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ODP Announcement 22-014 shares that the United States General Services Administration announced a change for the rate of Transportation Mile reimbursement rate, procedure code W7271, beginning January 1, 2022. The new rate is $0.585 per mile. This communication provides notice of the rate change as well as provides instruction for Supports Coordination Organizations (SCOs) on how to add transportation mileage to the vendor screen. It also instructs direct service providers on how to submit claim adjustments, if applicable.
ODP Announcement 22-013 is to inform all stakeholders that the 2020–2021 Independent Monitoring for Quality (IM4Q) Statewide and COVID-19 Supplement Reports, in addition to Making a Difference in the Lives of People Supported by ODP, a considerations storybook, have been added to the IM4Q section of the MyODP website.
ODP Announcement 22-010 announces that the Operational Guide for Appendix K has been updated to align with current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH).
Additionally, guidance has been added regarding regulatory compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the Operational Guide is to provide guidance to Providers (including services rendered under a participant-directed services model), Supports Coordination Organizations, Administrative Entities, and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) to ensure adherence with current state and federal guidance.
The Operational Guide applies only to participants impacted by COVID-19. Examples of participants impacted by COVID-19 include participants impacted due to staffing shortages, a COVID-19 diagnosis for the participant or a participant’s housemate or caregiver, and closures of service locations (residential homes, Community Participation Support service locations, etc.). For any requirement not listed in the Operational Guide, refer to the current approved ODP waivers.
ODP is finalizing Version 3 of the Operational Guide for the Adult Autism Waiver and will publish it soon.
Residential Habilitation Service Providers Virtual Office Hours: Best Practice Standards in Behavioral Support
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) recognizes that effective, quality behavioral support must be grounded in and informed by basic, broadly accepted knowledge and processes. We have disseminated the Best Practice Standards in Behavioral Support to streamline expectations and practices for those individuals providing behavioral support in ODP programs. These standards were developed by ODP’s Unified Clinical Team consisting of representation from both the Bureau of Community Supports and the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations. The standards were drafted and disseminated in early 2021.
We are excited to discuss the standards with Residential Providers, encouraging those within the agency who have a role in oversight or implementation of Behavioral Support Services (e.g. Program Specialists, Clinical Staff, Behavioral Specialists) to join us!
March 2, 2022: 1:00 pm–2:00 pm
March 4, 2022: 12:00 pm–1:00 pm
March 8, 2022: 12:00 pm–1:00 pm
March 9, 2022: 4:00 pm–5:00 pm
March 11, 2022: 10:00 am–11:00 am
March 18, 2022: 10:00 am–11:00 am
Please feel free to send questions and comments in advance during registration electronically.
The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) is accepting feedback and comments on the proposed Fee Schedule Rates for services funded through the Consolidated, Community Living, P/FDS, and Adult Autism Waivers as well as Base-Funded programs, residential ineligible services, and the accompanying rate assumption logs.
After receiving feedback from our members, we submitted our comments today. We look forward to continued discussion with ODP regarding the development of rates that will sufficiently support services to individuals with ID/A in the community.
The following request is for licensed Chapter 6400 Residential Providers only.
The Department of Human Services has a critical need for updated vaccine uptake information as a result of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases and availability of boosters. We need your help to gather this important information. Please complete this brief survey by 5:00 pm on Monday, February 14, 2022.
This survey is part of a larger effort to obtain a point-in-time view of the vaccination rate of staff and residents in all 6400 Residential Community Homes licensed by DHS. For the number of staff, please use the count for those currently employed and who work within the licensed residential setting(s) operated by your agency (even if they might not come into direct contact with individuals receiving services).
We realize that you have provided this information in the past and appreciate your ongoing cooperation in stopping the spread of the virus. You will note that this survey is much shorter than previous versions and should not take a great deal of time to complete. Please respond by agency, not licensed home.
For any questions regarding this survey, please contact ODP via email.
Thank you for your support in our ongoing fight against COVID-19.
While we continue to develop our submission for the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), we wanted to share a summary of the comments that we will be submitting on January 31. We know that some of you would like to be able to utilize these comments in developing your own. The following are some of our major points of concern.
It is understood that the basis for the rate setting methodology are several assumptions of average costs of doing business. We have several concerns about the assumptions. By far the biggest expense lines for providers consist of staffing costs: salary and benefits. Several of these assumptions have a significant impact on the rates, and we believe that they are not based on accurate data.
Specific Service Rates
Overall, our concerns of the impact these rates will have on services not only relate to the provider system in our state, but also to the individuals and families who need and rely on these services to live an everyday life. As we have experienced throughout the pandemic and the undeniable staffing crisis, when families and individuals do not have the needed support from staff in their homes, it has an impact on their quality of life, their mental health and the family members’ abilities to keep their employment outside of their home. Individuals who have complex needs will be even more at risk since the services that are necessary to support those who have more intense support needs due to medical or behavioral challenges are not equitably considered in these proposed rates.
The rates act as disincentives to providers to serve those who are in need of higher levels of staff care. Providers cannot recruit and maintain a stable work force with competitive wages if there is not some type of annual CPI or COLA Rate increase.