DHS House Budget Hearing Summary and RCPA Divisional Highlights
Rate Increase
OCDEL Publishes FY 2025/26 Early Intervention Fee Schedule With 7% Rate Increase
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26 budget signed by Governor Josh Shapiro included an additional $13.2 million in state funding for Early Intervention (EI) services, with $10 million of this funding specifically targeting provider rates.
Last Friday, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) released the 2025/26 Fee Schedule, which included a 7% increase for Early Intervention services, with some exceptions.
Infant Toddler Early Intervention Programs and providers should now use the updated Fiscal Year 2025/26 fee schedule rates to bill for all services delivered on or after July 1, 2025. OCDEL will coordinate with County programs to communicate a Mass Adjustment coordination with all Early Intervention providers for services already billed that are eligible for a rate adjustment.
This news comes after months of joint advocacy from RCPA, EIPA, PennAEYC, and other EI provider groups. RCPA is grateful for these strong partnerships, and we recognize this commitment to investment in the Early Intervention Part C Program by Governor Shapiro, OCDEL, and the PA General Assembly.
OLTL Announces Participant Directed (Consumer) Personal Assistance Services Rate Increase
The Fiscal Year 2025/26 budget, signed into law on November 12, 2025, includes a $21 million investment to strengthen the workforce through increased wages for direct care workers providing services in the Participant Directed Model for Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) programs. This additional funding provides for a rate increase in the OBRA Waiver and Act 150 Program for Participant Directed (Consumer) Personal Assistance Services procedure codes W1792 and W1792 TU, effective January 1, 2026.
In anticipation of the upcoming rate increase, OLTL is updating the OLTL Home and Community-Based Waiver Services Rates fee schedule, for which additional communication will be sent in the future. To support the January 1, 2026, effective date, OLTL will be updating their systems to include PROMISe™ and the Home and Community Services Information System (HCSIS) with the revised rates. Service Coordinators do not need to make any service plan updates for the upcoming rate change, as a HCSIS system-wide update is being implemented to make the necessary service data rate updates to the affected service plans.
Please contact the OLTL Provider Inquiry Line at 800-932-0939, OPTION 2, Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm.
Brain Injury Awareness Day Event to Be Held in Harrisburg on November 17
On November 17, 2025, from 10:30 am – 3:00 pm, a Brain Injury Awareness Day will be held in Harrisburg at the State Capitol Rotunda. The day is dedicated to advocacy for survivors, caregivers, and professionals. Discussion topics will focus on the lack of a rate increase for brain injury residential providers and key brain injury legislation. The schedule for the day is below:
Main Rotunda
- 10:00 am: Arrive at Main Rotunda
- Visit vendor tables, take literature, conversations
- 10:15 am: Group Picture
- 10:30 – 11:30 am: Briefing
Legislative Offices
- 11:40 am – 12:50 pm: Legislative Meetings
- Attendees — Please schedule your own meetings.
Senate Room 8E-B
- 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Reception
- 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Survivors of brain injury share their experiences
Download the 2025 BI Awareness Day flyer for further details.
OCDEL Announces 3% Rate Increase Updates For 2022/23 Fee Schedule
The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has announced a 3% increase to all Early Intervention service rates from the previously published 2022/23 fee schedule.
Through the 2022/23 budget, a permanent rate increase of 3 percent for Early Intervention Services was enacted. This rate is in addition to the 3% increase funded through ARPA-IDEA previously published rates for 2021/22 and 2022/23. The Fee Schedule includes the 3% rate increase.
The funding must be used to enhance, expand, or strengthen IDEA and HCBS services. In 2021/22, OCDEL used the combined federal funds (ARPA-IDEA Part C & HCBS FMAP increase) to support the rate increase announced for fiscal year 2021/22 across all rates for Infant/Toddler Early Intervention services.
The Fee Schedule also includes the new Place of Service code for Tele-Intervention for Early Intervention. When providing services to a child and family by Tele-Intervention, the provider must identify the Place of Service for Tele-Intervention on the billing claim in PROMISe. The Place of Service for Tele-Intervention for Early Intervention is 02. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), for the purposes of Medicaid, defines telemedicine as the use of two-way, real time interactive telecommunications technology that includes, at a minimum, audio and video equipment as a mode of delivering healthcare services.
NEXT STEPS:
- Infant/Toddler programs should share this announcement with all of their Early Intervention providers.
- Infant/Toddler programs and providers should review the MA Bulletin 99-22-02 for further information.
- Infant/Toddler Early Intervention programs and providers can use the updated 2022/23 fee schedule rates for services delivered on and after July 1, 2022.
- Early Intervention claims filed prior to this announcement with eligible dates of services may be resubmitted as a claims adjustment at the time and expense of the Early Intervention provider. Timely filing requirements must be abided by at all times with no exceptions or exemptions.
- Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Providers shall update any guidance and billing protocols around place of service Tele-Intervention 02. Providers will need to begin to bill using the 02 Tele-Intervention Place of Service code as of July 1, 2022.
- Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Programs will need to have a process in place to review the Place of Service 02 when analyzing provider billing.
If you have any questions, contact OCDEL or RCPA Children’s Policy Director Jim Sharp.
2022/23 PA Early Intervention Services Funding: 2021/22 3% Rate Increase Remains in Place
Rate Increases for Supported Employment and Pre-Employment Transition Services
ODP Announcement 22-063 announces rate increases for Supported Employment (SE) services and OVR Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). The Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) is committed to providing quality services to Pennsylvanians with disabilities. Effective partnership with Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs) is essential to fulfilling this commitment. Recognizing the unique challenges affecting our CRPs, OVR is modifying service rates for both Supported Employment and Pre-Employment Transition Services. Please see the Supported Employment and Pre-ETS Rate Increases Memo for full details.