Final Call Planned for OLTL/Mercer Wage & Rate Study Survey on August 21
Survey
Webinar on Interpretation vs. SSP Roles and Survey for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Announced
The Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing (ODHH) is pleased to offer the following webinar on August 28, 2024, from 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm entitled “Interpreting vs. SSP: What’s the Difference?” When working with people who are Deaf and use American Sign Language (ASL), non-Deaf professionals can confuse the role of the interpreter and Support Service Provider (SSP). An experienced ASL interpreter and an experienced SSP will discuss their roles and responsibilities. View the flyer for more info!
Please contact ODHH for additional accommodations or info:
ODHH’s email
717-783-4912 v/tty
717-831-1928 videophone
In addition to the webinar, the Advisory Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ACDHH) has issued a community survey to gather feedback from Pennsylvanians who are D/deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind. ACDHH is seeking feedback about the services individuals are getting from their communities, with the goal of developing a strategic plan for future ACDHH advocacy efforts. Each question on the survey is written in English and signed in American Sign Language. If you need help filling out this survey, please contact the Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing via email. Don’t delay! The deadline is Friday, September 6, 2024.
Complete the survey here.
RCPA DEI Committee Seeks Recommendations in Resource Survey
In order to better serve our members and leverage our collective experience, the RCPA Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Committee is compiling a list of training and consultant recommendations on DEI-related topics. We kindly request that you share your organization’s experiences. If you have engaged in or utilized multiple trainings or consultants, please complete an additional survey for each one. RCPA will compile and post a repository of member recommendations.
Please submit recommendations via this survey. We request submissions be completed by Friday, August 30. If you have any questions, please contact Cindi Hobbes.
OLTL Wage and Rate Study Survey Due August 23
The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL), with support from Mercer Government Human Services Consulting (Mercer), part of Mercer Health & Benefits LLC, is conducting a rate study survey for the following Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS):
- Adult Day;
- Structured Day Habilitation;
- Employment and Training;
- Personal Assistance (Agency);
- Personal Assistance (Participant-Directed); and
- Residential Habilitation.
Please complete the survey for the Calendar Year (CY) 2023, which spans from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023, unless it is otherwise specified. Please submit the survey by Friday, August 23, 2024. This survey is one piece of the targeted rate review and is intended to collect current provider rate and wage data and general feedback on the challenges of providing these services. The information collected in this survey will be used to assist in developing a point of reference for the rate range to evaluate current payment rates. In addition to results from this survey, the review will include payment rate information from Managed Care Organizations (MCO) in OLTL claims data, recent legislative policies, department expectations, and other data obtained from publicly available sources.
HCBS providers that delivered multiple service categories during CY 2023 should fill out this survey separately for each service category you delivered.
HCBS providers that did not deliver any of the service categories listed above should disregard this survey. OLTL is partnering with Mercer to perform a rate study exclusive to the service categories listed above at this time.
The information collected for this survey will be used for both this rate study and to meet the requirements of House Bill 1300 from the 2023–2024 Pennsylvania General Assembly regular session. The information you provide will remain confidential and private and will only be shared publicly through high level summary reports that do not include provider level detail. Please comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) and do not share any protected health information (PHI) within your survey responses.
You can review the survey questions before starting the survey. This survey tool does not allow individuals to save and go back to answer questions. Please have all your agency information such as wages, employee information, and financial statements readily available. This will help you to submit accurate information when answering the questions.
HCBS providers can access the survey here. OLTL and Mercer appreciate your time and this valuable feedback. If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out via email. A listserv has been established for ongoing updates on the CHC program. It is titled OLTL-COMMUNITY-HEALTHCHOICES; please visit the ListServ Archives page to update or register your email address.
Please share this email with other members of your organization as appropriate. Also, it is imperative that you notify the Office of Long-Term Living for changes that would affect your provider file, such as addresses and telephone numbers. Mail to/pay to addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers may be updated electronically through ePEAP, which can be accessed through the PROMISe™ provider portal. For any other provider file changes please notify the Bureau of Fee for Service Programs Enrollment and Certification Section at 1-800-932-0939 Option # 1.
If you have any questions, please contact Fady Sahhar or Melissa Dehoff.
BI Committee Meeting With OLTL and Additional Meeting on Mercer Rate Study on July 30
PA DOH Seeks Input From Mobile Clinic Operators on Statewide Contributions
The Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) is seeking feedback from organizations operating mobile clinics. They encourage participation in a brief survey, which will take on average 5–7 minutes to complete, to gather insights into how these clinics currently contribute to accessible healthcare statewide. The survey aims to assess the scope of mobile services provided, identify opportunities for collaboration among providers, and explore ways to enhance and expand mobile clinic services. Responses will help shape policies, programs, and partnerships aimed at improving community health care access across Pennsylvania. Access the Mobile Clinic Program Survey here.
