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ODP Announcement 22-100 is to announce the release of the Home and Community-Based Services Rule and Pennsylvania’s Statewide Transition plan webcast. The recording of this presentation is now available.

Pennsylvania’s Final Statewide Transition Plan and information about how to provide public comment, including during webinars specific to the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Office of Developmental Programs, and Office of Long-Term Living, are available at the DHS website.

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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:

  1. Infant/Toddler programs should share this announcement with all of their Early Intervention providers.
  2. Infant/Toddler programs and providers should review the MA Bulletin 99-22-02 for further information.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

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On August 22, 2022, the Department of Human Services (DHS) announced the availability of Pennsylvania’s Final Statewide Transition Plan (STP) for the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Rule for a 30-day public comment period. The announcement contained plans for DHS to record a presentation providing a general overview of the HCBS Rule and Pennsylvania’s Final Statewide Transition Plan to prepare stakeholders for public comment. The recording of this presentation is now available on the Home and Community-Based Services Statewide Transition Plan web page.

Pennsylvania’s Final Statewide Transition Plan and information about how to provide public comment, including during webinars specific to the Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Office of Developmental Programs, and Office of Long-Term Living, are also available on the HCBS STP web page.

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The Department of Human Services (DHS) announced they will be accepting comments on Pennsylvania’s Final Statewide Transition Plan (STP) for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). This plan applies to Medicaid Waivers under the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL), Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), and Office of Child Development & Early Learning (OCDEL). The notice is below and includes additional information about upcoming webinars.

HCBS Settings Rule – Background

CMS published the HCBS Rule, which amends the Medicaid regulations for HCBS waivers under section 1915(c) of the Social Security Act. The HCBS Rule supports enhanced quality of programs and services and adds protections for individuals receiving services. The HCBS Rule reflects CMS’ intent to ensure all individuals receiving services and supports through Medicaid waivers have full access to the benefits of community living, including receiving services in the most integrated setting. The HCBS Rule includes a provision requiring states to develop a transition plan to ensure that services will meet federal requirements by March 2023.

Statewide Transition Plan

The Department received initial approval of its STP on August 30, 2016, which can be accessed at the Department’s HCBS Stakeholder Waiver and Planning Team web page.

To receive final approval of Pennsylvania’s STP, the Department is required to complete the following remaining steps and submit an updated STP with this information included:

  • Complete a thorough, comprehensive site-specific assessment of all HCBS settings, implement necessary strategies for validating the assessment results, and include the outcomes of this assessment within the STP;
  • Draft remediation strategies and a corresponding timeline that will resolve issues that the site-specific settings assessment process and subsequent validation strategies uncovered by the end of the HCBS rule transition period (March 17, 2023);
  • Outline a detailed plan for identifying settings that are presumed to have institutional characteristics, including qualities that isolate HCBS beneficiaries, as well as the proposed process for evaluating these settings and preparing for submission to CMS for review under heightened scrutiny;
  • Develop a process for communicating with beneficiaries that are currently receiving services in settings that the state has determined cannot or will not come into compliance with the HCBS settings rule by March 17, 2023; and
  • Establish ongoing monitoring and quality assurance processes that will ensure all settings providing HCBS continue to remain fully compliant with the rule in the future.

This information is included in Pennsylvania’s Final STP for public comment. A presentation providing a general overview of the HCBS Rule and Pennsylvania’s Final STP will be recorded by the Department and posted by the end of August to prepare stakeholders for public comment. Information about where to access the presentation will be published when it is available.

As outlined in the public comment section below, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), and Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) will each hold webinars to go over information in Pennsylvania’s STP that is specific to their waivers and programs. Public comment will be accepted during each of these webinars.

Public Comment

Pennsylvania’s Final STP is available for a 30-day public comment period at the Department’s HCBS STP web page. Comments will be accepted no later than 11:59 pm on September 22, 2022. Stakeholders may provide public comment through one of the following methods:

  1. Electronic comments submitted via email
    1. Stakeholders are asked to use the subject header “PA Final STP” and submit comments to this mailbox.
  2. Written comments submitted via mail
    1. Mailing address: Department of Human Services, Office of the Secretary, P. O. Box 2675, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2675.
  3. Verbal and written comments during public comment webinars
    1. The following dates and times below are for stakeholders to participate in the public comment webinars:
      1. Webinar Specific to STP Information for OCDEL
        September 12, 2022
        9:00 am – 10:00 am
        Please register for the webinar via email.
      2. Webinars Specific to STP Information for ODP
        September 8, 2022
        10:00 am – 12:00 pm
        Please register for the webinar.
        September 12, 2022
        1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
        Please register for the webinar.
      3. Webinar Specific to STP Information for OLTL
        September 15, 2022
        2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
        Please register for the webinar.

When submitting electronic or written comments, it is recommended that you include the following information:

  • The page number or Appendix where the information you are commenting on is located; and
  • Which office (OCDEL, ODP, or OLTL) the comment applies to, if applicable.

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The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), in collaboration with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), will be hosting a webinar on September 9 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am to support counties in their use of annual Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) funds. This webinar will include an overview of IECMH, organizations that host IECMH-related conferences, summits, and/or trainings that are preapproved for reimbursement, and instruction for counties on how to submit an IECMH funding request that is not preapproved.

See the Program Flyer for additional details.

MEETING REGISTRATION:

Please register for the IECMH Funding Webinar on September 9, 2022, 9:00 am EDT. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Call-in Number: 415-655-0052
Access Code: 733418631#

For questions regarding the webinar, please contact Amy Kabiru or RCPA Children’s Policy Director Jim Sharp.

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The purpose of this bulletin is to provide guidance to the county and private children and youth social service agencies, county mental health/behavioral health programs, early intervention (EI) programs, and managed care organizations on the process for referring children to the county intellectual disability and autism program when a child has a diagnosis of an intellectual disability, developmental disability, and/or autism (ID/DD/A) (information regarding eligibility and diagnostic criteria can be found here) or when it is suspected that a child may have one of these diagnoses.

Referring the child to the county ID/A program can provide eligible children and their families with access to information, services, and supports in the community, as well as assistance with preparing for life’s transitions through childhood into adulthood.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) wants to improve services and supports to all children and their families or legal guardians so that children can grow to adulthood living in a home with loving adults. The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP), the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), the Office of Children, Youth, and Families (OCYF), the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), and the Office of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP) work closely together to ensure children with ID/DD/A and their families have access to high quality services that support the child’s growth and development. Please visit here for further information about each DHS Office addressed in this bulletin.

During the registration and eligibility process for services, the county ID/A program or TSM provider should offer families information about the Charting the LifeCourse framework and tools that were developed by the UMKC Institute for Human Development, UCEDD.

If stakeholders have any questions about the bulletin, they should send their questions via email.

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FDA Safety Advisory (Issued June 28, 2022): Do not use neck floats with babies for water therapy interventions, especially with babies who have developmental delays or special health care needs.

See the full FDA Communication here.

If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Children’s Policy Director Jim Sharp. Please share with those in your networks. Thank you.

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