Important Notice for Disability Community: Public Comments on Waiver Transition Plan Due March 22

Friends –

Important Notice for the Disability Community:
Public Comments on Waiver Transition Plan Are Due March 22

There are new federal regulations for all Medicaid home and community-based waivers. The new regulations describe how waiver settings must be integrated in the community. The Department of Human Services (DHS) has to submit to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) a draft statewide transition plan for making sure all waiver settings are integrated in the community by March 2019.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) statewide transition plan is now out for public comment. Comments are due by March 22. The notice from DHS is below. The notice has information on how to submit public comments. It also has information on two upcoming public input webinars.

If you have questions, please contact:

Chava Kintisch, Esquire
Director of Civic and Government Affairs
Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania
ckintisch@drnpa.org
(215) 238-8070, extension 210

Notice from the Department of Human Services:

The Department of Human Services (Department) is making available for public review and comment Pennsylvania’s proposed statewide transition plan for Home and Community-Based Settings.

On January 16, 2014, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) in the Federal Register with an effective date of March 17, 2014. According to this final rule, states must submit a transition plan to CMS detailing how the state will operate all 1915(c) HCBS waivers in accordance with the final rule. The Department has made Pennsylvania’s proposed statewide transition plan for all ten 1915(c) Medicaid HCBS waivers available at http://www.dhs.state.pa.us/dhsorganization/officeoflongtermliving/hcbswaiver/index.htm.

The proposed statewide transition plan includes the steps the Department anticipates taking to achieve compliance in the following areas: Unallowable Settings, Settings that are Presumed not Eligible, Qualifications for all Home and Community-Based Settings, and Requirements for Provider-Owned or Controlled Home and Community-Based Residential Settings.

More information regarding Pennsylvania’s proposed statewide transition plan, including how to provide comments, can be found in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, Volume 45, Number 8 published on Saturday, February 21, 2015 at http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol45/45-8/329.html.

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments regarding this notice and the proposed transition plan. Comments may be submitted to the Department at the Department’s “Final Rule Mailbox” at
ra-pwhcbsfinalrulepl@pa.gov. Commenters are instructed to use subject header ‘‘TP Final Rule” when submitting electronic comments.  Comments may also be mailed to the Department at: David Alexander, Department of Human Services, Office of the Secretary, P.O. Box 2675, Harrisburg, PA  17105-2675. Comments must be submitted by March 22, 2015. Comments received within 30 days from the public notice will be reviewed and considered for revisions to the amendments and the transition plan. If you have questions regarding this email, please contact 717-214-2283. Persons with a disability who require an auxiliary aid or service may submit comments using the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 (TDD users) or (800) 654-5988 (voice users).

Webinars
The Department will hold two public input webinars to allow individuals and organizations to comment on the statewide transition plan. If you wish to attend either of the public webinars, the Department is asking that you please go to the registration page and follow the registration instructions. You may also register by calling 717-214-2283 or 1-800-654-5984 (TDD users) with your name and telephone number. These webinars will be held on:

Thursday, March 5 from 11am to 1pm
Monday, March 9 from 1pm to 3pm

Thank you,

Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania
Offices in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh
1-800-692-7443
www.drnpa.org