HCBS Provider Call on July 18 to Focus on Mercer Rate & Wage Study
The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has announced that they will be hosting a Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) provider call on July 18, 2024, from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm that will include a presentation from Mercer providing an overview of the HCBS rate and wage study.
The Department of Human Services (DHS) contracts with Mercer Government Human Services consulting for actuarial services, Medicaid policy and fiscal analysis, financial monitoring, and other technical support.
Mercer will evaluate the following services categories in this rate study:
- Adult Daily Living;
- Residential Habilitation;
- Personal Assistance (Agency and Participant-Directed);
- Structured Day Habilitation; and
- Employment and Training Services.
Because this is an HCBS Provider Call, registration for the call will be limited to providers who are enrolled with DHS to provide any of these particular services to individuals. Participant-Directed Common-Law Employers are also encouraged to attend. If you are not a provider of these services or are unable to attend the July 18 HCBS Provider Call, you are welcome to attend the July 2 Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Subcommittee meeting to hear from Mercer about the HCBS Rate and Wage Study and ask questions.
Everyone is welcome to submit questions about the HCBS Rate and Wage Study electronically to OLTL in advance of the July 18 call. Questions submitted will be read during the call as time allows. Questions and Answers will be compiled into a Q&A document that will be available after the call.
A registration link for the July 18, 2024, HCBS Provider Call will be issued shortly. If you have any questions about the call itself, please contact Kristi Mundis.
Deadline for National Core Indicators State of the Workforce Survey Extended
ODP Announcement 24-062 is to inform all provider agencies employing DSPs that the Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) has extended the deadline for completing the 2023 National Core Indicators® (NCI) State of the Workforce Survey. The portal will now close on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.
HSRI is aiming for a 5% or lower margin of error (MoE) for each participating state. The lower the MoE, the more representative and impactful the data will be. Pennsylvania currently has a 5.5% margin of error, and ODP would like to see it reach the recommended level since it is within reach. Therefore, ODP strongly encourages eligible provider agencies to complete the survey if they have not already done so. A final reminder will be issued via the portal in mid-July.
For questions, contact Ms. Lee Stephens, ODP IM4Q/NCI Statewide Lead.
OLTL Issues Notice on 2024 Pre-Administration of the HCBS CAHPS Survey
The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has released a message providing advance notice of the 2024 pre-administration of the home and community-based services (HCBS) Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey.
OLTL has the HCBS CAHPS survey administered to participants who receive HCBS through the Act 150 Program as well as the OBRA and the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver Programs in the fall. The department then uses the responses received to assist them with improving the services participants receive. To increase response rates, OLTL is requesting Service Coordinators to begin having conversations with the HCBS participants in order to provide an introduction and encourage participation in the upcoming administration of the survey.
The HCBS CAHPS Survey will be administered from August 1, 2024, to October 31, 2024. This survey will ask questions about the services HCBS participants receive at home or in the community and how well the services meet their needs. Press Ganey, an independent firm, will conduct the survey. They will call participants to set up a time to talk. Member’s participants may also call Press Ganey toll free at 1-800-588-1659 (TTY: 711) if they would like to take the 30-minute survey. The number can also be used to make an appointment to take the survey at a time that works for them. Participants are randomly selected to participate in the survey from a list of all participants receiving HCBS through either the Act 150 Program, the OBRA Waiver, or the CHC Waiver Programs. Language Services can be provided to HCBS participants at no cost.
Members are encouraged to remind participants that their privacy is important. If they choose to participate, any information that they provide will be kept confidential. Participants will not be identified in any report that is released, and their answers will not be shared with their providers, Service Coordinator, or anyone else who assists them. It is the participant’s choice whether to participate, and their decision to participate will not affect any HCBS received through OLTL.
Survey Open to Assess Health Needs of PA LGBTQ+ Community
The 2024 PA LGBTQ+ Health Needs Assessment aims to enhance the health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community. This survey intends to identify health disparities, barriers to care, and potential strategies for improvement as well as to understand the health care experiences and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians to inform future discussions and actions. It is available in English and Spanish and will remain open until August. Participation is open to LGBTQ+ residents of Pennsylvania who are 13 years or older. The survey maintains anonymity and confidentiality. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is sponsoring the survey, which is being conducted by Bradbury Sullivan LGBT Community Center and Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC).
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