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RCPA joined with other ID/A Associations, including The Alliance of Community Service Providers, The Arc of Pennsylvania, PAR, MAX and TPA, in a letter to Governor Shapiro to thank him for recognizing the strain on individuals, families, and service providers across the intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) community and to discuss ongoing changes that are needed in the way service rates are updated. These changes are necessary so that our system can always meet its duty of care.

The full letter is available here, and we encourage our members to share this letter with your legislators in order to gain their understanding and support of our systemic needs.

For any questions, contact Carol Ferenz, IDD Division Director.

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The Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association (RCPA), in conjunction with our provider members and partner stakeholders, have written to PA Senator Casey and PA Senator Fetterman to express our full support for ensuring the mandated inflationary increases are preserved for the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) so that critical OVR employment programs will continue for working and job-seeking Pennsylvanians with disabilities. Vocational rehabilitation funding is essential in Pennsylvania to maintain services that support the advancement of employment. We are fortunate that our state legislature has consistently funded Pennsylvania OVR in a manner that has allowed OVR to collect the full federal match and even draw down more when there is a surplus.

If the mandated inflationary increases are rescinded, Pennsylvania’s OVR funding will be cut by millions of dollars, adversely impacting working and job-seeking Pennsylvanians with disabilities. Specifically, approximately $13M would be eliminated from a limited $200M budget, or 6.5%. The resources provided to PA OVR are too valuable and already limited. This potential action forces Pennsylvania to prioritize allocations at the expense of critical employment and related services. Maintaining funding levels is crucial for advancing employment for individuals with disabilities.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Division Director Carol Ferenz or IDD Policy Analyst Cathy Barrick.

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The Pennsylvania Homecare Association (PHA), the Pennsylvania Association of Home and Community-Based Services, and the Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association (RCPA) provided feedback on House Bill 2372, sponsored by Reps. Jessica Benham and Jason Ortitay. The bill seeks to improve agency accountability and ensure livable wages for home care workers in Pennsylvania by increasing state funding for personal assistance services. The associations support the bill but recommended uniform wage increases across all care models and a standardized rate review process every three years. They also expressed concerns about burdensome funding allocations and reporting requirements as well as provisions that could disproportionately affect nonprofit agencies by linking enhanced rates to tax status.

The groups emphasized the need to focus on investments in workforce development and quality care rather than imposing arbitrary financial mandates. They advocated for collaborative efforts to create a sustainable future for home-based care, ensuring high-quality services for Pennsylvania’s aging population.

For more details, read the full letter here.

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RCPA has gathered feedback from our members in multiple forums and attended several listening sessions hosted by the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) in order to hear and compile public comments on the proposed implementation of performance-based contracting (PBC) for Residential Services and waiver amendments to the Consolidated, Community Living, and Person/Family Directed Waivers. After reviewing all of the available information, we have submitted our comments to ODP.

Our members support the ideal of assuring quality services for individuals with ID/A that are integrated and person centered, enabling individuals to experience more independence and choices in their lives. Additionally, we are in favor of limiting the provider pool to only those providers that are able to demonstrate quality service provision.

RCPA wants to support this program for two reasons. First, any initiative by ODP that focuses on improving quality in the system is something we all should stand behind. Second, alternative reimbursement strategies with enhanced rates and additional funding based on quality and outcomes is certainly more innovative and progressive than traditional fee-for-service. It is time for the IDD system to move toward reimbursement policies that reward providers who are progressive in their service provision.

We are, however, concerned about the speed with which this incredibly complex systemic change is proposed to occur, and the amount of performance standards and measures proposed in this plan.

RCPA’s complete letter can be read here. For any questions, contact Carol Ferenz, Director, IDD Division.

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RCPA recently signed two letters, one to Governor Shapiro and one to the PA Department of Human Services (DHS), alongside dozens of other organizations and the Pennsylvania Community Health Worker Collaborative (PACHW) regarding the state’s plan for an amendment to authorize payments for Community Health Worker services under Pennsylvania State Medicaid. The letters outlined several key features PACHW wished to highlight regarding these payments, including:

  • Requesting DHS set “an equitable and adequate” reimbursement rate;
  • The creation of a Community Health Worker provider type; and
  • Recognizing Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) as a primary diagnosis code.

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The PA Provider Advocacy Coalition, an organization that constitutes a variety of PA providers and advocates across all fields, recently sent a letter to the Shapiro Administration regarding the FY 2024/25 budget. RCPA signed onto the letter, which calls for rate adjustments and investments in Medicaid services in order to address the current workforce crisis. The Coalition states in the letter:

We recognize that addressing these workforce challenges will require a sustained, coordinated, multi-faceted public and private sector response. Earlier this year, our coalition met with representatives of your administration to recommend the creation of a Health Care Workforce Council to help lead this multiyear effort. However, there is one aspect of this overall problem that is relatively straightforward—chronic underpayment by the Medical Assistance program.

RCPA will continue to keep our members informed of updates. If you have any questions, please contact your RCPA Policy Director.

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