NOTICES

DEPARTMENT OF AGING

DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC WELFARE

Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Commission; Notice of Public Input Meeting

[44 Pa.B. 2062]
[Saturday, April 5, 2014]

 On January 31, 2014, Governor Tom Corbett issued an Executive Order creating the Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Commission (Commission). Part of the Governor's Healthy Pennsylvania plan is to ensure access to quality, affordable health care in this Commonwealth. The Commission consists of 25 members, including consumers and their families and representatives from Area Agencies on Aging, the physical disabilities community, medical community, providers of long-term care, managed care organizations and members of the General Assembly. Secretary of Public Welfare Beverly Mackereth and Secretary of Aging Brian Duke serve as the Commission's cochairs.

 Governor Corbett has charged the Commission with evaluating and developing recommendations to improve this Commonwealth's long-term care system, including identifying effective ways to provide a better coordinated approach to delivering services and support, and ensuring quality health care for older residents of this Commonwealth and individuals with physical disabilities. The Commission must report its findings and recommendations to the Governor by December 31, 2014.

 The Commission believes that public input is critical to fulfilling its mission. Over the next several months, the Commission will be convening a series of public input meetings throughout this Commonwealth. The first public input meeting will be held on April 11, 2014, in Harrisburg at the time and location noted as follows. The Commission invites interested persons to attend these meetings and offer their input to assist the Commission in understanding the current long-term care system and recommending ways in which it can be improved. The Commission will publish notices announcing the location, date and time of future meetings as they are scheduled.

 While the Commission will accept all comments, the Commission is particularly interested in receiving feedback on the following topics:

 • Prevention and caregiver support: What services, supports and other activities are currently available or should be provided to consumers and their caregivers to improve health and well-being, prevent or delay nursing facility admissions and enable consumers to remain in their own homes as long as possible?

 • Accessibility: How do consumers currently obtain privately and publically funded long-term services and supports and how could the process, including intake and assessment, be improved to provide better access to individuals and families who need those services and supports? What is the capacity of the health care system to meet the growing number and needs within long-term care?

 • Provision of service: What should be done to improve coordination of social, medical and long-term care services within the long-term care continuum? What are best practices in care coordination? What changes should be made to promote a person-centered system for the delivery of long-term care services?

 • Quality outcomes and measurement: What measures are currently being taken, or should be adopted, to monitor the quality and cost-effectiveness of long-term care services and supports? What information and data is, or should be, collected and used to measure quality of care and to promote and improve health outcomes for consumers?

Location, Date and Time

Harrisburg—Friday, April 11, 2014
The Honors Suite
333 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Registering for the Public Meeting

 Persons who wish to provide verbal comments at the public meeting must register to attend the meeting on or before April 10, 2014. Registration is not required for persons attending to listen, but the Commission is requesting those interested in attending to register to help ensure that there is adequate seating. If there are capacity limitations, priority will be given to those who have registered to attend.

 To register to present verbal comments or to attend the public meeting go to www.dpw.state.pa.us and follow the registration instructions. Individuals may also register by calling (717) 425-5719 or (800) 654-5984 (TDD users) with name and telephone number.

 Verbal comments at the public meeting will be limited to 5 minutes to allow others time to share their comments. To assist the Commission in accurately capturing verbal comments, individuals are asked to submit a written copy of their comments by submitting a copy at the hearing, e-mailing them or mailing them to the address noted as follows.

Submitting Written Comments and Feedback

 If individuals cannot attend the public meetings but would still like to provide input to the Commission, the Commission will be accepting written comments and feedback through June 27, 2014.

 Submit written comments to the Department of Public Welfare, P. O. Box 2675, Attn: OLTL Policy, Harrisburg, PA 17105, ra-LTCCommission@pa.gov.

 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).

BRIAN M. DUKE, 
Secretary of Aging

BEVERLY D. MACKERETH, 
Secretary of Public Welfare

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 14-711. Filed for public inspection April 4, 2014, 9:00 a.m.]

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