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Tags Posts tagged with "CHC Waiver"

CHC Waiver

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Beginning in June 2023, the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) will hold Listen and Learn sessions with OLTL program participants across the Commonwealth.

OLTL provides Medical Assistance (MA) coverage and long-term services and supports (LTSS) to seniors and adults with physical disabilities through the Community HealthChoices (CHC), OBRA, Act 150, and Living Independence for the Elderly (LIFE) programs. The office wants to hear from participants who receive services through one of these programs and will be holding Listen and Learn Sessions at the locations and times listed here. These sessions are intended for OLTL staff to hear directly from participants, advocates, and community partners, with the goal of gathering critical feedback on OLTL programs.

Members are encouraged to share this information with their clients and families so they can attend and give their feedback on OLTL programs. Some sessions will be held in-person, and some will be conducted virtually. Space may be limited, so attendees are encouraged to register as soon as possible.

Questions about these sessions should be directed to the OLTL Provider Helpline at 800-932-0939.

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has released the transition plans that outline how the Appendix K flexibilities will be phased out on May 11, 2023, with the end of the Public Health Emergency. The transition plans apply to the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver, OBRA Waiver, and Act 150 program.

Since March 6, 2020, the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has been operating under an Appendix K Emergency Preparedness and Response amendment that was approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Appendix K allowed temporary changes to the CHC Waiver, OBRA waiver, and Act 150 waiver in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.

Effective May 11, 2023, OLTL is discontinuing the emergency flexibilities noted in the attached guidance and is returning to pre-emergency operations. Providers should make any changes that are necessary to resume normal operations and be in compliance by May 11, 2023. Service Coordinators have been instructed to work with participants and providers to ensure a seamless transition to normal operations.

The transition plans have been updated to reflect the new expiration date for the flexibilities. In addition, as a general note, resuming pre-emergency waiver operations means the following:

  • All assessments, including the comprehensive needs assessments and reassessments, must be conducted face-to-face;
  • Service Coordinators must monitor participants and Individual Services Plans (ISPs) through face-to-face contacts; and
  • ISP meetings and development must be conducted face-to-face.

Questions about this information should be directed to the OLTL Provider Helpline at 800-932-0939.

Image by Werner Moser from Pixabay

The Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) published the proposed amendment to the Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver in the Pennsylvania Bulletin for November 12, 2022.

DHS and OLTL are proposing to amend the CHC Waiver by adding Agency with Choice as a Financial Management Services (FMS) model for the participant-directed services of Personal Assistance Services (PAS) and Respite. This would modify Service Coordinator and Service Coordinator Supervisor qualifications to align with the CHC Agreement and to amend the service definitions for the following CHC waiver services:

  • Benefits Counseling;
  • Nursing Services;
  • Physical Therapy Services;
  • Occupational Therapy Services; and
  • Speech and Language Therapy Services.

Also proposed is a technical change to the waiver by revising performance measures.

The proposed CHC waiver amendment and summary of all revisions are available for review on the OLTL Waiver Amendments, Renewals, and Accompanying HCBS Transition Plans web page under Additional Resources.

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments regarding the proposed waiver amendment to the Department of Human Services, Office of Long-Term Living, Bureau of Policy Development and Communications Management, Attention: CHC 2023 Waiver Amendment, P.O. Box 8025, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8025. Comments may also be submitted to the Department via email. Use ”CHC 2023 Waiver Amendment” as the subject line. Comments received within 30 days of publication of this notice will be reviewed and considered for revisions to the proposed waiver amendment.

The proposed amendment will be effective April 1, 2023.

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) has released a communication that provides clarification to Act 150 Service Coordination entities on the Act 150 to Community HealthChoices (CHC) Waiver Transfer procedure. This procedure outlines the steps the Act 150 Service Coordinator (SC) should take once the participant has been confirmed nursing facility clinically eligible (NFCE), and a financial eligibility determination is needed to confirm if the participant is to transfer to the CHC Waiver.

As detailed in the Act 150 Guidelines, the reevaluation process is to be conducted at least once each year within 365 days of the first level of care determination and each subsequent year.

Additional questions should be sent to OLTL’s Division of Fee for Service Operations electronically.

Message from the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL):

This communication is a reminder that the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) is allowed to continue available temporary changes to the CHC waiver, OBRA waiver, and the Act 150 Program under Appendix K, Emergency Preparedness and Response, until six months after the end of the federal public health emergency related to COVID-19.

On October 15, 2021, the federal public health emergency was extended by 90 days; however, it’s possible the federal government will decide to extend the emergency further. Please visit this public health emergency website to see the current and future public health emergency declarations related to COVID-19. OLTL will issue guidance in the future when the Appendix K flexibilities are closer to expiring.

For further information on the available OLTL Appendix K flexibilities, please visit the OLTL Resources page. If you have questions about the information, please contact the OLTL Provider Helpline at 1-800-932-0939.