary highlighting key issues facing PA providers, including trends, impacts of federal policy at the local level, and current initiatives related to Performance-Based Contracting and value-based purchasing.

All this and more on the very first day of the Conference! Register today to reserve your seat, and view the Registration Brochure for complete details regarding our schedule, booking a hotel room, and more!

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Today is your last chance to take advantage of early bird registration rates for the RCPA 2025 Annual Conference Strive to Thrive! Register today to reserve your seat and guarantee your access to:
  • Over sixty workshops that tackle the latest in technology, workplace culture, and health care initiatives;
  • National keynote and plenary speakers who will discuss issues ranging from the federal landscape to personal well-being;
  • Networking opportunities in Connections Hall, featuring over 90 exhibitors with the latest industry products and services (as well as some exciting game prizes!); and
  • Opportunities to connect with RCPA staff and other industry leaders to discuss all that is happening in health and human services.
View the Registration Brochure to see a full listing of events, workshops, and activities. Additionally, by registering today, you will be able to access the mobile app prior to the conference, gaining the ability to view webinar recordings, create your personalized schedule, and make early connections with sponsors and exhibitors.
Early bird registration ends TODAY! Register here!
Opportunities for sponsorships and advertising are still available to organizations that are interested, but EXHIBIT BOOTHS ARE OFFICIALLY SOLD OUT! We are grateful to all our sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers who help make the conference happen. Contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator, for more details.
View our sponsors and exhibitors at our Conference website!

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RCPA may be based in Pennsylvania, but our conference covers topics and features speakers from across the country! Register today, join us at the Hershey Lodge September 9 – 12, 2025, and reserve your room online while the room block is available. By registering, you gain the opportunity to engage with these provocative keynote speakers as they touch on topics that affect all facets of health and human services across the nation:

  • Karen Weeks, Founder of Shine at Work, will analyze how to create an organizational culture that supports people’s wellbeing;
  • Judge Victor Reyes, Retired Judge and Master Life Coach, will define mindfulness and evaluate its impact in leadership roles;
  • Michael Cohen, Duane Morris LLP, will provide insights on how to make one’s workplace open and accessible for as many as possible to prevent workplace harassment; 
  • Kory Shrum, Bestselling Author and Podcast Host, will deconstruct common self-care myths and provide a practical framework for sustainable self-care practices; and
  • Donna Martin, Vice President, State Partnerships & Innovation, ANCOR, and Mohini Venkatesh, Chief of Staff, Strategic Leadership, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, will dive into national trends in health and human services policies and workforce issues.

View our Registration Brochure for complete details of the conference schedule and speakers. Be sure to check the RCPA Conference website regularly for details and updates to the schedule, registration, and sponsors/exhibitors. Register today!

In addition to registration, there are still many opportunities available for sponsorship and exhibit booths, so don’t delay! We are grateful to all our sponsors and exhibitors who help make the conference happen. If your organization is interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at our conference, all information is available in our Sponsor, Exhibit, and Advertise Brochure. Contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator, for more details.

Thank you to our Sponsors and Exhibitors! We are grateful for your support!

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