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Authors Posts by Melissa Dehoff

Melissa Dehoff

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Melissa Dehoff is responsible for all medical rehabilitation and brain injury service issues. Ms. Dehoff attends multiple state-level meetings to advocate on behalf of members on brain injury and rehabilitation issues and is a member of the Department of Health Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Board.

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) will conduct a Financial Management Services (FMS) stakeholder webinar on October 7, 2022, from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm. This public meeting will be to discuss upcoming changes for the administration of FMS under the Community HealthChoices (CHC), OBRA Waiver, and Act 150 programs. Representatives from the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) and CHC Managed Care Organizations will be in attendance to discuss upcoming changes. Registration is required to participate in the webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

If you choose to use your phone to call in, please use the numbers below:

Dial in: (631) 992-3221
Access Code: 988871316#
Audio PIN: shown after joining the webinar

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The Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Provider Preview Reports have been updated and are now available. These reports contain provider performance scores for quality measures, which will be published on Care Compare and the Provider Data Catalog during the Care Compare refresh in December 2022. For additional information, please visit the CMS IRF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Public Reporting website. The deadline to review the information is October 17, 2022.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Human Services (DHS) recently released an announcement to personal care homes (PCH) regarding an opportunity to pursue additional support with infection prevention and control, COVID-19 response readiness, and other infectious disease preparedness at no cost.

DOH, in partnership with APIC Consulting Services, has developed a specially-tailored Infection Control and Response (ICAR) tool to assist a limited number of Personal Care Homes through an on-site assessment and consultation, development of improvement action plans, and numerous options for follow-up support.

Please see the announcement for details about pursuing this opportunity. Funding for the program is limited, and access to these services will be on a first come, first served basis. This program is not available to Assisted Living Residences or Personal Care Homes in Philadelphia County.

Questions can be sent electronically.

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has released the meeting materials from the September 7, 2022, Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting. In addition to the PowerPoint presentations being included, there is also a meeting transcript. You can find the materials below:

The next MLTSS Subcommittee meeting is scheduled for October 4, 2022.

On August 31, 2022, the Department of Human Services (DHS) Bureau of Human Services Licensing issued written guidance on the use of voice controlled electronic devices in personal care homes (PCH) and assisted living residences (ALR).

A webinar has been scheduled for October 7, 2022, at 11:00 am that will address the implementation of this written guidance, the responsibilities of PCH and ALR in implementing policies and procedures to ensure regulatory compliance, and the procedures that will be utilized by DHS staff while conducting licensing inspections. The webinar will be conducted by Jeanne Parisi, Bureau Director; Sheila Page, Operations Director; and Joshua Hoover, Training and Professional Development. To participate in this webinar, registration is required.

Registration is now open for the October 4, 2022, Managed Long-Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) Subcommittee meeting. The meeting will be held in person and will also offer participation via webinar. The meeting will take place at the PA Department of Education’s Honors Suite, 333 Market Street in Harrisburg, from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.

Public comments will be taken after 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. If participants have any concerns about alternative methods for submitting questions or comments during a subcommittee meeting, including options when no internet access is available, please email DHS.

The Department of Human Services (DHS), Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) is using technology that allows individuals to participate in the webinar and listen through computer speakers instead of participating by dial-in. Dial-in will still be available if you do not choose to participate by webinar, but the number is no longer toll free.

To participate in the meeting via webinar, please register by visiting this link. We encourage those participating by webinar to register early. When registering, please verify that you entered your email address correctly. You will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar if you registered correctly.

Dial-In Number: (914) 614-3221
Access Code: 803310710#

Remote Captioning and Streaming Link

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a quarterly (consolidated from June 2020 to September 2022) inpatient rehabilitation facility patient assessment instrument (IRF-PAI) Question and Answer (Q&A) document in light of the release of the IRF-PAI 4.0. This document focuses on questions submitted to the IRF Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Help Desk related to the IRF-PAI version 4.0 and consolidates guidance from prior releases.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a Request for Information (RFI) that seeks public input on accessing healthcare and related challenges, understanding provider experiences, advancing health equity, and assessing the impact of waivers and flexibilities provided in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE).

The Make Your Voice Heard: Promoting Efficiency and Equity Within CMS Programs RFI furthers CMS’ commitment to engaging and learning from partners, communities, and individuals across the health system to inform how we can better support the populations we serve. In alignment with Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, the CMS Strategic Plan Pillar: Health Equity, and the CMS Framework for Health Equity (2022–2032), this RFI aims to gather feedback and perspectives related to challenges and opportunities for CMS to embed health equity into their efforts encouraging innovation, reducing burden, and creating efficiencies across the healthcare system.

CMS is seeking to better understand individual and community-level burdens, health-related social needs, and opportunities for improvement that can reduce disparities and promote efficiency and innovation across programs. CMS is requesting information related to strategies that successfully address drivers of health inequities, including opportunities to address social determinants of health and challenges underserved communities face in accessing comprehensive, quality care. For example, challenges accessing care may include understanding coverage options, receiving culturally and linguistically appropriate care, accessing oral health services, and accessing comprehensive and timely healthcare services and medication.

Through this RFI, CMS also seeks to better understand the factors impacting provider wellness and learn more about the distribution of the healthcare workforce. CMS is particularly interested in understanding the greatest challenges for healthcare workers in meeting the needs of individuals, and the impact of CMS policies, documentation, and reporting requirements, operations, and communications on provider experiences.

Comments received in response to the Make Your Voice Heard RFI will be used to identify opportunities for improvement and to increase efficiencies across CMS programs. In addition, CMS hopes to learn how specific programs have benefited providers, practices, and the people served.

CMS encourages comments from all interested stakeholders, in particular, patients and their families, providers, clinicians, consumer advocates, and healthcare professional associations. CMS also encourages comments from individuals serving and located in underserved communities and from all CMS stakeholders serving populations facing disparities in health and healthcare. The RFI is open for a 60-day public comment period.

Comments must be received by November 4, 2022, to be considered.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) has announced that they are preparing for the end of the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE). Included in this preparation is a webinar planned for October 24, 2022, at 2:30 pm. Register for the webinar at the link below:

https://padhs19.webex.com/padhs19/j.php?RGID=re51d9b2a4909630f736cfdbb2c6a0dad

When the PHE ends, DHS will resume closing Medicaid cases for ineligible recipients. DHS has stressed that they want all recipients that remain eligible to keep their coverage and complete their renewals in a timely manner. Providers can assist by making sure that they are prepared to aid the individuals to complete their renewal when it is due, now and after the PHE ends.