';
CLOSE
Tags Posts tagged with "long term services and supports"

long term services and supports

0 702

The correct date for the November Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting will be held Wednesday, November 12, 2025. Please disregard the previous communication sent on October 1, 2025. The meeting will be held as a webinar with remote streaming only, from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.

If you need an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter and/or another accommodation, including an alternative method for submitting questions or comments about meeting topics, please send an email no later than October 17, 2025, so an ASL interpreter or other accommodations can be scheduled.

Register here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Remote captioning and streaming services will be provided. If you require these services, please visit this remote captioning and streaming services link.

0 1349

Due to budget constraints, the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has announced a change to the upcoming Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting. The next LTSS Subcommittee meeting on Wednesday, October 1, will be held as a webinar with remote streaming only, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. To register for the webinar, please use this webinar registration link. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

0 1185

ADvancing States, which represents the nation’s 56 state and territorial agencies on aging and disabilities as well as long-term services and supports directors, has partnered with the Department of Health Policy and Management at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health to create a first-of-its-kind online training program to support our nation’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) program workforce. The initial Foundational Leadership in HCBS: Building Expertise to Better Support People in their Homes and Communities certificate program launches in September 2025.

The core training sessions deliver essential curriculum covering HCBS systems, policies, and operations — everything participants need to enhance their effectiveness and advance policy advocacy in this critical sector. Fewer than 20 spots remain in the September pilot session, and there will be another session offered in January 2026. The course fee is $600 for government and non-profit employees and $1300 for corporate employees. Group registration opportunities are expected to be available for the January 2026 session.

Quick Registration Links:

The course is offered exclusively online and is self-paced so learners can set their own schedules, but the course will require the equivalent of about two hours per week for 10 weeks. Participants will learn more about populations utilizing LTSS, the organizations and individuals providing LTSS, and the varied sources of funding for LTSS, with a focus on HCBS, plus key policy areas, including the Older Americans Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Medicare, Medicaid, and the processes by which individuals access services. Please view the Course Overview and Syllabus for additional details about course topics and learning objectives.

Sign up using the links above; for questions about the HCBS Certificate program, contact Annie Kimbrel via email.

0 1179

On July 14, the National MLTSS Health Plan Association submitted comments on the “Preserving Medicaid Funding for Vulnerable Population – Closing a Health Care-Related Tax Loophole” proposed rule. Per the Association:

This rule proposes to refine how CMS evaluates whether a health care-related tax is considered “generally redistributive.”

In our comments, we noted that we appreciate CMS’ efforts to strengthen the oversight and quality of Medicaid programs but raised concerns about the timelines and administrative burden on states, as well as the potential impact on individuals receiving long term-services and supports (LTSS).

The recommendations included:

  • Extending the transition period to three years for all states.
  • Providing clear implementation guidance and technical assistance to states.
  • Postponing finalization of the rule until further research and data analysis on provider-related taxes and impacts are conducted.

Read the full letter here.

In Pennsylvania, this rule would impact participants’ funding of approximately $1B in federal matching funds for HealthChoices, Community HealthChoices, and Behavioral HealthChoices. No immediate action is required. If you have any questions, contact Fady Sahhar.

0 1066
Photo by Headway on Unsplash

The next Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting is scheduled for April 2, 2025. The meeting will be held from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm in the Forest Room at the Commonwealth Keystone Building, which is located at 400 North Street in Harrisburg, PA. The option to participate virtually is also available. If attending virtually, please register here.

The option to call in is also available by dialing (213) 929-4212; Access code: 967-895-502#.

Public comments will be taken following each presentation. Questions can be entered into the chat box during the presentations, which will be asked at the end of each presentation. There will be an additional period at the end of the meeting for any additional comments or concerns. Questions about alternative methods for submitting questions or comments during a subcommittee meeting, including options when no internet access is available, should be sent via email to the LTSS Subcommittee inbox.

0 2385

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) released the rate study that was commissioned last August after RCPA and other industry associations collaborated to access the information needed to establish rates for services.

For background purposes, HCBS are offered through Medicaid as an alternative to facility or institutional care. Reimbursement rates for these programs are set by DHS and are informed by an actuarial rate setting process and a public comment process. Long-term services and supports (LTSS) help older Pennsylvanians and adults with physical disabilities.

The rate study revealed the need for substantial and immediate rate increases for the services which were evaluated. The study concluded, “Given the comparisons to benchmark rates, it appears that revisions to the rates studied for this report would be appropriate. The tables below show detailed results from the benchmark rate comparison.” The specific rate gaps were:

  • Adult Day                                                                     19%
  • Employment and Training Services                             35%
  • Personal Assistance — Agency                                   23%
  • Personal Assistance — PDS                                       12%
  • Residential Habilitation                                                44%
  • Structured Day Habilitation                                          22%

Findings of the study are used to inform the Commonwealth’s budget and future rate setting processes. View the results here.

If you have any questions, please contact Fady Sahhar or Melissa Dehoff.

0 1262

The information for the January 8, 2025, Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting has been released. The meeting will be held from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm in the Forest Room at the Commonwealth Keystone Building, which is located at 400 North Street in Harrisburg, PA. The option to participate virtually is also available. If attending virtually, please register here.

Public comments will be taken following each presentation. Questions can be entered into the chat box during the presentations, and these questions will be asked at the end of each presentation. There will be an additional period at the end of the meeting for any additional public comments.

You can submit questions electronically about alternative methods for submitting questions or comments during a subcommittee meeting, including options when no internet access is available.

If needed, the dial-in number is: +1 (631) 992-3221; Access Code: 713-772-925#

0 1029

The agenda for the July 2, 2024 Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting has been released. Included in the agenda is the recent release of the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver renewal and OBRA Waiver amendments proposed for January 2025. There will also be a discussion on the Mercer rate and wage study that will be coming up in the very near future.

As a reminder, the meeting is hybrid, held both in person and via webinar. The meeting is held in the Honors Suite, 1st floor, 333 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17126 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. The meeting information is provided below:

© 2021 - Rehabilitation & Community Providers Association