The State of Pennsylvania has been approved for federal funding through the “Balancing Incentive Program” www.balancingincentiveprogram.org (BIP) created by the Affordable Care Act. The $94,260,252 federal matching funds received through BIP will help the Commonwealth expand Home and Community-Based Long Term Services and Support www.aging.state.pa.us (HCB LTSS) with the goal to improve the LTSS delivery system.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare www.dpw.state.pa.us and the Department of Aging www.aging.state.pa.us submitted their “Balancing Incentive Program Application” April 18, 2014 to CMS. For more information and to view the application at www.dpw.state.pa.us/cs/groups/webcontent/documents/document/c_081062.pdf.
The State will build upon existing partnerships within the state’s “Links to Aging and Disability Resources” to strengthen communication and referral across community partners and explore ways to streamline the waiver application and enrollment processes.
In addition, the state is going to improve information so that consumers will not only be able to identify the appropriate programs and services to meet their needs but also improve the eligibility and enrollment processes for LTSS populations, ensure that the Commonwealth collects a core set of functional assessment information for all LTSS consumers, and ensure that case management activities are conflict free for all Medicaid-funded community based programs.
Pennsylvania currently collects a wide array of data from many LTSS programs, including waiver performance measures and claims-based service utilizations. A full assessment of all LTSS service quality, and outcomes data will be collected by the DPW and PDA and then reported to CMS www.cms.gov.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett www.governor.state.pa.us continues to recognize the growing demand for Medicaid-funded HCBS LTSS and along with other state funded programs. In addition, he has proposed further funding increases in his State FY 2015 budget to help older individuals with physical disabilities, expand services for individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism, and move individuals from institutional care to community-based care.