Pennsylvania Counties Issue Letter Regarding Rate Changes for Waiver Participants

August 21st, 2008

If you are currently the employer of record or managing employer for your staff or the staff of the person you represent through either the Consolidated or Person Family Directed waiver you should have received the below-referenced letter and rate ranges for your County for all participant directed services. Please note that you must use the rate ranges for your County for any staff employed on or after 7/1/08. If you wish to renegotiate the rate for existing staff you must contact your supports coordinator to hold a meeting and revise your ISP. We are aware that some counties have not issued the letter and rates as they were required to do so wanted to make people aware. If you are in the Person Family Directed waiver you must remain below the cap but an increase cannot be denied to you just because your budget would increase.

July 28, 2008

Dear Waiver Participants, Families and Surrogates:

In compliance with the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) approved Consolidated and P/FDS Waivers and corresponding Financial Management Services Policy Bulletins, Administrative Entities (County Mental Retardation Office) were required to develop wage ranges and rates for seven

(7) of the ten (10) Participant Directed Service categories. These services are as follows:

. Unlicensed Home and Community Habilitation (2 levels)

. Unlicensed In-Home Respite (2 levels plus overnight)

. Supported Employment

. Transitional Work

. Personal Support

. Home Finding

. Homemaker/Chore

These wages ranges were recently approved by ODP for Fiscal Year 2008-2009 and must be used by participants or their surrogates (who are the employers of those workers) when negotiating rates of pay (wage) and a benefit allowance for their support service workers that are paid by a Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agent Financial Management Service Organization. These wage ranges/rates are effective July 1, 2008 and continue to June 30, 2009.

For consistency statewide, each Administrative Entity was required to publish the approved wage ranges and rates via this correspondence so that you would be able to determine the rate of pay (wage) for the support service workers you employ. You must use the established wage ranges to determine the pay rate for workers hired on or after July