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Tags Posts tagged with "Pennsylvania Bulletin"

Pennsylvania Bulletin

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NOTE TO INSPECTOR: The word "iridium" on the pen's nib is not a brand: it's the name of the metal of which the nib is made. Thanks. Inky old fountain pen on a $100 bill.

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared ODPANN 26-031. The purpose of this announcement is to inform stakeholders that rates effective July 1, 2026, for Supports Coordination funded through the Consolidated, Community Living, and Person/Family Directed Support (P/FDS) Waivers and TSM have been published as final in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, Volume 56, Number 10, published on Saturday, March 7, 2026.

To align payment with outcomes, beginning July 1, 2026, all SCOs will receive:

  • Monthly case rates for Consolidated and Community Living Waiver participants;
  • Monthly case rates for P/FDS Waiver participants and individuals who receive Intensive TSM;
  • A standard case rate for individuals receiving Standard TSM paid upon completion of an annual Individual Support Plan and upon completion of required mid-year monitoring; and
  • One flat fee-for-service rate that covers each individual’s initial person-centered planning and initial Individual Support Plan development.

Please view the announcement for more details.

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On February 28, 2026, the Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) published a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin announcing a change in the fee schedule rates in the OBRA Waiver and the Act 150 Program for Participant-Directed Personal Assistance Services (PAS) procedure codes W1792 and W1792 TU. This fee schedule rate change is effective January 1, 2026. A revised fee schedule is available here.

Written comments regarding these fee schedule rates can be sent to the Department of Human Services, Office of Long-Term Living, Bureau of Policy Development and Communications Management, P.O. Box 8025, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8025. Comments can also be submitted via email. Comments received within the 30-day comment period will be considered in subsequent revisions to the fee schedule.

OLTL previously issued a listserv on December 19, 2025, confirming the Fiscal Year 2025/26 budget, signed into law on November 12, 2025, which included a $21 million investment to strengthen the workforce through increased wages for direct care workers (DCW) providing services in the Participant-Directed model for OLTL Fee-for-Service programs.

To support the January 1, 2026, effective date, OLTL updated the PROMISe™ system and the Home and Community Services Information System (HCSIS) with the revised rates. Service Coordinators (SC) did not need to make any service plan updates for the rate change, as a HCSIS system-wide update was implemented to make the necessary service data rate updates to the affected service plans.

SCs are encouraged to reach out to OBRA Waiver and Act 150 Program participants that utilize Participant-Directed PAS to ensure they are aware of the rate change and that their DCWs may receive increases in their pay rates.

SCs may also receive specific questions from OBRA Waiver and Act 150 Program participants that utilize Participant-Directed PAS supported by Financial Management Services (FMS) through the FMS vendor Public Partnerships, LLC (PPL). SCs should refer participants to the PPL Customer Service hotline at 877-908-1750 for specific questions about how the rate increase in the OBRA Waiver and Act 150 Program will impact the pay of their DCWs.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has announced that the proposed Licensure of Crisis Intervention Services regulations will be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on October 18, 2025. The package is also posted on the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) website and can be found here. OMHSAS’ proposed regulation seeks to codify minimum standards for the issuance of licenses to provide emergency behavioral health crisis intervention services (crisis intervention services) in the Commonwealth in alignment with national best practices for crisis services.

Starting October 18, 2025, and closing November 17, 2025, the public may submit written comments regarding the proposed rulemaking to the Department via email. Please be aware that all public comments must be published verbatim on the IRRC website with the name of the commenter included. OMHSAS fully supports and encourages individuals with lived experience to submit comments on the regulation, but please be sure you are comfortable with the content of your comment being made public with your name.

Comments may also be submitted to the following address:

Department of Human Services
OMHSAS – Bureau of Policy, Planning, and Program Development, Attention: Tara Pride
Commonwealth Tower, 11th Floor
303 Walnut Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105

RCPA will be convening a Crisis Intervention Regulatory Review Team to evaluate the proposed regulations and submit comments. If any member is interested in participating in the review group, please contact Emma Sharp.

