Pennsylvania

On October 5, 2004, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson announced $31 million in grants to 31 states to help people with disabilities or long-term illnesses live in their homes and participate fully in community life. The grants were awarded under the New freedom Initiative and are known as Real Choice Systems Change Grants. A total of 52 grants were awarded in nine categories. The press release, which describes the grant categories, and list of grantees are available.

Some state agencies use online applications for assessing and determining eligibility for health and social service programs. This issue brief highlights some of the key considerations for states moving toward online applications. The discussion includes advantages, disadvantages, and some state examples.

The grant summaries for the states awarded the ADRC Grant are contained here. There is also a matrix of baseline plans from the grantees and a cooperative agreement. In addition, the HHS press release for the first 12 grants for developing ADRCs is also included.

There are three customer satisfaction surveys from the Pennslyvania Community Choice program included here. There are two surveys for consumers found to be eligible for HCBS services: one for those who enrolled and one for those who did not. The third survey was intended for consumers who were found to be ineligible for HCBS services.

These are the notes from the TAE Monthly Grantee Teleconference on Pennsylvania's Streamlined Eligibility that was held on April 1, 2004. The call focused on the state's reform of long term care, specifically the Community Choice Program.

States have used a variety of techniques to combat the rising costs of prescriptions, especially for psychotropic medications. This paper notes that it is important to consider alternatives that have the potential to both contain costs and improve the quality of care and outcomes. The paper provides some examples of promising practices from Pennsylvania, Missouri, Texas, and Massachusetts.

This report was produced by the Pennsylvania Council on Long Term Care outlining procedural, informational and systemic barriers to home and community-based services.

In this letter, CMS outlines several methods by which states may facilitate the transition of individuals from institutional to community settings through Medicaid coverage of medical equipment (ME) costs. This letter also serves to reiterate the July 25, 2000, State Medicaid Directors’ letter on this issue and to encourage states to explore this opportunity for persons with disabilities.

Streamlined instrument used by Pennsylvania's Community Choice program to determine functional eligibility for long term supports and services.

This site is designed to provide up to date information, resources and training materials for use by supports coordinators/service coordinators and their supervisors who are in the field of Mental Retardation/developmental disabilities in Pennsylvania.