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Included in the July 7, 2025, Pennsylvania Bulletin was a notice from the State Board of Physical Therapy (PT) regarding the final-form rulemaking that allows physical therapist students and physical therapist assistant (PTA) students to sit for requisite examinations up to 90 days prior to graduation from their respective programs. It also allows PTs and PTAs to receive a limited amount of continuing education credit for providing clinical instruction to student PTs and student PTAs at clinical facilities affiliated with accredited programs.

In addition, this final-form regulation allows applicants to directly register for the national examination with the examination provider by removing the requirement that the applicant first seek the Board’s permission, and it allows applicants to sit for a third or successive examination, after two failures, without first seeking the Board’s permission.

This final-form regulation became effective on July 7, 2025.

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The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has shared communication ODPANN 24-084, which informs stakeholders that rates for services rendered through ODP have been published as final in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

There is a 30-day public comment period. Comments may be sent to the Department via email using subject header ”PN Fee Schedule.” Written comments can also be sent within 30 days to the Department of Human Services, Office of Developmental Programs, Division of Provider Assistance and Rate Setting, 4th Floor, Health and Welfare Building, 625 Forster Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120.

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A Joint Statement of Policy was released in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on January 13, 2024, by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the State Board of Nursing, and the Department of Human Services (DHS) regarding the application of Pennsylvania’s partial implementation of the Nurse Licensure Compact Act. The partial implantation of the Nurse Licensure Compact Act (2021 Act 68) allows Registered Nurses (RN) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) who hold current multistate licenses from other compact states to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania without obtaining a license from the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, so long as the licensee’s principal place of residence is not in this Commonwealth.

What does this mean for Personal Care Homes (PCH) and Assisted Living Residences (ALR)?

The Joint Statement of Policy clarification on the partial implementation of the Nurse Licensure Compact Act means that PCH/ALR providers may consider a RN or LPN with a multistate license who does not have their principal place of residence in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be equivalent to a RN or LPN who holds licensure through the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing. Any reference to “Registered Nurse,” “RN,” “Licensed Practical Nurse,” “LPN,” or “nurse” in 55. PA Code Chapter 2600 and 55. PA Code Chapter 2800 and their corresponding Regulatory Compliance Guides (RCG) may be interpreted to include eligible multistate licensed nurses, regardless of whether or not the regulation specifically indicates that licensure is required by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.

All other statutory and regulatory requirements continue to apply. All nurses being utilized in PCH/ALR settings must be able to provide services at the physical location if their job description, facility policies and procedures, and/or resident needs require direct resident assessment, evaluation, or treatment.

Visit here for more information on multi-state nurse licensure, including identification of states participating in the compact. Questions about this communication may be directed via email.

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The Office of Developmental Program (ODP) has shared Final Fee Schedule Rates for Select Services Funded Through ODP’s Waivers and Guidance About Community Participation Support Impacted By the End of Appendix K. The purpose of this communication is to announce that the following Fee Schedule Rates have been published as final in the Pennsylvania Bulletin:

  • Residential Habilitation Needs Group 5 services funded through the Consolidated Waiver;
  • Group Music Therapy, Art Therapy, and Equine Assisted Therapy funded through the Consolidated, Community Living, and Person/Family Directed Support (P/FDS) waivers; and
  • Adoption of the enhanced rates as the fee schedule rates for Community Participation Support (CPS) funded through the Consolidated, Community Living, and P/FDS waivers and Transportation Trip funded through the Consolidated, Community Living, P/FDS and Adult Autism waivers.

This communication also provides guidance about implementing Fee Schedule Rates and procedure codes for Community Participation Support/Day Habilitation teleservices in the Consolidated, Community Living, P/FDS and Adult Autism waivers that become effective November 11, 2023, when Appendix K flexibilities end.

Please review the announcement for additional information and detail.

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